ART, EDUCATION, AND THE DEMOCRATIC COMMITMENT

Transcription

1 ART, EDUCATION, AND THE DEMOCRATIC COMMITMENT

2 Philosophical Studies in Contemporary Culture VOLUME 7 Series Editor H. Tristram Engelhardt, Jr., Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, and Philosophy Department, Rice University, Houston, Texas Associate Editor Kevin William Wildes, S.1., Philosophy Department and Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC Editorial Board Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University, Durham, N.C. Maureen Kelly, Centerfor Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Terry Pinkard, GeorRetown University, WashinRton, DC The titles puhlished in this series are listed at the end of this \'olume.

3 ART, EDUCATION, AND THE DEMOCRATIC COMMITMENT A Defence of State Support for the Arts by DAVID T. SCHWARTZ Randolph-Macon Woman's Colle!?e, Lynchburg, U.S.A. SPRINGER-SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, B.V.

4 A c.i.p. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress. ISBN ISBN (ebook) DOI / Printed an acid-free paper AII Rights Reserved 2000 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Originally published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2000 Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover lst edition 2000 No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, inc1uding photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the copyright owner.

5 CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES VI PREFACE V11 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS XI INTRODUCTION 1 1 THE TRADITION OF SUBSIDY: ART AND CULTURAL PERFECTION 13 2 THE COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY 45 3 EMPATHY, INTERPRETATION, AND JUDGMENT: THE CASE FOR ART 67 4 THE POLITICS OF SUBSIDY PUBLIC POLICIES AND CONCLUSIONS 141 INDEX 163 BIBLIOGRAPHY 173 v

6 LIST OF FIGURES 1 George Washington by Horatio Greenough 2 A Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks Piss Christ by Andres Serrano 4 Tilted Arc by Richard Serra VI

7 PREFACE In reflecting on this book and the process of writing it, the most pervasive theme I find is that of confluence. I drew much of the energy needed to write the book from the energy that resides at the confluence, or nexus, of contrasting ideas. At the most general level, the topic of arts subsidy offered a means of exploring simultaneously two of my favorite philosophical subjects-aesthetics and politics. The risk of a dual focus is of course that you do neither topic justice. However, the bigger payoff of this strategy resides in finding new and interesting connections between two otherwise disparate topics. Developing such connections between art and politics led directly to many of the book's positive arguments for subsidy. At a deeper level, the book exploits a confluence of contrasting philosophical methodologies. The central problem of the bookpolitically justifying state support of the arts-is cast in the Anglo American tradition of analytical philosophy. Here normative arguments of ethics and politics are scrutinized with an eye toward developing a defensible justification of state action. Yet while the book initially situates the subsidy problem within this analytical tradition, its positive arguments for subsidy draw heavily from the ideas and methods of Continental philosophy. Rather than adjudicating normative claims of ethical and political ttuth, the Continental tradition aims at the hermeneutical task of interpreting and describing sttuctures of human meaning. That the book draws from both traditions reflects my belief that rarely can a single tradition of inquiry produce a complete philosophical explanation. VII

8 PREFACE Today, unfortunately, a strict partition exists between the practice of analytical and Continental philosophy, and often the distinction is a source of enormous rancor and downright nasty behavior among many professional philosophers. This book reflects my long-held desire to practice philosophy across this divide, in a way that might be fruitful to adherents of either tradition. Another methodological confluence informing the book is that of theoretical philosophy and practical philosophy. That is, the book occupies a point at which metaphysical claims about the foundations of morality, beauty, and political legitimacy connect more with practical issues of democratic citizenship, public policy, and practical wisdom. The bridge term that facilitates this crossover is the concept of judgment, an intellectual phenomenon essential to resolving theoretical questions about the metaphysics of value as well as practical questions about how to live a fruitful life. While on the topic of practical life, I would also point out a more personal confluence at work in the book. In addition to the various connnections of theory and method just discussed, for me the book also represents a confluence of personal career choices. That is, the book not only reflects my current work as a teacher and lover of philosophical inquiry, but it also connects with my past service in the public sector. Prior to pursuing philosophy as a career, I served six years with The United States General Accounting Office, a support agency of the U.S. Congress. One might even say that before becoming a philosopher I was something of a government junkie, having always been fascinated with what government is and how it works. This was true not only during my time at GAO but as early as age eight, when I remember being simply fascinated at touring the local post office and understanding its inner workings! Viti

9 PREFACE From a personal level, then, it is not surprising I would write a book of philosophy that dealt with the public sector. Yet more philosophically, perhaps these early experiences help explain my belief that philosophy is something one should be able to discuss with others, not just with other philosophers. I believe Ludwig Wittgenstein was absolutely right when he said all philosophy must in the end maintain friction with an actual form of life. Or to put the point in Platonic terms, I believe philosophers must routinely turn around, come out of the sunlight, and climb back down in the cave. How else can they know their work has relevance? IX

10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Any acknowledgements I make must begin with my family. I thank my parents, Lee and Martha Schwartz, for the support and encouragement that made my pursuit of philosophy possible. Also, I thank my brother, Dr. J.P. Schwartz, for his steadfast encouragement and good cheer. I also thank Julie Hemstreet, whose moral support, conversation, and editing greatly improved the book. Along the way many persons helped me complete this project. My mentors at Rice University, Steven Crowell, Tris Engelhardt, and George Sher, deserve much credit for the care, patience, and time they devoted to my philosophical training. Also, Mark Cherry, Ruiping Fan, Lisa Rasmussen, Minranda Robinson-Davis, Carolyn Sherayko, and Judy Thomas all provided invaluable technical support. There are many others who helped by providing those elusive but necessary intangibles of success: Lola, my late canine friend, for keeping my feet warm on those cold nights at the keyboard; Matt Kelly, for keeping the java flowing; and, Paul Wiley, Lisa Ray, Roger West, and the gang at Valhalla for providing many restorative diversions. Xl