mimesis

Mimesis is the representation or imitation of the real world in art and literature. Derived from the Greek mimesis meaning imitation or representation, the term describes how works reflect, imitate, or transform aspects of nature, society, or human behavior. It covers faithful copying as well as symbolic, stylized, or didactic renderings of reality.

In ancient philosophy, mimesis was debated as a source of truth and knowledge. Plato viewed art as mimesis that imitates appearances and thus distances the soul from true knowledge, often warning of its negative influence. Aristotle offered a more affirmative account in the Poetics, arguing that mimesis is a natural human activity that enables learning; he described tragedy as a mimesis of action that evokes pity and fear and leads to catharsis, stressing unity, structure, and universal motifs rather than mere replication.

In later aesthetics, mimesis expands to include verisimilitude and the artist’s ability to recreate or reinterpret reality, sometimes highlighting the constructed nature of representation. In modern theory, mimetic analysis also examines how observers perceive art as a form of imitation, while mimetic theory in René Girard emphasizes imitation as the source of desire and social dynamics that can generate conflict.

In biology, the term takes on a distinct meaning: mimicry, where organisms imitate the appearance, behavior, or signals of other species or objects to survive, as seen in Batesian and Müllerian mimicry and other forms of camouflage.

Across disciplines, mimesis remains a foundational concept for understanding how art, culture, and life imitate, transform, or respond to the world around us.