Does literature have a responsibility to actively promote social change, or is its primary purpose to provide aesthetic pleasure and personal enrichment, regardless of its social impact?

Books and Persons; Being Comments on a Past Epoch, 1908-1911 by Bennett, Arnold

This theme explores the extent to which literature can shape public opinion and influence social change. It examines the responsibility of authors to use their platform for good, questioning whether they have a moral obligation to address social issues or whether their primary duty is to entertain and provide aesthetic pleasure. It also examines the potential for literature to be used for manipulation and propaganda.