Can Art Change the World? On the Political Dimension of Danto’s Philosophy of Art

This paper scrutinizes Arthur C. Danto’s commitment to justice, equality, and all-inclusiveness as manifested in his activism and philosophy of art. Following Lydia Goehr’s arguments in her book Red Sea–Red Square–Red Thread, I focus on Danto’s understanding of the pluralistic artworld and his prediction that pluralism in arts is a precursor of political changes that are going to affect society. I argue that Danto believes a pluralistic society will be free from oppressive narratives, as is the post-historical artworld. In the final section, I address the role Danto ascribes to art in society’s transformation to all-inclusiveness. I demonstrate that Danto privileges art over non-artistic representations because art enables us to feel the suffering of others.