We’ve all heard the phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” but what does this mean and does it hold weight? In this series, we’ll take a casual look at the philosophical debates concerning our experiences with beauty and art. Through questions and reflection, we hope to gain a deeper understanding of beauty and art and their place in our lives. Pilot Article: Plato and the Liars In the Republic, Plato argues that representational artists (poets, painters, musicians) are liars and should be censured or expelled from the perfect republic. Socrates, the protagonist in Plato’s writings, says: “It seems then that if a man who in his cleverness can become many persons and imitate all things should arrive in our city and want to give a performance of his poems, we should bow down before him as being holy, wondrous, and sweet, but we should tell him that …