The philosophical debate over the moral effects of the arts is hardly new; we can trace it back at least as far as the writings of Plato (ca.428–ca.348 bce) and his most famous student, Aristotle (384–322 bce). Plato argues that we should be suspicious of the so-called “imitative arts,” because they arouse our passions—“Frantic tick tick tick tick tick tock”—and thereby corrupt our moral character. Unless artists like Metallica can demonstrate the moral benefits of their art, Plato suggested that they should be banished from the state. Against his teacher, Aristotle argued that the imitative arts (especially tragedies) can have a healthy effect on the soul, by purging the individual of destructive emotions—“And I need to set my anger free.” A state devoid of artists like Metallica would be an unhealthy state, indeed! The important point to note is that both philosophers agree that art’s ability to stir our emotions has moral implications; the question we need to resolve is whether these effects are on balance good or bad.

The above quote comes from the book Metallica and Philosophy: A Crash Course in Brain Surgery, edited by William Irwin. I must say that at this point in life I tend to agree more with Aristotle than Plato on this issue. The concept of Catharsis is something that I feel can be extremely beneficial. I mean being able to purge or “cleanse” negative emotion without necessarily acting upon ones destructive desire seems like a good idea to me. In fact I’ve seen catharsis at work.

I happen to be a big fan of hardcore music (both metal and punk flavors), a type of music which is known for being aggressive, powerful and downright angry. The surprising thing is that for many, their first impression of a hardcore show is that they are scary and hostile environments. I can see this being the case. With mosh pits, stage diving and hardcore dancing being the norm, most hardcore shows can at first seem like a hostile and un-welcoming place. However in my experience, people who attend these shows tend to be some of the most intelligent, thoughtful and often times meekest people I’ve ever met.

Keep in mind, I’m not making this assertion in a vacuum. I’ve been to numerous Grateful Dead type jam band shows, tons of Christian type rock concerts and lots and lots of folk music shows. At all of these events I’ve witnessed excessive recreational drug use and extreme outbursts of physical violence, the likes of which overshadow what I’ve encountered at even the most brutal of hardcore shows. In fact, the surprising lack of drugs and alcohol and the strong comradery at these events are two things that I appreciate the most about this sub-culture, (e.g. the straight edge movement).

Overall, I do agree with the author above, Robert Fudge–and in so doing with Plato and Aristotle as well–that the arts do and always will have the ability to stir our emotions. For me this is what is so great and powerful about art. It can move us and shake us to our core, and allows us to glimpse a world that is other than our own. In fact the best art in my opinion, functions as a catalyst for change. Of course hopefully in the end it is a change for the good.

Above Image: Album art from the band War of Ages

Tags:aristotlecatharsishardcore musicmetalmetallicaphilosophy and pop cultureplatopunk