Chapter V: The Moral Criticism of Fine Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

I. THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE MORAL CRITICISM OF ART . . . . . 171

The higher activities of civilization, 171. The attempt
to apply aesthetic standards to life, 172. The claim of
art to exemption from moral criticism is based on
misapprehension. Morality not a special interest, but the
fundamental interest, 174. Morality does not substitute
its canons for those of art, 175.

II. DEFINITION OF ART AND THE ESTHETIC INTEREST . . . . . . 176

Art as the adaptation of the environment to interest,
176. Industrial art and fine art, 177. The aesthetic
interest: the interest in apprehension, 179. The
interest in sensation and perception, 181. The emotional
interest, 182. Instinct and emotion in the aesthetic
experience. Poetry and music, 183. The interest in
discernment, 185. The representative element in art
exemplified in Greek sculpture, 185. And in Italian
painting of the Renaissance, 187. Levels and blendings
of the aesthetic interest, 189. The moral criticism of
the aesthetic interest, 190.

III. THE SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF THE AESTHETIC INTEREST . . . . 192

The aesthetic interest is capable of continuous
development, 192. And is resourceful, 192. But tends
on that account to be narrow and quiescent, 192.

IV. THE PERVASIVENESS OF THE ESTHETIC INTEREST . . . . . . . 194

The aesthetic interest may supply interest where there
is none, or enhance other interests, 194. But it must
not be allowed to replace other interests, 195.

V. THE VICARIOUS FUNCTION OF THE AESTHETIC INTEREST . . . . 197

Other interests may be represented by the aesthetic
interest, 197. The danger of confusing vicarious
fulfilment with real fulfilment, 198. And of being
aesthetically satisfied with failure, 199.

VI. ART AS A MEANS OF STIMULATING ACTION . . . . . . . . . . 201

Art is a source of motor excitation,201. But such
excitation is morally indeterminate, 201. Such influences
must be selected with reference to their effect on moral
purpose, 202.

VII. ART AS A MEANS OF FIXING IDEAS . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

The higher practical ideas have no other concrete
embodiment than art, 203. Art both fixes ideas and
arouses sentiment in their behalf, 204. But if art is
to serve this end it must be true, 205. Untruth in
art, 206. Universality and particularity in art, 207.
Art may invest ideas with a fictitious value, 208.

VIII. THE LIBERALITY OF THE AESTHETIC INTEREST . . . . . . . 209

Art is unworldly, 209. The aesthetic intercourse
promotes social intercourse on a high plane, 210.

IX. CONCLUSION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212

When subjected to moral control, art may make the
environment harmonious with morality, 212.