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Single Idea 22685

[catalogued under 21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 7. Art and Morality]

Full Idea

Ethicism does not entail the causal thesis that good art ethically improves people, …any more than it follows that earnest ethical advice improves people.

Gist of Idea

Good art does not necessarily improve people (any more than good advice does)

Source

Berys Gaut (The Ethical Criticism of Art [1998], 'Ethicism')

A Reaction

How successful were sermons, in the great days of Christianity? It seems hard to disagree with Gaut's point.

Book Reference

'Aesthetics and the Phil of Art (Analytic trad)', ed/tr. Lamarque,P/Olsen,SH [Blackwell 2004], p.284

Related Idea

Idea 22684 Good ethics counts towards aesthetic merit, and bad ethics counts against it [Gaut]