Why We Should Continue to Spend Money in Culture in Times Of Crisis: Justifications in Terms of the Liberal Political Philosophy

Abstract

State funding of literature, fine arts or cinema (I shall say cultural goods) tackles serious problems in liberal thinking. First, the State should not replace citizen choices because citizenry is free to decide whether spend their money in culture or in other alternatives (the problem of paternalism). Second, the general goals of social contracts rule out any commitment with aesthetic or vital ideals, while this commitment is inherent in cultural goods (the problem of perfectionism). Trying to provide helpful arguments for practitioners and the public debate, I suggest some answers to those problems within the liberal approach. In particular, I address the relation between cultural and public goods, and I touch upon the social dimension of cultural goods so they are not only individual choices.