How is poetry superior to both history and philosophy according to Philip Sidney?

Correct option is A

Explanation:

In The Defense of Poesy, Philip Sidney argues that poetry is superior to history and philosophy because it has the unique ability to not only show and tell what virtue is but also to transform gnosis (knowledge) into praxis (performance). He explains that while history and philosophy offer knowledge and teach us facts and theories, poetry provides practical examples and emotional engagement, which inspire readers to live virtuously. By showing the consequences of virtuous actions through imaginative narratives, poetry not only teaches but also moves people to act. This transformative power is what makes poetry superior in Sidney's view.
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Information Booster:

Defending the fictional realm that poetry creates, Sydney says that the world created by poetry is the epitome of all histories, mythologies, and philosophies. After all, all the classical epics are written in poetic form. Various types of poetic forms like comedy, satire, tragedy, lyric, heroic, and pastoral embody and commemorate a variety of great historical achievements.

In “An Apology for Poetry,” Sir Philip Sidney sets out to restore poetry to its rightful place among the arts.

Poetry has gotten a bad name in Elizabethan England, disrespected by many of Sidney’s contemporaries. But, Sidney contends, critics of poetry do not understand what poetry really is: they have been misled by modern poetry, which is frequently bad.

If one understands the true nature of poetry, one will see, as Sidney shows in his essay, that poetry is in fact the “monarch” of the arts.

Sidney does so by articulating a theory of poetry, largely drawn from classical sources, as a tool for teaching virtue and the poet as a semi-divine figure capable of imagining a more perfect version of nature.

Armed with this definition, Sidney proceeds to address the major criticisms made of the art of poetry and of the poets who practice it, refuting them with brilliant rhetorical skill.

• In Sidney’s view, gnosis refers to theoretical knowledge, and praxis refers to the practical application of that knowledge.
• Poetry is seen as a means to educate and inspire, offering both intellectual and emotional engagement.
• While history provides factual accounts and philosophy offers abstract principles, poetry makes the abstract concrete and relatable by showing characters and events.
• Sidney suggests that poetry embodies virtue in a way that is more effective than philosophy because it appeals to the emotions, thereby encouraging the reader to take virtuous actions.
• Poetry has the ability to imagine perfect worlds and ideal moral situations, making it more persuasive than the often rigid and fact-based approaches of history and philosophy.
• Sidney viewed poets as educators, not just entertainers, shaping the moral and intellectual character of society.