Socratic Provocation in Art

In his ‘Provocation in Philosophy and Art’ Dan Egonsson argues that provocation is integral to Socrates’ way of doing philosophy both when aiming for (the interlocutor’s) personal moral development and as an instrument for societal change, and that provocation in art differs significantly from its Socratic counterpart. Morally dubious provocation in art can, however, Egonsson argues be justified on the grounds of its aesthetic qualities. In this response I discuss a number of aspects of Egonsson’s insightful and thought-provoking treatment of the Socratic method and artistic provocation, and argue that Socratic provocation can have an important role to play in art that is structurally similar to its role in philosophy since provocative features of a work of art can be what grounds, or makes experientially available, the aesthetic qualities of the work.