A Comparative Study of Aristotle's Theory of Catharsis And Empathy Based on The Function of Mirror Neurons
Catharsis And Mirror Neurons
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18533/jah.v11i1.2213Keywords:
Catharsis, Mirror Neurons, Empathy.Abstract
New scientific findings indicate the discovery of a group of neurons in the pre-motor part of the cortex of the brain. Some of these neurons, including motor neurons, sensory neurons, and some of the most important recent discoveries are known as mirror neurons. The present article examines mirror neurons in order to explain its functions in the process of imitation, empathy and its relationship with the concept of Aristotle's catharsis. It seems that the roots of Aristotelian catharsis can be traced to the way in which mirror nerves function, on the one hand, because the audience of tragedy is afraid of being caught in the same situation as the hero of the tragedy, and on the other hand sympathizes with him. The main question of the present study is how physiologically, the audience is cultivated through observation of the play and through empathy with the other and is refined based on Aristotle's theory of catharsis? First, the concept of catharsis has been studied by Aristotle, then the function of mirror neurons and how they function in relation to the problem of empathy or empathy has been studied. Finally, by applying the function of mirror nerves and its role in creating a process of empathy with another and Aristotle's theory of catharsis, the concept of catharsis has been revised through the lens of empirical science.
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url1: https://medicaldictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Catharsis+(medicine)
url2: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9781444306002: the encyclopedia of positive psychology
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