How Does Moral Value Affect Aesthetic Value?

In this post, the relationship between art aesthetics and morality will be presented. How does moral value affect aesthetic value? If a work of art is morally good/bad, does that make it aesthetically good/bad? Every piece of art has a message, and these messages can be morally good or bad, but how should we evaluate art as a whole? Below, four different methods of considering the evaluation of art from both moral and aesthetic perspectives will be presented. “Triumph of the Will” is a film that will be used as an example to illustrate the four positions. It should be noted that the production company, Riefenstahl, introduced a number of revolutionary techniques in both film and music, making “Triumph of the Will” the most famous propaganda film ever made. Thereafter, I will clarify my opinion by relating it to contemporary examples.

Radical Moralism

If a work is morally bad, it is aesthetically bad. Thus, the central aesthetic value is moral value, even if other things can be aesthetically relevant. Tolstoy argued that the essential function of art was the expression of emotions, and he felt that morally virtuous emotions, such as religious feelings and expressions of love and support for the unity and brotherhood of humanity, were crucial. Good art should promote a good and meaningful life and society; if art cannot generate this positive value, it should be opposed. According to Tolstoy, good art is that which promotes feelings of brotherhood among men, and bad art is that which opposes such feelings. Good art should be appreciated and encouraged, while bad art should be eradicated (Hick.D. p. 170). If applied to “Triumph of the Will,” the film is morally repugnant.

Moderate Moralism

Moral defects are sometimes aesthetic defects. We can say that “Triumph of the Will” is a good film overall, but the moral badness of its message counts against its moral value. Carroll identifies himself as a “moderate moralist” to distinguish his position from the radical view of Tolstoy. Carroll argues that morality is absolutely necessary for some but not all artistic evaluations (Hick. D. p. 173). Another moderate moralist is Berys Gaut, who calls his view “ethicism.” Ethicism asserts that moral defects are always aesthetic defects. This means that the moral qualities of a work of art are always among its aesthetic qualities. Thus, from Gaut’s perspective, “Triumph of the Will” fails both morally and aesthetically. As a moderate moralist, Gaut does not claim that a work’s moral value outweighs all other aesthetic considerations, but it always counts against its aesthetic merit. The film’s purpose can be seen as endorsing the Nazi regime, making it a moral and aesthetic failure in Gaut’s view, as the morally repugnant nature negatively affects the film’s value (Hick.D. p. 174).

Radical Autonomism

This is the opposite of radical moralism; artworks cannot be morally defective. It is inappropriate to even think of artworks in moral terms, as art lies entirely outside the realm of morality. The radical autonomist would reject this concern for moral issues, suggesting that we should focus entirely on film, editing, plot structure (Hick. D. p. 172). Thus, “Triumph of the Will” is an aesthetically satisfying and inspiring experience.

Moderate Autonomism

Moral defects are never aesthetic defects. According to this view, artworks can be morally good or morally defective, and moral criticism of artworks is perfectly valid. However, moral value and aesthetic value are completely autonomous/independent. Being morally good does not make a work of art aesthetically better, and being morally bad does not make it aesthetically worse. An artwork’s moral qualities (positive or negative) do not affect its aesthetic qualities. However, a moral evaluation of art need not be inadequate (Hick.D. pp. 177-178) (Nordin. A).

Contemporary Examples

In 2020, Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion released a song, “WAP,” which set records in music history and topped the Billboard charts (dopest.se). I believe that the techniques in the music video, such as animation and camera angles, are very attractive. However, the lyrics and the way the producer presents women are morally repugnant from my perspective, negatively affecting the aesthetic value of the art. “Aesthetic evaluation of a work can in some cases require us to understand the moral perspective.” Cardi B stated that the song’s message is to encourage women to talk about their sexuality in a society that does not accept women asserting their sexuality. The song received criticism from conservatives and Republicans, and Cardi B responded that only the number of views can determine whether the song is good or not (Latimes.com).

My personal opinion is that I would not prefer to watch this song or let any of my loved ones do so. Because WAP song’s message can encourage young and adult women to engage in prostitution. Cardi B’s understanding of success is invalid- from my perspective- porn websites are among the top 20 most viewed sites in the world (similarweb.com), but does that mean they are successful sites with a positive impact on individuals? I am a woman, and the feminist concept means increasing women’s value; this song undermines women’s value in a subtle way, which is even worse from my point of view. There is a big difference between a lady and a whore. According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a whore is a woman whose behavior in her sexual relationships is considered immoral. This word is repeated more than 30 times in the song; has anyone thought about the impact of that word? Freedom of speech ends when it negatively affects others. Cardi B is one of the major influencers today, and that is why I think it is important for her or the production team to consider how this work affects the audience.

In conclusion, the moral flaws in a work either defeat or negate its other merits from my perspective. However, there are three other viewpoints that show how moral issues interact with aesthetic issues and clarify the role of morality in the aesthetic evaluation of art.

Sources:

  • Dopest.se. Cardi B & Megan Thee Stallion slår rekord med ”WAP”. 09/10/2021. https://dopest.se/cardi-b-megan-thee-stallion-wap-singel/

  • Hick. Darren. (2017). Introducing Aesthetics and the Philosophy of Art (Hick. D. s). Kapitel 6

  • Latimes.com. Zornosa. L. Why can’t the internet stop talking about Cardi B’s ‘WAP’ music video?. Hämtat den 09/okt/2021. https://www.latimes.com/entertainment /arts/music/story/2020-08-14/why-cant-the-internet-stop-talking-about-cardi-bs-wap-music- video

  • Norian. Andreas. (2022). Föreläsning av delkurs: Konstformernas.

  • Similarweb.com. Top websites ranking.  09/10/2021. https://www.similarweb.com/top-websites/

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