Theory of Knowledge - Course Companion for Students Marija Uzunova Dang Arvin Singh Uzunov Dang

IV. Ethics
may notice that many knowledge questions
You
claims in the arts are concerned with
and
who decides something, and how
judgment:
do that. These are important concerns
they
TOK and especially in the arts,
throughout
of the potentially transgressive and
because
nature of art that aims to change
provocative
and collective attitudes. Around
individual
world, ethical questions pertaining to
the
are being decided by someone, whether
art
is through the creation or exhibition of a
that
work or its censorship, for example. In
given
to understand the implications of these
seeking
we can look to the implications of
decisions,
and policing in art, and what this
censorship
us about the power of art to influence
tells
value systems and moral
preferences,
At the outset of this section, consider
judgments.
What criteria would you use for the
1.
of art, and why?
censorship
Would you agree or disagree that Serrano
2.
to uphold his moral responsibility, as
failed
Consider how we value art. Does it have to
3.
morally good in order to be good art?
be
To what extent could you say that art as an
4.
is better or worse off without works
AOK
the tenth anniversary of the start of the First
On
War, Ernst Friedrich published Krieg
World
Kriege! (War Against War!), an album of
dem
sourced from German military
photographs
what extent artistic knowledge has influenced
to
personal moral values.
your
far is too far in arts? In 1987 Andres
How
submerged a crucifix in his urine. The
Serrano
of the jar has been subsequently
photograph
as a work of art in various exhibitions
displayed
the world, but never with an explanation
around
the artist’s intent, leaving individuals
about
interpret it as they would. It has been
to
by religious communities and
denounced
conservatives, with Serrano receiving
political
for over two decades. The controversy
threats
familiar and perennial knowledge issues
raised
to the arts as an AOK.
pertaining
terms: Andres Serrano
Search
York controversy
New
art such as this one? How would you
of
decide?
Serrano has also worked on an
Andres
about US President Donald Trump,
exhibition
both interest and concern over
spurring
intentions. Serrano has stated: “I’m not
his
in pointing fingers, because I think
interested
boring. I’ve seen a lot of artwork that’s
it’s
and frankly it’s not good, it’s not
anti-Trump,
I’d rather let the man speak for
interesting.
government during wartime. It has been
the
to as a “Pacifist Bible”, and starts with
referred
of toy guns then proceeds into pictures
pictures
death, destruction, starvation, agony,
of
10
I V. E T H I C S
For discussion
Ethical questions in the creation of art
an artist, with this particular work of art?
himself”(quoted in Stanley-Becker2019).
Box 10.8: The power of art to influence ethics
and medical archives that were censored by
mutilation and graves. The photographs’
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