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> Take away a bunch of artists nothing will change. . Take away a bunch of critical software - the world will stop.

Is that right?

Is there any evidence that a society can exist without art?

There’s an overwhelming body of evidence that suggests it can do so without software.

Not agreeing with GP, but I think your comparison here is a bit flawed.

Art is a broad concept - it doesn't suggest any specific form or delivery. Software is fairly concrete - it has to be run on a computer.

A more appropriate comparison would be art versus scientific research, or art versus engineering. I think that's a more interesting question, to which I would say: perhaps we could survive without either, but I can't imagine we'd thrive without both.

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