What Is Art By Mo Tzu Analysis

Cultures all around the world are multi-faceted, comprising the values, morals, and beliefs of vast groups of people. One component that is woven into all cultures some way or another is art. Whether the art form is music, theatre, or visual art, all cultures value these art forms in different ways. Because of this, there have been some drastically opposing views from two of the greatest minds throughout time. Leo Tolstoy (Russian author of one of the most central works of world literature War and Peace) wrote What Is Art? it states if art is universally understood then it is good and has reason to be appreciated. However, Mo Tzu (a well known Chinese philosopher who wrote and debated political and social philosophy) wrote Against Music which expresses that art is disruptive to work and a waste of taxpayer money. Though the reasonings are enormously different, both have validity in their arguments.

To start, Tolstoy believes that are can either be universally good art or good for people with specific tastes. However, the very best works have the ability to be universally

Tolstoy wrote What Is Art? in the year 1896, a time in which the Russian Empire was in full-swing and there was more freedom and surplus of goods. This allowed art to not be a handicap on society, making it socially acceptable to create and enjoy. On the contrary, Mo Tzu’s Against Music was written circa 425 BCE, a time commonly known as the Warring States period. This time was characterized by frequent warring and strife. Therefore, it makes sense that Tzu would find music impractical in a time of war. After all, there was a lack of able-bodied people to farm because of the war. Thus, making it unlikely for people to be trained to perform pieces that did not increase the quality of life of the common men and women, but rather halting production of life sustaining goods and