Curator: Since ancient times, the fine arts were developed and sustained with the aid of large subsidies from the aristocracies and religious institutions that were the public sectors of their day; Support it is doubtful that the arts would have survived without these subsidies. ββββββββ ββββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββββ βββββββ βββββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ βββββββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββββββββ ββ βββββββββ βββββββββββββ ββ βββββββββββ ββββ ββββ βββββββ βββ ββββββββββββ ββββββββββββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββββββ
Government subsidies are necessary for the fine arts. Why? Because in the past, subsidies from aristocrats and religious sources were important for sustaining the fine arts. And in the present, societies should be stewards of cultural heritage without turning to aristocrats or religious sources for help.
The curator makes three big assumptions. First, he leans on an analogy: the arts relied on subsidies in the past, so the arts need subsidies in the present. For his analogy to hold, he must assume that what used to be true of funding needs for the arts is similarly true today.
Next, he says why anyone should be obliged to provide those subsidies: because societies should be stewards of cultural heritage. But he doesnβt explain how being βstewards of cultural heritageβ has anything to do with supporting the arts. He must assume that acting as stewards necessarily involves supporting the arts.
Lastly, he assumes that without assistance from aristocracies and religious institutions, any effort by society to maintain the arts must include government subsidies. (If there were other options, then why conclude it must fall to governments specifically?)
The curator's argument depends on ββββββββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ ββββββββββ
The fine arts βββββ ββ ββββ ββββββ βββββββββ βββ ββ ββββ βββ ββββ βββββ βββββββ ββββββββββββ βββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ
If contemporary governments ββββ ββ ββββββββ βββ ββββββ βββ ββββ βββββ βββββββ βββββββ βββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββββββ ββββββββββββ
In contemporary societies, βββββββββββββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββββββ βββ βββ βββββββ ββ ββββ βββββββ βββ ββββ βββββ
Serving as stewards ββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββββββ ββββ ββββββββββββ βββββββββ ββββ ββ ββββββββ βββ ββββ βββββ
Maintenance, advancement, and ββββββββββ ββ βββ ββββ ββββ ββ βββ βββ βββββββ ββββββββββββ ββββββββββ