The Aesthetics of Natural Environments is a collection of essays investigating philosophical and aesthetics issues that arise in our appreciation of natural environments. The introduction gives an historical and conceptual overview of the rapidly developing field of study known as environmental aesthetics. The essays consist of classic pieces as well as new contributions by some of the most prominent individuals now working in the field and range from theoretical to applied approaches.

The topics covered include the nature and value of natural beauty, the relationship between art appreciation and nature appreciation, the role of knowledge in the aesthetic appreciation of nature, the importance of environmental participation to the appreciation of environments, and the connections between the aesthetic appreciation of nature and our ethical obligations concerning its maintenance and preservation.

This volume is for scholars and students focused on nature, landscapes, and environments, individuals in areas such as aesthetics, environmental ethics, geography, environmental studies, landscape architecture, landscape ecology, and the planning and design disciplines. It is also for any reader interested in and concerned about the aesthetic quality of the world in which we live.

Table of Contents

      Preface

      Acknowledgements

      Notes on Contributors    

      Introduction: The Aesthetics of Nature

      Allen Carlson and Arnold Berleant

1.   Contemporary Aesthetics and the Neglect of Natural Beauty

      Ronald Hepburn

2.   Appreciation and the Natural Environment

      Allen Carlson

3.   The Aesthetics of Art and Nature

      Arnold Berleant

4.   On Being Moved by Nature: Between Religion and Natural History

       Noël Carroll

5.   Icebreakers: Environmentalism and Natural Aesthetics

      Stan Godlovitch

6.   Landscape and the Metaphysical Imagination

      Ronald Hepburn

7.   Appreciating Nature on its Own Terms

      Yuriko Saito

8.   Imagination and the Aesthetic Appreciation of Nature

      Emily Brady

9.   Fact and Fiction in Environmental Aesthetics

      Marcia Muelder Eaton

10.  The Aesthetic Experience of Forests

       Holmes Rolston

11.  The Narrative and the Ambient in Environmental Aesthetics

       Cheryl Foster

12.  Appreciating Natural Beauty as Natural

       Ron Moore

13.  What the Hills are Alive With: The Sounds of Nature

       John Andrew Fisher

14.  Scenery and the Aesthetics of Nature

       Don Crawford

15.  Aesthetic Appreciation and the Many Stories about Nature

      Thomas Heyd

16.  Environmental Stories: Speaking and Writing Nature

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