What Good Are the Arts? by John Carey

In Part One of his book, John Carey attempts to answer the following questions: What is a work of art? Is 'high' art superior? Can science help (in defining art)? Do the arts make us better? and Can Art be a religion?

Most of us have been brought up to think that the arts hold a special place in our society. We put artists, musicians and writers on a pedestal. We protest if the government cuts funding to the arts. We gladly make donations to the museums and the symphony. I do all of these things, yet over the years, I've often wondered, What is the point?

Mr Carey argues convincingly that a work of art is anything that is considered art by anybody. This is actually rather depressing. Talks of the timelessness of a painting, or the universal attraction of a piece of music, are nonsense. Just look at how unappreciated so many of the artists and musicians were in their lifetime.

The other answers provided by Mr Carey are equally dispiriting. Some of the greatest artists and writers are the least charitable among us. Adolf Hitler was one of the fiercest champions of fine art and classical music. Totalitarian regimes the world over have been the strongest supporters of the arts, far more so than democracies. The conclusion is, not only do the arts not make us better beings, they turn us into elitists who over time can lose all humanity.

Part Two of the book is rather odd. In it, Mr Carey argues that literature is the highest form of art. To me, it make no sense to rank art forms. They appeal to our different senses. Of course, if I were forced to, I'd choose books over paintings and music, but we need all of them.