Ideas from 'Aesthetics: problems in the philosophy of criticism' by Monroe Beardsley [1958], by Theme Structure

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21. Aesthetics / C. Artistic Issues / 6. Value of Art
Art leads to mental health, and mental clarity
                        Full Idea: Beardsley says aesthetic experience relieves tensions and quiet destructive emotions. It also aids us in sorting out the jumble in the flow of consciousness, by virtue of its tendencies toward heightened clarity and coherence.
                        From: report of Monroe Beardsley (Aesthetics: problems in the philosophy of criticism [1958]) by Noël Carroll - Monroe Beardsley p.162-3
                        A reaction: I find this claim highly implausible. I like art, but I feel neither healthier nor clearer after experiencing it.