The Adventures of Jonathan Gullible - Bastiat Institute

Having confi dence in
a free society is to
focus on the process
of discovery in the
marketplace of values
rather than to focus
on some imposed
vision or goal.
Extract from
Jonathan’s Guiding
Principles
Chapter 16 • Nothing To It
Brainstorming
• What problems arise when art is fi nanced by
taxes?
• Is the selection of art elitist?
• Can offi cials be objective in funding art?
• Can art exist without tax funding?
• How does the type of funding affect
behaviour?
• Examples?
• What ethical issues are involved?
Commentary
Elitism is the paternalist belief that only those
people “at the top” have the knowledge to make
decisions.
The authorities say that government funding
of art is good for the education and culture of
a nation. These offi cials presume that people
won’t support art voluntarily. Yes, art is
good for a nation, but freedom is even more
important. From freedom will come the kind
of art, education, and culture that people truly
value. Every individual has his or her own taste,
depending on individual priorities and values in
life. It is immoral for offi cials to use the force
of government to substitute their elitist values
for the values and choices of free people. Art,
music, cultural events, dance, exhibitions, and
sporting events can all be successfully provided
privately and voluntarily.
The State Theatre in Pretoria provides an
excellent example. The theatre was closed when
it was deemed too elitist and expensive to run.
The building stood empty until a group of ballet
dancers met and decided to take an adventure into
the world of entrepreneurial economics. They
opened the building and turned it into a viable
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