Muhammad Abubaker Saddique
Saba Pirzadah
SS 100
26th, October, 2016.
Art should always have a social or moral purpose
The definition of art is highly debatable in modern day critical philosophy. An authentic definition of art does not exist. It is simply an ocean that cannot be contained. However critics always find ways to put something into one category or another, art is no different. Conventionally, the ethical evaluation of art in respect of aestheticism and moralism gives us two distinct set of meanings. Moralism reduces the aesthetic value of art to its ethical value, while aestheticism refuses to put a label of morality on the aesthetics of art. To say art is all in all useless would be a mistake, it carries a complicated relationship with our society but critics make cases where the use of art for the betterment of man is thoroughly highlighted. To assess anything, it must fall under the criteria of having limits at some stage, but art alone is limitless. To judge art on the basis of social or moral values is completely bizarre because it has been the grounds for freedom of expression, source of unity and a unique feeling to find oneself.
Art provides the perfect platform to raise voice against a biased and unjust cause. It gives you many ways to communicate with your fellow beings and motivate them for or against an idea. Art, having different forms, gives wide dimensions to freedom of expression. History provides countless examples where art has been used as a voice for the voiceless. The fall of the Western Roman Empire near the end of the middle age, the renaissance and the age of discovery brought a new dynamic to the to the ever-growing influence of art. That seemed to be the last strong rule by religion-influenced ideologists. The fall of the church complimented by the desire of freedom of the general masses created chaos. The start of the 15th century saw the attention of the deprived masses shift towards art, literature, music, painting and architecture which provided the perfect language for them to regain their voice. Art provided the medium for revolution and defiance. Art, for centuries, has been a weapon against oppression and injustice. Oscar Wilde perfectly elaborates the timeless effect of art when he says: “Like the great Italian Renaissance of the fifteenth century, its desire for a more gracious and comely way of life, its passion for physical beauty, its exclusive attention to form, its seeking for new subjects for poetry, new forms of art, new intellectual and imaginative enjoyments, I call our English renaissances a romantic movement because it is our most recent expression of beauty.”(Wilde, Oscar). Art, in any of its forms, has been the best companion of critical thinkers and dreamers. Humans, since ages, have refuted from the idea of living a simple life and art provides just that. It gives you a plunge out of the material world into the unknown.
Literature, music, poetry, painting, and other artistic endeavors are where race, creed and religion find their peace. Art emphasizes our similarities rather than our differences. It provides a common ground for all to agree upon. Iqbal mentions in his personal diary: “Nations are born in the hearts of poets” (Iqbal, Allama). Artists are a combination of dreams and ideas; they are beautiful souls who work to make this world less horrible. Literature and poetry are what keeps us young and hopeful; it brings ineffable joy into our rather mundane lives. It is what makes us realize that we are all one, that no matter our language or our country, we are all part of a universe that connects us. As John Keatings has beautifully defined the influence of art: “We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.”(KleinBaum, Dead Poets Society). Art unites different thoughts in the mind of every human being. Life is resilient and tough but art invites us to its sympathetic and comforting arms. Humans gaze continuously at this world and it keeps growing dark in their perceptions. In those desperate times, people need something to hold on to, that provides them with serenity and content. Art is an ocean that is expressed in different forms; this diversity takes within itself all walks of life. A nation deprived of art has no character and the people of that nation wander in search of their identity. Friedrich Nietzsche said: “we have art in order not to die from the truth.” (Nietzsche, Friedrich).
A person has never achieved enough if he does not know the meaning of life. One can never know what to look for if he has no idea where to start from. One extinguishes the fire of the soul through art which paves the way for him to see with his heart. Art makes us fearless and curious, which in turn gives us the courage to look beyond what we already see. Art is a love affair with the unknown. It is our ultimate salvation, an opportunity to so something unique in this otherwise tedious world. Your own creativity is something that takes care of you as you are growing into life. It engulfs you in itself so that you forget about everything negative happening around you. Everybody goes through ups and downs in life but the things that affect us the most are the ones which go through the skin into our hearts. That’s where we become our own audience and start talking to our self. One must never lose his elegant humor and intense imagination. These things reveal the artist inside a person. George Bernard Shaw saw art as a refuge when he said: “Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.”(Shaw, George Bernard). The beauty of artistry is that it has no particular audience, it talks to everyone. It is up to the viewer what meaning he or she gathers from it.
Some people might argue that art could be used to serve particular means hence limiting its scope of influence. Art can be directed towards a particular goal, but to evaluate art on the basis of a specific event or occasion is wrong. For example, copies of Friedrich Nietzsche’s Will to power were distributed in Hitler’s army to motivate them and instill a sense of pride in them. Now to judge all of Friedrich Nietzsche’s on this single incident would be foolishness. Individuals use art to acquire their own personal gains. Joss Whedon thinks art should be open to all kinds of critique: “All worthy work is open to interpretations that the author did not intend.”(Whedon, Joss. goodreads.com). Radical moralism has been the biggest enemy of contemporary art. Some proponents of radical moralism include much-celebrated philosophers like Leo Tolstoy. The strongest question raised against aesthetics is that if art does not benefit society directly, then what is it goof for? Tolstoy gives a whole new dimension to the evaluation of art hence countering the theory of moral radicalism. He quoted: “The inaccuracy of all these definitions arises from the fact that in them all, the object considered is the pleasure art may give, and not the purpose it may serve in the life of man and of humanity." (Tolstoy, Leo. Essays). Art in whatever form it may be is a blessing to society in one form or another but to determine whether art is useful just on basis of morality is wrong on many levels.
“You see, there are still faint glimmers of civilization left in this barbaric slaughterhouse that was once known as humanity”. (Anderson, Wes. The Grand Budapest Hotel). Art is not merely an escape from reality; rather it shows you the concealed truth. Art provides us solace in this world of hatred and treachery. It is the only thing that will never betray your attention. It completely understands you and is a good listener. It is a means to convey your thoughts to any audience you want. Creativity makes you love yourself so fondly, that you are no longer fearful of anything. It takes you too far because that’s where you’ll find all your answers. Art makes you a child again because that’s the time when our soul is old. In short, art gives us the courage to disturb the universe.
Works cited
Wilde, Oscar. "Oscar Wilde." The English Renaissance of Art by. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
Iqbal, Muhammad. Stray Reflections: The Private Notebook of Muhammad Iqbal. Lahore: Iqbal Academy Pakistan, 2006. Print.
Kleinbaum, N. H. Dead Poets Society: A Novel. New York: Bantam, 1989. Print.
Nietzsche, Friedrich Wilhelm. The Birth of Tragedy. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000. Print.
Shaw, Bernard. Back to Methuselah: A Metabiological Pentateuch. New York: Brentano's, 1921. Print.
Tag, By. "A Quote by Joss Whedon." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.
Question 3--Why Make Art? What Is Art For? N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016. http://www.artofimagination.org/Pages/ArtEss.html)
Grand Budapest Hotel. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, 2014. Web.