. [A] Thus a joke is laughed at for its own sake, even though there is an independ

.

［A］Thusajokeislaughedatforitsownsake,eventhoughthereisanindependentvalueinlaughter,whichlightensourlivesbytakingusmomentarilyoutsideourselves.Whyshouldnotsomethingsimilarbesaidofworksofart,manyofwhichaspiretobeamusinginjustthewaythatgoodjokesare?

［B］Alldiscussionofthevalueofarttends,therefore,toturnfromtheoutsetinthedirectionofcriticism:Cantherebegenuinecriticalevaluationofart,agenuinedistinctionbetweenthatwhichdeservesourattentionandthatwhichdoesnot?(And,onceagain,thequestionmaybeextendedtoobjectsofnaturalbeauty.)

［C］Artisheldtobeaform.ofeducation,perhapsaneducationoftheemotions.Inthiscase,itbecomesanopenquestionwhethertheremightnotbesomemoreeffectivemeanstothesameresult.Alternatively,onemayattr ibuteanegativevaluetoart,asPlatodidinhisRepublic,arguingthatarthasacorruptingordiseducativeeffectonthoseexposedtoit.

［D］Artisticappreciation,apurelypersonalmatter,callsforappropriatemeansofexpression.Yet,itisbeforeanythingaprocessof“cultivation”,duringwhichacertainpartofone’s“innerself”is“dugout”andsomeknowledegoftheoutsideworldbecomesitsmatch.

［E］IfIamamuseditisforareason,andthisreasonliesintheobjectofmyamusement.Wethusbegintothinkintermsofadistinctionbetweengoodandbadreasonsforlaughter.Amusementatthewrongthingsmayseemtoustoshowcorruptionofmind,cruelty,orbadtaste;andwhenitd oesso,wespeakoftheobjectasnottr ulyamusing,andfeelthatwehavereasononourside.

［F］Suchthinkersandwritersbelievethatartisnotonlyanendinitselfbutalsoasufficientjustificationofitself.Theyalsoholdthatinordertounderstandartasitshouldbeunderstood,itisnecessarytoputasideallinterestsotherthananinterestintheworkitself.

本题考核的知识点是：上下文内容的衔接。

本题空格出现在第一段末。第一段前两句提出了两种艺术价值理论：外在理论和内在理论。空格处的上一句，即第三句和空格处后的第一句，即第二段第一句都是对外在理论的讨论。所以，空格处的内容应该与上下文一致，也对外在价值理论予以讨论。选项[C]是关于艺术对于艺术欣赏者的影响，属于外在价值理论的观点，且恰好是对其上一句的阐释。