Aesthetic Experience and the Ethical Dimension

The connection between aesthetics and ethics have gained more and more attention in recent philosophical discussion. Should art reflect reality truthfully, and should it have some kind of cognitive and moral function? What kind of role does art have in a society? In considering the ways we deal with art works, the most important ethical issues are raised by art criticism. Are there any moral standards that guide our critical activities? The papers in this collection reflect these dilemmas, which go back to Plato and Aristotle, from various view points and with different kinds of emphases.