Leon Botstein: Art Now (Aesthetics Across Music, Painting, Architecture,...

source: bigthink
Leon Botstein, Conductor / President of Bard College

President Leon Botstein of Bard College steps boldly into the fray to answer one of the most enduring human questions: What is art? This discussion spills over into debates about art's value to society ---- whether access to the arts is right as basic as education or health care, and whether it should be assessed and supported by government or left to the "invisible hand" of the free market. President Botstein explains why it is essential to ask these questions and offers a sturdy basis for evaluating them. He goes so far as to suggest that engaging with art can give our lives meaning and purpose. 

The Floating University
Originally released September 2011.