Art, Education, and the Democratic Commitment: A Defence of State Support for the Arts

189 Pages·2000·2.945 MB·English

by  David T. Schwartz (auth.)

ART, EDUCATION, AND THE DEMOCRATIC COMMITMENT
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 Depart
ment, Rice University, Houston, Texas
Associate Editor
Kevin William Wildes, S.1., Philosophy Department and Kennedy Insti
tute of Ethics, Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Editorial Board
Stanley Hauerwas, Duke University, Durham, N.C.
Maureen Kelly, Centerfor Medical Ethics and Health Policy, Baylor Col
lege of Medicine, Houston
Terry Pinkard, GeorRetown University, WashinRton, DC
The titles puhlished in this series are listed at the end of this \'olume.
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.
A c.I.P. Catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-90-481-5450-0 ISBN 978-94-015-9444-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-94-015-9444-8
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.
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 111
5 PUBLIC POLICIES AND CONCLUSIONS 141
INDEX 163
BIBLIOGRAPHY 173
v
LIST OF FIGURES
1 George Washington by Horatio Greenough 4
2 A Peaceable Kingdom by Edward Hicks 78
3 Piss Christ by Andres Serrano 125
4 Tilted Arc by Richard Serra 149
VI
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 book
politically 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
PREFACE
Today, unfortunately, a strict partition exists between the practice of
analytical and Continental philosophy, and often the distinction is a
source ofe normous 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
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
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