ABSTRACT
Many contemporary art cognitivists cite Aristotle's poetics in support of their arguments that art can be a source of knowledge and learning. Poetry is more philosophical than history because it speaks more of the universal, while history relates particulars. This chapter focuses on understanding just what Aristotle means in saying that poetry 'speaks more' of the universal, and how this bears on the comparison that Aristotle makes between philosophy, poetry, and history. To do so, it begin with some background on Aristotle's theory of knowledge. The reason for the greater degree of nobility in poetry than in the reports of the typical historian has to do with the fact that poetry deals with the possible and the universal. Aristotle recognizes that poetry does not do the work of philosophy. Pleasure for Aristotle occurs when there is the perception that one is settling down into one's natural state. All human beings, Aristotle says, naturally take delight in learning and understanding.
