Rachel Worthington: In-class Readings 3

Leo Tolstoy, in Chapter 8, gives a description of art, very different from that of metaphysicians. He denies that art is a manifestation of some kind of beauty that gives pleasure to humans. In fact, he argues that it is a way in which humans can share their individual experiences with others. Tolstoy claims that art is the most necessary way to do this, even over speech. He does not believe that all art is meant to give people pleasure, and he faults thinkers like Plato for rejecting art. The purpose of art is to convey feelings, sometimes religious ones. The art itself is not what is important, but it is the message that it delivers to the audience that is most prized. To Tolstoy, art is everywhere around us. It is in the jokes we tell, the buildings we work in, the clothing we wear, decorations in our homes. Art surrounds us, and for one to reject the power of art, one also rejects the power of the individual experience.