The Moral Foundations of Public Funding for the Arts

Description

This book provides a detailed account, and critique, of diverse approaches to the arts funding question, with a focus on the arm’s length arts councils that are the norm in the Anglo-American world. It builds on economic methods, the liberal-egalitarian framework of John Rawls, the communitarian opposition to the liberal framework, the capabilities approach to equality, and the cultural conservatism of Roger Scruton and others. In each case, the book considers the very practical aspect of public funding of the arts, namely, what are the implications for what ought to receive priority, and what parts of the cultural world are best left to their own, private sector, devices. It is not a work of “arts advocacy”. Rather, the book challenges assumptions, and sparks critical debate in the field. Acknowledgments Praise for The Moral Foundations of Public Funding for the Arts Contents Chapter 1: Introduction Why Public Funding for the Arts? References Chapter 2: The Economic Method The Power of Markets The Arts and Market Failure: Public Goods The Arts and Market Failure: Externalities Contingent Valuation Merit Goods Implications for Public Funding of the Arts References Chapter 3: Liberalism, Neutrality, and the Arts The Rawlsian Framework Perfectionism Dworkin, the Liberal State, and the Arts Arts Funding in the Liberal State References Chapter 4: Egalitarianism and Public Funding for the Arts Should Income be the Sole Metric and Concern of Inequality? Equality of What? Resources Capabilities Welfare, and the Problem of Expensive Tastes References Chapter 5: Communitarianism Methodological Individualism The Communitarian Critique Communitarianism in the World References Chapter 6: Conservatism The Conservative Disposition Politics Cultural Conservatism: Three Poets A Conservative Arts Policy References Chapter 7: Multiculturalism The Economics of Cultural Diversity Is Culture a Primary Social Good? Culture and Recognition Immigration Cosmopolitanism References Chapter 8: Keynes’s Grandchildren Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren My Early Beliefs Why Public Funding for the Arts? References Index