Part I. The appreciation of nature -- 1. The aesthetics of nature -- 2. Understanding and aesthetic experience -- 3. Formal qualities in the natural environment -- 4. Appreciation and the natural environment -- 5. Nature, aesthetic judgement, and objectivity -- 6. Nature and positive aesthetics -- 7. Appreciating art and appreciating nature -- Part II. Landscapes, art, and architecture -- 8. Between nature and art -- 9. Environmental aesthetics and the dilemma of aesthetic education -- 10. Is environmental art an aesthetic affront to nature? -- 11. The aesthetic appreciation of Japanese gardens -- 12. Appreciating agricultural landscapes -- 13. Existence, location, and function: the appreciation of architecture -- 14. Landscape and literature.
Summary:
"Allen Carlson shows how much of our aesthetic experience does not encompass art but nature, in our responses to sunsets, mountains, or more mundane surroundings, such as gardens or the views from our windows. He demonstrates that, unlike works of art, natural and ordinary human environments are neither self-contained aesthetic objects nor specifically designed for convenient aesthetic consumption. On the contrary, our environments are ever present constantly engaging our. He argues that knowledge of what it is we are appreciating is essential to having an appropriate aesthetic experience and that scientific understanding of nature can enhance our appreciation of it, rather than denigrate it." "Aesthetics and the Environment also shows how ethical and aesthetic values are closely connected, argues that aesthetic appreciation of natural and human environments has objective grounding, and explores the important links between ecology and the aesthetic experience of nature. This book will be for those involved in environmental studies and aesthetics and all who are interested in the controversial relationship between science and nature."--Jacket.
