Moral Learning from Art

Abstract

Abstract Moral learning is a relatively demanding kind of learning. It seems to involve more than amassing knowledge of moral truths. Must one combine understanding with feeling the weight of moral concerns? Is the aim of moral learning to become a morally good person? The domain of art holds diverse potential for shaping thought and feeling in morally significant ways, though the realization of this potential is difficult to establish. This chapter aims to build some bridges between art and the processes and goals relevant to moral learning. This includes consideration of awareness of morally significant others, explicit representation of moral life, artistic projects of moral protest and memory, and the mutually negotiating potential of conversation around works of art.