--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On reflection, moral judgment in the arts…" description: "\"On reflection, moral judgment in the arts appears rather as a tribute to their power to influence emotion and possibly conduct. And reflecting further ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b8/jacques-barzun-3251_art_on-reflection-moral-judgment-in-the-arts_2717511.jpg" --- # On reflection, moral judgment in the arts appears rather… ![“On reflection, moral judgment in the arts appears rather as a tribute to their power to influence emotion and possibly conduct. And reflecting further on what some critics do today, one sees that a good many have merely shifted the ground of their moralism, transferring their impulse of…” quote by Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b8/jacques-barzun-3251_art_on-reflection-moral-judgment-in-the-arts_2717511.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b8/jacques-barzun-3251_art_on-reflection-moral-judgment-in-the-arts_2717511.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5b8/jacques-barzun-3251_art_on-reflection-moral-judgment-in-the-arts_2717511.jpg) > “On reflection, moral judgment in the arts appears rather as a tribute to their power to influence emotion and possibly conduct. And reflecting further on what some critics do today, one sees that a good many have merely shifted the ground of their moralism, transferring their impulse of righteousness to politics and social issues.” [Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Art influences emotions and behavior; critics often redirect moral concerns to politics. **In simple terms:** Art shapes feelings; critics shift focus to politics. Key Takeaway Recognize art’s emotional power and critique responsibly. Themes art morality politics criticism Mood thoughtful critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - museum curation - political commentary - media analysis Key Concepts aesthetic influence ethical relativism Questions to Reflect On - How does art affect personal values? - When is political critique appropriate in art? A Different Perspective Critics may oversimplify complex works. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Art](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/art/) [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Conduct Reflecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conduct-reflecting-2856187/) [Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/critics/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Good man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-man/) [Ground Moralism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ground-moralism-2856186/) [Impulse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/impulse/) [Influence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/influence/) [Issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/issues/) [Judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judgment/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Moral judgment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral-judgment/) [Moralism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moralism/) [Reflecting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflecting/) [Reflecting Critics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflecting-critics-2856185/) [Reflection](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection/) [Reflection Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reflection-moral-2856184/) [Righteousness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/righteousness/) [Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social/) [Social issues](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-issues/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) [Tribute](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tribute/) ## Related quotes > [The ironic thing about legalism is that it not only doesn't make people work harder, it makes them give up. 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