ABSTRACT

Philosophers have long been fascinated by the strange power of the arts. Some, like Plato, had an uneasy suspicion of their elusive force and were concerned over the threat the arts seem to present to the rational stability of the social order. When such men turned to consider the arts, then, it took the form of prescription and control. Others, like Tolstoy, attempted to harness the power of the arts to aid in expressing a religious vision and in achieving a lofty social ideal. Still others, impressed by the unpredictable yet fruitful creativity of the arts, have sought to allow them to flourish freely and to make their unique contribution to society in their own way. Yet control, cultivation, and encouragement are but several of the many philosophical reactions to the activity of art.