Reflection 6

Can Art serve a legitimate Moral or Political function without being Propaganda?

Art is more than capable of serving both a political and moral purpose. It is true that some works of art that attempt such a feat can be used as mere propaganda but it is also possible to be used as a political and moral instrument of change. What is it that such artworks do? Artworks that are not used as propaganda but serve a political or moral purpose serve as bridges to get from where one is to where one wants to be. Art is an instrument of change. When societies make laws and when individuals make goals to alter his/her character, there is a current state that is incorrect or wrong and a desire to change to a different/better state. How can the society and the individual make such a transition, and also what methods of transition will actually work? Friedrich Schiller suggests that art is a medium in which to successfully bring about a revolution. He comments the flaws of the French Revolution in particular, stating that it was the correct movement but it was executed poorly in such a way that the original ideals did not stick to the people. What was missing, says Schiller, was art: a peaceful medium that can bring into focus the goals of a movement. Through art one can safely transition between where they are now and where they want to be. The French Revolution, and others like it, implemented force to transition between states which is an ineffective method.

It can be said, then, that art contains a great deal of power and influence. This holds especially true for communities during times of critical political importance and for individuals during sensitive periods of their life. In his Critique of Judgment Kant explains that the experience of art is a subjective one, which can be influenced by outside influences. Art and human thought has evolved in such a way that art cannot be understood in itself. Both philosophers, Benjamin and Adorno, comment on the way that in the past objects which we now call art were enveloped in an “aura”. This aura presents itself as a godlike presence, absorbing the viewer and affecting their beliefs. Both philosophers also discuss the modern age of media and how it has changed the way people interact with art, and this change is not an improvement.

Today’s modern media consists of three unique things which have altered the way people interact with art: Movies/Television, Photographs, and Internet. Photographs are quite interesting because they produce images almost instantly and which such ease. This, combined with the social connectivity of the internet, has changed what could be called the nature of art. The aura that Benjamin and Adorno spoke of does not exist today because of how easy it is to view works of art, literally at the push of a button. Even though this aura is no longer present the average viewer still looks upon art as if that aura, or godlike presence, is there. Our current method of viewing and interpreting art does not match how art is today, and this leaves the viewer vulnerable to manipulation from people that seek to use images and art as propaganda. Such people are also victim to misinterpreting an image or work of art very easily if they look and interpret in on their own. Since most people are stuck in the old mode of viewing and interpreting art they are not able to receive the intended political message a work of art might be trying to convey, such people need others to guide them to the correct mode of viewing and interpreting so that they can make the transition between where they are and where they want to be. Without a guide, people in power can turn art into propaganda by distorting facts and shaping opinions.

To conclude what has been mentioned before, art can serve a political or moral function by allowing either a society or an individual to transition between where they are now and where they want to be. If such a movement is done by force the change will not take or will result in an even worse state than what existed before. Today most people need a guide, or enlightenment, to understand the political or moral components that an artist may be trying to communicate. This is because, historically, art has had in it an aura because works of art were very unique and hard to view. Modern technology, photography especially, has shifted the way that art works such that the same aura that used to be no longer exists; however, most people still regard art as if it contains such an aura. The aura of old art was present because there was a godlike presence manifested in the art, and this has shifted over the years as well to the point that mere humans are treated in the same godlike manner by common people within social media. Such people are vulnerable to the manipulations of propaganda that is created by people seeking to control others; however, art can escape this fate if a person can be shown the appropriate way to regard art in the modern age.