2022-2023 Academic Catalog

Dec 07, 2025

2022-2023 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

PHIL 112 - Art and Morality

Can art be immoral? If so, what makes a work immoral? Can art be morally subversive or positivey influence our actions and character? If a work is immoral, does that diminish its aesthetic value, that isdoes the moral defect make it a lesser work of art? What makes a piece manipulative? What is propaganda art and how is it different from other works of art? Are there circumstances in which at should be censored? We will draw on both historical sources (from Ancient Greece to the Modern Period) and contemporary-texts. In discussing different theories we will continuously apply them to particular examples from thearts, the media, and the political sphere. I encourage you to bring in your own examples.

Course Designation/Attribute: VP

Anticipated Terms Offered: Bi-annually