POETRY AS AN AESTHETIC AND ETHICAL PHENOMENON

Abstract

This article examines the concept of psychologism in Eastern poetics based on the philosophical and aesthetic views of Al-Farabi and Ibn Sina (Avicenna). Poetry is presented as an aesthetic phenomenon that reflects the unity of human thought and emotion, combining beauty, feeling, moral, and educational functions. Beginning with Aristotle’s theory of catharsis, the study highlights how Eastern thinkers developed the idea of aesthetic pleasure and spiritual purification. Al-Farabi views poetry as a means to awaken a sense of beauty in the human soul and to inspire moral elevation. Ibn Sina, meanwhile, interprets poetry not only as a source of emotional experience but also as a medium for moral and spiritual healing. The article emphasizes that, in Eastern poetics, aesthetic and didactic approaches are complementary rather than opposing concepts. Poetry, therefore, is seen as an art that influences human psychology, encourages virtue, and unites moral and aesthetic harmony. The discussion further explores how these classical ideas contributed to the formation of artistic psychologism in modern literary theory, demonstrating the continuous relevance of Eastern philosophical thought in understanding the psychological depth of poetic creation