The OLLI Distinguished Speakers Series presentsProfessor James Harold on
What Makes a Work of Art Immoral and What Should We Do About Immoral Works of Art?
Thursday, October 6 at 7 p.m. EDT
Online via Zoom
Politicians, pundits, and ordinary people often accuse works of art of being immoral. But what could that mean? Sometimes we are concerned about the "message" of an artwork, sometimes about the effects of the work on the audience, and sometimes about the personal morality of the artists. Furthermore, once we determine that a particular work of art is immoral, how should we respond? Short of censorship, are there other reasonable responses that individuals or groups can make to morally dangerous art? In this lecture, Professor Harold examines and evaluates a variety of answers to these questions.
James Harold is Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy at Mount Holyoke College, and the author of Dangerous Art: On Moral Criticism of Artworks (Oxford University Press), and editor of the forthcoming Oxford Handbook of Ethics and Art. He is the former Director of the Weissman Center for Leadership and the Liberal Arts.
Professor Harold is interested in both ethics and aesthetics, but most of his work is at the intersection of these two fields. Heis interested in imaginative engagement with artworks, audience engagement and interpretation, and other aspects of artistic practice and reception. Professor Harold teaches a wide range of courses in ethics, metaethics, medical ethics, philosophy of the arts, and the philosophies of ancient Greece and pre-Han China.
Admission is $10 for OLLI at BCC and Berkshire Museum members, and $15 for the general public. Admission is free for Berkshire Community College students, youth 17 and under, and those holding WIC, EBT/SNAP, or ConnectorCare cards.
Pre-registration is required. Register safely and securely online or call 413.236.2190 (M-F 9am-4pm) to register by phone with a credit card.
In Partnership with the Berkshire Museum
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OLLI: the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College Partners in education with Williams College and the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts 1350 West Street | Pittsfield, MA 01201 | 413.236.2190 | olli@berkshirecc.edu
