Catharsis

Created: November 5, 2020 9:58 AM
Forest status: #soil
Last Edited: June 20, 2021 12:34 PM
Retention Rating: #1⭐
Review Due: July 3, 2021 12:34 PM

Catharsis, meaning “cleansing” in Greek, refers to a literary theory first developed by the philosopher Aristotle, who believed that cleansing our emotions was the purpose of a good story, especially a tragedy. Catharsis applies to any form of art or media that makes us feel strong negative emotions, but that we are nonetheless drawn to – we may seek out art that creates these emotions because the experience purges the emotions from our system.