Introduction
The arts are essential to our moral growth as individuals. Therefore, we must study them. The term “ethics” describes a body of values that may be used to make the right choices in life. Literature, music, drama, and the visual arts give us a window into new worldviews and world facts. Various philosophers, such as Kant, were adamant about the power of beauty and its ability to develop a moral character (Drees, 2021). However, it is evident from the simple observation that the value of art is inseparable from the appreciation of culture and diversity.
Importance of Studying Arts for Ethical Development
Literature may be a window into many social and historical contexts and the human experience. Reading may help us understand what it is like to be human, to feel all the emotions that make us who we are. We may learn to empathize with and gain perspective on human nature by exploring the stories of these fictional people.
Similarly, music has a powerful effect on our sentiments and can make us happy, sad, or inspired. It may unite people from different cultures and people in protest or resistance. The performing and visual arts share opportunities for introspection and personal development regarding ethics. Artists may raise awareness of intricate political and social problems and prompt viewers to examine their assumptions via various media.
Many forms of aesthetic experience are instructional due to the symbolic connections between the beautiful, the sublime, and the moral. The beautiful may help us learn to love independently of its use, and it can foster an attitude of independence from our narrow interests. However, what Kant refers to as moral emotion is best captured by the sublime, and through it, we learn how to conduct ourselves with honor (Drees, 2021).
Kant claims the sublime is based on an amoral, chaotic principle (Drees, 2021). It is the experience of coming up against something our minds cannot grasp completely. The inability to identify the object’s boundaries prevents it from identifying its limiting organizing principle.
Conclusion
In conclusion, cultivating our morality via exposure to the arts is essential. It allows us to think critically about our own opinions and values while simultaneously learning about those of others. The arts, whether literary works, musical compositions, theatrical productions, or artistic works, help us grow as people and teach us to be more sympathetic, sensitive, and accountable. However, the sublime parts of the arts and aesthetics drive the development of moral values.
Reference
Drees, M. T. (2021). Beauty, art, and sublimity, and the symbolic relationship between aesthetic judgment and moral judgment in Kant. Aesthetic Experience and Moral Vision in Plato, Kant, and Murdoch, 45–93. Web.