Complicity and Solidarity
Keyword(s):
The ethics of our individual consumer behavior regarding the work of immoral artists is complex. Some commentators claim that it is morally wrong to continue engaging with the work of artists who commit immoral acts. After dismissing consequentialist arguments in favor of this position, this chapter argues that we have considerable moral latitude when it comes to our private choices about art consumption. Our public art consumption, on the other hand, can have a social meaning that is independent of our intentions. The chapter argues that, ultimately, ethical consumption of art is about how we engage with art rather than what art we engage with.