AMAMIHE Journal of Applied Philosophy

There has been controversy over the true meaning of the term catharsis as used by Aristotle. Aristotle is said to explain the meaning of “catharsis” basically in the definition of tragedy in the Poetics. Thus, there are other Aristotelian and non-Aristotelian contexts in which the term has been used and understood. For this reason, a number of diverse interpretations of the meaning of this term have arisen over the ages. This study analysed Aristotle?s catharsis and the various interpretations that it could entail in contemporary milieu ranging from the dramatic, intellectual clarification, ethical, aesthetic, therapeutic, purgation and purification use of the term. The study was a qualitative work and so adopted the qualitative research design by relying on secondary sources for data collection. Thereafter, the expository and comparative evaluative methods were used for data analysis. The study found out that since Aristotle did not leave a clear definition of the term, it has resulted in centuries of discussion, commentary, and debate, which has contributed to the development of theories such as aesthetics, psychology, drama, and artistic ethics. That notwithstanding, the most common interpretations of the term are purgation and purification, which are still widely used today.

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