Reclaiming Truth in Art:
Imagination as Means of Ontological and Moral Engagement
Keywords:
Art, Rationality, Ontology, Aesthetic Experience, MoralityAbstract
Being human has long implied fascination with truth; nevertheless, the contemporary condition finds humankind in a post-truth position where truth has become corrupted by an overreliance on rationality. How does one reclaim truth? Nietzsche provided an answer to this question which contemporary society ignored: art. This paper follows Nietzsche’s advice and explore the ways in which art provides insight to truth. By first surveying the history of rationality that led to the separation of art and truth, then by investigating the ways in which art reveals ontological truth both aesthetically and, ultimately, through imagination, this paper shows that a reclaiming of art as a means to truth is significant to once again access a sense of truth that humanity has lost. Additionally, in the imaginative mode of thinking evoked by art, one may come to access not only a reconnection with Being as such, but an additional connection with fellow beings, implying that art may provide a particular extension of imagination into morality. Arguing for a reconsideration of truth as humanity knows it, this paper suggests that art may be a vital means of reclaiming a more truthful truth.
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