Art for art's sake Art for art's sake "Art for art's sake" is the usual English rendering of a French slogan from the early 19th century, "l'art pour l'art", and expresses a philosophy that the intrinsic value of art, and the only "true" art, is divorced from any didactic, moral, or utilitarian function. Such works are sometimes described as "autotelic", from the Greek "autoteles", "complete in itself", a concept that has been expanded to embrace "inner-directed" or "self-motivated" human beings. The term is sometimes used commercially. A Latin version of this phrase ("ARS GRATIA ARTIS") is used as a motto by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and appears
Gratia non tollit naturam, sed perficit Gratia non tollit naturam, sed perficit Gratia non tollit naturam, sed perficit is translated as 'Grace does not destroy nature, but perfects it', or 'grace does not destroy nature but fulfills it'. This Phrase is the word of Thomas Aquinas (c. 1224–1274). He observes, grace does not destroy nature, but fulfills its potential (Summa Theologiae, I, I, 8 ad 2). "Since therefore grace does not destroy nature but perfects it, natural reason should minister to faith as the natural bent of the will ministers to charity." Thomas maintains that the truth of human nature finds total fulfilment through sanctifying grace,