Should Art Ever Be Banned or Censored If Its Content

question 52

Essay

Should art ever be banned or censored if its content and/or effects on audiences are deemed seriously offensive or harmful?   Begin by exploring the arguments for banning or censoring art. One place to start would be Plato's argument in The Republic , but you are not limited to this perspective.   You should consider what kinds of effects art would produce on people that could plausibly, or not plausibly, be construed as offensive or harmful.   Why would these serious effects require that "bad" art be censored or banned? After exploring this viewpoint, develop a counterargument against banning and censorship.   This argument should address the issue of whether even obviously offensive and harmful art should be permitted and why. What makes the production, display, and appreciation of "bad" art permissible, despite its being bad?   Throughout, focus on specific forms of art, such as paintings, plays, movies, and music.

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Definitions:

Income Elasticity

Measures how the quantity demanded of a good responds to a change in consumer income.

Normal Good

An item for which demand increases as the income of consumers increases, showing a direct relationship between income and demand.

Income Elasticity

A measure of how much the demand for a good changes as the income of consumers changes.

Normal Good

A good for which demand increases as the income of consumers increases, showing a positive correlation between income and demand.