The Ethical Criticism of Art: A New Mapping of the Territory Alessandro Giovannelli Received: 27 February 2007 / Accepted: 12 March 2007 / Published online: 17 April 2007 # Springer Science + Business Media B.V. 2007 Abstract The goal of this paper is methodological. It offers a comprehensive mapping of the theoretical positions on the ethical criticism of art, correcting omissions and inadequacies in the conceptual framework adopted in the current debate. Three principles are recommended as general guidelines: ethical amenability, basic value pluralism, and relativity to ethical dimension. Hence a taxonomy distinguishing between different versions of autonomism, moralism, and immoralism is established, by reference to criteria that are different from what emerging in the current literature. The mapping is then proved capable of (1) locating the various theories that have been proposed so far and clarifying such theories’ real commitments, (2) having the correct relationship with actual art making and art criticism practices, and (3) showing the real weight of the alleged counter-example to a moralist position of a work that succeeds artistically because of its immorality. Keywords Ethical criticism . Art criticim . Literary criticism . Autonomism . Moralism . Immoralism . Noël Carroll . Berys Gaut . Matthew Kieran . Daniel Jacobson Ethical criticism – the art critical practice of considering a work’ s ethical status or value in the assessment of its artistic worth – is a practice as widespread as it is controversial amongst literary critics. 1 The recent debates on the legitimacy of this art critical practice have certainly improved our understanding of the structure of artistic value. Yet, the conceptual framework emerging from the current discussion is still far from being comprehensive or free from ambiguities. Hence, I here take on the methodological task of offering a comprehensive mapping of the possible theoretical positions on the relationship between the ethical and the artistic value of a work of art. I will not defend any particular Philosophia (2007) 35:117–127 DOI 10.1007/s11406-007-9053-0 1 For an opinionated survey of the attitudes towards literary ethical criticism, see the Introduction to (Booth 1988). Cf. also Isenberg’ s(1973, 266) gloss on ethical criticism as a “nearly unanimous practice,” albeit one he criticizes. A. Giovannelli (*) Philosophy, Lafayette College, 331 Pardee Hall, Easton, PA 18042-1781, USA e-mail: giovannelli@lafayette.edu