Question

According to Aristotle, why is poetry more philosophical and of greater import than history?

Answer 1

According to Aristotle, the task of a historian is to record and report the occurrences of events. The poet, however, possess the ability to make plots and therefore represents what can happen in the future. In this manner, poetry is more philosophical than history, because the poet sets out to unfold a plot which is convincing to the audience, for which he/she must understand the logic, necessity and the outcome of events. History, on the other hand, simply presents past events.