Journal Title/Source
Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism
Publication Date
2016
Volume
74
Issue (if applicable)
4
Page Numbers
383-396
DOI (if applicable)
10.1111/jaac.12324
Document Type
Journal Article
Department
Philosophy
Abstract
Works of art can be difficult in several ways. One important way is by making us face up to unsettling truths. Such works typically receive praise. I maintain, however, that sometimes they deserve moral censure. The crux of my argument is that, just as we have a right to know the truth in certain contexts, so too we have a right not to know it. Provided our ignorance does not harm or seriously endanger others, the decision about whether to know the truth ought to be left to us. Within this limit, therefore, difficult art is morally problematic if it intentionally targets those who have chosen not to know. To illustrate the problem, I discuss the literary writings of Søren Kierkegaard, which aim to deceive readers into seeing unpleasant truths about themselves that they seek to ignore.
Recommended Citation
2016. “A Moral Problem for Difficult Art.” The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 74 (4): 383-396. doi: 10.1111/jaac.12324.