Plato, the first philosopher with a theory of esthetics, had an extremely negative view of art. He believed that art is the product of irrationality, and is dangerous because it is emotionally evocative. The Poetics is Aristotle's brilliant and profound reply to Plato. After a brief look at Plato's dismissal of art, Dr. Mayhew discusses the basic principles of Aristotle's esthetics. Topics include: art as the representation of things as they might be and ought to be; the nature and importance of plot; art and emotion; and (time permitting) comedy and humor. Throughout the course, Aristotle's theories are compared to and contrasted with those of Ayn Rand, who regards Romanticism as a product of Artistolelian philosophy.