Moral Responsibility

Moral Responsibility

Musicians are the product of their society that surrounds them. The idea of responsibility therefore is raised, because they are the messengers to the general public they have to be accountable in maintaining social norms and standards that are placed. They have to give due respect to that. This is the idea that puts them to be accountable. As stated in Music And Culture “Musicians, like all artists, do not work in a vacuum, isolated from time and society.” (Tomasino 86). On the other hand Baudelaire and Oscar Wilde agree with “neither art nor artist has a moral responsibility to liberal social causes” (Tomasino 89). On the other hand on the inclination of the idea that musicians are responsible for change Camille Paglia agrees that musicians are responsible in bringing up change in an acceptable or in an undesirable way by the society. As Paglia asserts Madonna has brought a big impact in the realization of feminine phenomena that is the assertion of self control which directs woman to be of themselves while showing their life style in whatever they choice. This is the idea of independency. As these writers noted the idea of liberal social causes rests upon the freedom of an individual in expressing his/her own feeling in whatever way they choice to express it. This idea claims that musicians must not be accountable for any bad outcome in a society; they reflect their view, their freedom of expression. However it is my understanding that any belonging in a community has to be harmonious with its group. A jungle gorilla must abide with its community in order to be part of its group. Let alone human being nature has set to every creature to be harmonious in their belonging. As we know music can strengthen or break its society. Music can hurt or heal its audience. Why? Because it has the power to convince. Those words can speak to the minds of the people. Of course man is free, the right to express his feeling. But this doesn’t mean to cross the fine line delineated in our minds. Whatever that comes out of our mouth, we have to be accountable. It is me who said about it not anyone. So who is going to be blamed… it is solely me. As the Guardian wrote “…  artists have a responsibility. They have a responsibility to themselves, but also to the people who listen to their music; a responsibility to be honest.” I do believe that we as a members of a harmonious society, we have to respect the norms that build our being, had it not been a rule we follow we may not be in a situation we are now, if not in a distraction of ourselves and the people that surrounds us. As having a wide audience musicians have to respect this rule and avoid promoting immorality.

Works Sited

Tomasino, Anna. Music And Culture. New York: A Longman Topics Reader, 2005. Print.

Bizzle , Lethal . "Cameron may still be a doughnut, but he's learning." Music Blog 5 Jul 2007: Web. 25 Mar 2011.   <http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2007/jul/05/cameronhasrealisedthatpeop