Gaut's Argument

In Gaut’s essay, “The Ethical Criticism of Art”, he addresses the relevance of an art piece’s ethical value when making an aesthetic evaluation. His key argument revolves around the attitudes that works of art manifest such that he presents the following summary “If a work manifests ethically reprehensible attitudes, it is to that extent aesthetically defective, and if a work manifests ethically commendable attitudes, it is to that extent aesthetically meritorious”. In direct contrast with formalists, who divine a work’s merit through an assessment of its style and compositional aspects, Gaut states that any art piece’s value requires a pro tanto judgement. This pro tanto position allows for pieces considered stylistic masterpieces, to be

reassessed on the grounds of their ethical value, or lack thereof. In short, Gaut argues that art containing ethically meritorious sentiments are subsequently aesthetically superior to those pieces which formalists might consider its equal, yet contain ethically reprehensible attitudes.
Gaut elaborates on this statement throughout his essay, defining the extent to which the attitudes manifested by an art piece should result in the devaluation or escalation of its aesthetic value.

He clarifies his interpretation of aesthetic value, rejecting the traditionally narrow notions regarding beauty and composition, and expands his view to include insights and emotions expressed through the medium. Explaining that he views overall value as an all-things-considered judgement, he asserts the ethicist’s duty to contrast the aesthetic with the ethical and determine the extent to which one outweighs the other. Gaut calls on readers to defy the popular paradigm equating beauty with goodness and ugly with evil, allowing for great, yet flawed pieces of

art.
Gaut’s argument is well reasoned and logically sound, yet glosses over points of contention by relying solely on examples which provide little to no room for dispute or discussion. Triumph of the Will, one of Gaut’s main examples, is ethically defective in that it depicts Hitler and National Socialism in a positive light. In the wake of WWII and the horrific acts that were committed by the Nazi party, it is near impossible to argue against the moral depravity of such a position. Another one of his examples, Marquis de Sade’s Juliette depicts sexual torture and rape in a light that prescribes readers’ amusement, and even enjoyment. With a few disturbing exceptions, most readers concur on the vile nature of such a prescribed response. While it may be argued that Gaut presented these clear cut arguments so as to avoid confusing the readers and digressing from his main points, such one-sided examples prove to be a disservice to audiences attempting to make a fully informed analysis of ethicism and its values.
Rather than delving into the related, yet subsidiary elements within ethicism such as cognitive affected or merited response, Gaut would have been better served by offering up additional examples, multifaceted examples to engender discussion about his core argument.

Paolo Schmidlin’s Miss Kity, a sculture of the pope in drag, is one example of a work that sheds light on the the hazy aspects of ethicism. Viewing the work as ethically immoral, the Catholic Anti-Defamation League ordered the piece removed from its museum in Milan, while others lauded it as ethically meritorious it for its role in bringing light to the practice of censorship by the Church. Another example includes Georgia O’Keefe’s black iris, simultaneously debased and commended for its allusion to female genitalia. While ethicism as presented by Gaut, in absolute terms, seems perfectly straightforward and logical, these additional examples provide the audience with more multi dimensional view of ethicism and its

connotations.
Despite overlooking such examples, Gaut’s central argument is sensible and compelling. Ignoring the ethical nuances of an art pieces is a disservice to the medium, not only by stripping it of its potential for further greatness - ethical greatness- but also by simplifying great works of art to their topical aspects. Through the narrow formalist lens, pieces such as Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon are reduced to their traditionally unattractive aesthetic value while expressive and cognitive values key to the painting’s message are ignored. Gaut’s core message as well as his revised definition of aesthetic value appeal to audiences who comprehend the weight behind attitudes and subsequent actions that art may manifest.