Schopenhauer’s views on the relationship between art and morality

The relationship between art and morality plays a secondary role in the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860). In this area, Schopenhauer failed to establish consistent principles and incurred contradictions. Nevertheless, it teaches us lessons that are worth examining. John Vespasian explains that, for Schopenhauer, artistic experiences (he was in particular referring to playing music and listening to music) help people escape their pressing problems. When enjoying music, theatre, literature or painting, individuals stop perceiving the world and focus their minds on something else. Although Schopenhauer didn’t employ the term “escapism,” his definition of art falls close to this psychological term. One shouldn’t forget that psychologists coined the term “escapism” in the mid-twentieth century, that is, about two hundred years after Schopenhauer’s death. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/schopenhauers-views-on-the-relationship-between-art-and-morality/