On Epistemology and Obscenity
“Obscenity” is the third order of Epistemological control over seeing. The determination of obscenity is harmful to the democracy, to free speech and to art. As such, it undermines and endangers the democratic collective’s survival.
In the American democracy, therefore, art should not be owned by individuals or by organizations, commercial or social. Art in the democracy must be held in trust in the Commons, which is the government. There must be no regulation of access to art by the government.
Given the separation of Church and State, there is no Epistemological basis to countermand this principle sufficient to supersede the guarantee of free speech in the Commons.
It is must be a primary function of democratic government to care for and provide access to art for its citizenry. This function is not less important than protecting the citizenry in times of war.
