Six Consider Morality, Art

Six foreign writers and literary critics pondered the relation between art and morality at the International Seminar Forum last night.

Starting the discussion, Sean O'Tuama, an Irish playwright, poet, and critic, spoke on literature and immorality--"sexual immorality to be exact, because it is so much easier for me to speak on."

O'Tuama attributed the traditional hostility between moralists and authors to the failure of moralists to "come to grips with the fact that the use of sexual immorality is often a perfectly good literary device." In fact, he added, its portrayal is often necessary to present fully the worldly conflict between good and evil.

O'Tuama stressed that the type of modern novelist--such as James Baldwin, Andre Gide, or Norman Mailer--who is considered immoral by the moralist element of society really "leading the struggle against conformity in sexual and social norms."

Petra Kipphoff, Associate Literary Editor of Die Zeit, while he agreed basically with O'Tuama, felt that moralists should not be universally condemned "because many of them act with the best interests of their communities at heart."

Both of the next two speakers disagreed with O'Tuama, feeling that he had touched on only part of the problem.

Moshe Shamir, a contributing editor of the Israeli magazine Maariv, explained that sexual immorality was only one type of immorality in art. "For the sake of morality, literature should become more and more immoral," he said.

Alfredo Roces of the Philippines, pointed out that the great art and architecture of the Medieval Church had been produced out of morality, not immorality.

Jamil Said Ibrahim, dean of the College of Arts at the University of Baghdad, challenged O'Tuama, asking him if he was "defending the use of immorality."

Jalaal Aal-Ahmad, an Iranian short story writer and essayist, felt that certain men "can not and should not be harnessed by the rules of morality." He noted that the use of "so-called sexual immorality" in the works of these men should not be condemned.

Petra Kipphoff, Associate Literary Editor of Die Zeit, while he agreed basically with O'Tuama, felt that moralists should not be universally condemned "because many of them act with the best interests of their communities at heart."

Both of the next two speakers disagreed with O'Tuama, feeling that he had touched on only part of the problem.

Moshe Shamir, a contributing editor of the Israeli magazine Maariv, explained that sexual immorality was only one type of immorality in art. "For the sake of morality, literature should become more and more immoral," he said.

Alfredo Roces of the Philippines, pointed out that the great art and architecture of the Medieval Church had been produced out of morality, not immorality.

Jamil Said Ibrahim, dean of the College of Arts at the University of Baghdad, challenged O'Tuama, asking him if he was "defending the use of immorality."

Jalaal Aal-Ahmad, an Iranian short story writer and essayist, felt that certain men "can not and should not be harnessed by the rules of morality." He noted that the use of "so-called sexual immorality" in the works of these men should not be condemned.