An original study of the relation of art to morality
Can a good work of art be evil? Berys Gaut argues that artworks are always aesthetically flawed if they have a moral defect that is aesthetically relevant. He shows how moral goodness is a kind of beauty, that artworks can teach us about morality, and that it is right for emotional responses to artworks to be guided in part by moral considerations.
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Summary
An original study of the relation of art to morality
Can a good work of art be evil? Berys Gaut argues that artworks are always aesthetically flawed if they have a moral defect that is aesthetically relevant. He shows how moral goodness is a kind of beauty, that artworks can teach us about morality, and that it is right for emotional responses to artworks to be guided in part by moral considerations.
Description
Art, Emotion and Ethics is a systematic investigation of the relation of art to morality, a topic that has been of central and recurring interest to the philosophy of art since Plato. Berys Gaut explores the various positions that have been taken in this debate, and argues that an artwork is always aesthetically flawed insofar as it possesses a moral defect that is aesthetically relevant. Three main arguments are developed for this view; these involveshowing how moral goodness is itself a kind of beauty, that artworks can teach us about morality and that this is often an aesthetic merit in them, and that our emotional responses to works of art are properlyguided in part by moral considerations. Art, Emotion and Ethics also contains detailed interpretations of a wide range of artworks, including Rembrandt's Bathsheba and Nabokov's Lolita, which show that ethical criticism can yield rich and plausible accounts of individual works. Gaut develops a new theory of the nature of aesthetic value, explores how art can teach us about the world and what we morally ought to do by guiding our imaginings, andargues that we can have genuine emotions towards people and events that we know are merely fictional. Characterised by its clarity and sustained argument, this book will be of interest to anyone who wants tounderstand the relation of art to morality.
Critic Reviews
“"There is much here to admire. Amon the strengths of the work are the clarity and sophistication of Gaut's arguments.... I consider this an important book that deserves to be widely read and discussed."--Daniel Jacobson,Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews”
`Review from previous edition There is much here to admire. Among the strengths of the work are the clarity and sophistication of Gaut's arguments...I consider this an important book that deserves to be widely read and discussed.'Daniel Jacobson, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews
About the Author
Berys Gaut is Reader in Philosophy at the University of St. Andrews.
Art, Emotion and Ethics is a systematic investigation of the relation of art to morality, a topic that has been of central and recurring interest to the philosophy of art since Plato. Berys Gaut explores the various positions that have been taken in this debate, and argues that an artwork is always aesthetically flawed insofar as it possesses a moral defect that is aesthetically relevant. Three main arguments are developed for this view; these involve showing how moral goodness is itself a kind of beauty, that artworks can teach us about morality and that this is often an aesthetic merit in them, and that our emotional responses to works of art are properly guided in part by moral considerations. Art, Emotion and Ethics also contains detailed interpretations of a wide range of artworks, including Rembrandt's Bathsheba and Nabokov's Lolita, which show that ethical criticism can yield rich and plausible accounts of individual works. Gaut develops a new theory of the nature of aesthetic value, explores how art can teach us about the world and what we morally ought to do by guiding our imaginings, and argues that we can have genuine emotions towards people and events that we know are merely fictional. Characterised by its clarity and sustained argument, this book will be of interest to anyone who wants to understand the relation of art to morality.
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