The Social Responsibilities Of Art

Sociology of art, which first appeared in the 19th century and had experienced its great development, consists of two branches: sociological explanation of the origin of art, and the social responsibilities of art. The sociological origin of art is based on the human society's fundamental need of art; therefore, the social responsibility of art is the center of art sociology. From the very beginning, primitive witchery made art the decisive factor of the fate of their tribes. In the long pre-modern society from then on, art is always the important tool of the various political systems. Hence, religious art and ethical art were the forms of ancient arts that took on the social responsibility of art. In modern society, art has won its independence. However, the negative liberalism restricts its position within the circle of the populace, and further limits art's capability of taking on its social responsibility in modernity. The other extreme is that art is attached to political ideology again by modern totalitarianism represented by the fascism in 20th century, and thus resumed the original syncretic relationship between art and society. The most important problem of the sociology of art in the 21st century is that as modernity is misunderstood as negative liberalism, it is commercial media art that is shaping and ruling the common people. Consequently, popular art degrades into vulgar entertainment and becomes anti-society art. As a result, art fails to take on its social responsibility. A phenomenon strengthened repeatedly in the history of art is that art is the cohesive and sublime force of human civilization. Art is put to a more difficult situation by the contradiction between individual freedom and public consideration. The contradiction is given prominence by modernity: on one hand, art cannot play the role of the spiritual governor in modern society as it did before, but it should respect the individuality of people and transform itself into their spiritual culture; on the other hand, modern art must fight against the popularity of vulgar culture and retain the effort of modern art in reconstructing sociology of art. To reconstruct sociology of art, it is significant to put forward the issue of social responsibility of art and determine the multiply contents as well as the conditions of its realization. Thoughto take on social responsibility of art is beyond the academic aims of reconstructing sociology of art, it is necessary for a modern, developed, healthy society. The thesis is divided into four chapters, which in turns elaborate the relationship between art and society in primitive society, pre-modern society and modern society. The key point is art's role in society. The analyses of the fascist totalitarianism that rules art in modern society and the liberalism that makes art overshadowed in popular media culture are the difficult and important parts. Based on the conditions of modernity, the last chapter analyzes and previews the prospect of art's taking on its social responsibility.