Virtue and the Artistic Imagination

The Catholic Artists Society has made the audio recording of the final talk in the six-month “Art of the Beautiful” series available on their website here. The talk is from Joseph Koterski, S.J., speaking on “Virtue and the Artistic Imagination.” In his talk, Fr. Koterski presents a grand yet concise and comprehensible synthesis of the Aristotelian-Thomistic theory of virtue and its role in human life, then analyzes the way that this theory of the virtues is made manifest in various works by Shakespeare, notably including his oft-neglected poem “Venus and Adonis” and the frequently misunderstood Taming of the Shrew. Looking closely at the way virtue shapes Shakespeare’s notion of human life, Fr. Koterski gives a profound and original perspective on the differences in Shakespearean genres, and provides valuable insights into the way that virtue informs genuine artistic production and consumption. Fr. Koterski is an associate professor of philosophy at Fordham University, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the International Philosophical Quarterly. He has published more than eighty academic articles on philosophy, theology, and literature. The Art of the Beautiful series is co-sponsored by the Thomistic Institute and the Catholic Artists Society. Information about and audio recordings from previous talks in the series can be found below: Gregory Wolfe, Image: “Art: For Whose Sake?” Audio Peter John Cameron, O.P., Magnificat: “The Responsibility of the Artist.” Audio David Clayton, Thomas More College: “Forming the Artist.” Audio. Alice Ramos, St. John’s University: “Beauty and the Real.” Full text. Anthony Esolen, Providence College: “Art and the Glorious Liberty of the Children of God.” Audio.

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Image: Paolo Veronese, Prudence and Manly Virtue.