Socrates' description of art is that it is

• A. An imitation of imitation.
• B. A direct copy of reality.
• C. A purely original creation.
• D. A scientific illustration.

Answer: (A)

Socrates’ view centers on art as mimesis, or imitation. In this view, the world we see consists of appearances that are themselves copies or imitations of true realities or Forms. Art doesn’t reproduce the perfect truth; it reproduces those appearances. Since appearances are already imitations of the real, art becomes an imitation of imitation. That’s why the statement that art is an imitation of imitation best captures Socrates’ position. It also helps explain why it isn’t a direct copy of reality, a purely original creation, or a scientific illustration—those ideas either miss the role of appearances in art or miss the goal of art altogether.