# Chapter V: The Infection Theory of Art explained — What Is Art?

> Chapter companion for What Is Art? by Leo Tolstoy.

## What happens

Tolstoy defines art as the transmission of feelings from one person to another, causing infection. He critiques previous definitions (physiological-evolutionary, experimental, and Sully's) for focusing on pleasure rather than art's purpose in human life. Art is a means of union, as important as speech, and is based on the capacity to receive and transmit feelings. He contrasts the ancient view that art should be guided by religious perception with the modern view that any art giving pleasure is good, arguing the latter is more harmful.

## Themes in this chapter

### Infection Theory of Art

Tolstoy defines art as the transmission of feelings from one person to another, causing infection, and distinguishes it from speech which transmits thoughts.

### Art as a Means of Human Union

Art is described as a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, indispensable for life and progress.

### Religious Perception as the Guide for Art

Tolstoy argues that art transmitting feelings from religious perception has been given special importance, contrasting with modern art that only seeks pleasure.

## Character check-ins

### Leo Tolstoy

Author presenting his definition of art as infection and critiquing other definitions.

### Plato

Mentioned as one who repudiated all art in his Republic, viewing it as dangerous.

### Aristotle

Listed among ancients who looked on art as transmitting feelings from religious perception.

### Socrates

Mentioned as one of the ancients who regarded art in the same way.

### Charles Darwin

Referenced in the physiological-evolutionary definition of art as springing from sexual desire and play.

### Herbert Spencer

Referenced alongside Darwin in the physiological-evolutionary definition.

## Key lines

> Art is a human activity, consisting in this, that one man consciously, by means of certain external signs, hands on to others feelings he has lived through, and that other people are infected by these feelings, and also experience them.

Art is the conscious transmission of feelings from one person to others through external signs, so that the recipients experience the same feelings.

_Tolstoy's core definition of art as infection._

> In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure, and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life.

To define art properly, we must stop seeing it as a source of pleasure and instead see it as essential to human life.

_Tolstoy's critique of pleasure-based definitions._

> Formerly, people feared lest among the works of art there might chance to be some causing corruption, and they prohibited art altogether. Now, they only fear lest they should be deprived of any enjoyment art can afford, and patronise any art. And I think the last error is much grosser than the first, and that its consequences are far more harmful.

In the past, people banned all art out of fear of corruption; today, they embrace any art for pleasure. Tolstoy considers the modern error worse and more harmful.

_Comparison of ancient and modern attitudes toward art._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/what_is_art_se/chapters/v
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/what_is_art_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/what_is_art_se/chapters