Abstract

This dissertation represents an investigation of the interlock between art and autonomy beginning with a general discussion about the uses of the terms, 'art' and 'autonomy'. I investigate various contemporary views about human freedom and autonomy and advance the view that art enhances human autonomy through the vehicle of imagination, a theme developed by Kant. My contention is that sometimes an artwork expresses something especially meaningful, such as a belief or value, that moves or touches the spectator in a way that no other medium can. Often our cultural, institutional, social, and political preconceptions color our background beliefs and expectations about our lives, our relationships, and our environment. These beliefs and expectations sometimes blind us to concepts, attitudes, principles, or beliefs that we take for granted but which we should not accept as a society, or as members of a society, and might not accept if we were consciously aware of them. Many of these institutionalized practices limit human possibility, and by extension autonomy. It is often through art that we are able to articulate these background beliefs and practices, to view the world through the lens of a paradigm other than one to which we are accustomed. One of the most intriguing aspects of this investigation is the extent to which art functions as a social connective, bridging time and culture, enabling human beings to both discover themselves and to master their realities. Art allows us to articulate our human possibilities, most importantly, to connect to other human beings, and develop our capacities to live autonomous lives