Philosophy 250EA - Topics in Philosophy: 'Ethical Problems in the Arts'

In this class, we use the tools of philosophy to engage with a wide range of ethical problems in the arts, such as: honoring art by immoral artists, the art market, artists' rights over their creations, appropriation, censorship, sexism and racism in art, and forgery. We consider a variety of art forms, including painting, literature, music, memorials and monuments, as well as new media like NFTs. We also consider more general ethical problems, such as the objectivity of moral judgment and the relationship between aesthetic and moral judgments. Students analyze arguments on different sides of these issues, and develop their own clear original arguments.