Beauty of the Environment (Volume 02 of the Series on Environmental Aesthetics)

Author: (Finnish) Jyri Sepp?ma by Wu Xiaoxi, Zhang Yi translated
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: This book outlines a theoretical model of environmental aesthetics. It describes a feasible model of aesthetic environmental culture, but only half of the entire field of environmental aesthetics. The next question is, where is it needed? The author is planning and writing an application section. The goal of this book is to systematically outline the field of environmental aesthetics from the foundation of analytical philosophy. The author defines environmentalism as a material background; a fundamental distinction of the environment is between natural environments and human-altered environments. I only discuss the spiritual aspects of the environment that regulate the relationship between people and the material environment. This group of questions is about ontology: What is an environment as an aesthetic object. First, the author compares the environment with the main paradigm of aesthetic objects—art. Traditionally, art and the environment intertwine in architecture, but they also coexist in what are called environmental art experiments. The fundamental similarity between environment and art lies in this fact: a unique regulatory mechanism for creation, dissemination, and reception exists in both. In art, this mechanism is the "art world," while in the environment, it is the "environment world." The paradigmatic examples determined by the mechanism are of core significance in outlining this field: classic works in art are similar to attractive places in nature and culture. The second group of questions is about meta-criticism: How is the environment described? The starting point is the environment and description, interpretation, and evaluation. The goal of description should be based on appropriate and applicable natural and cultural knowledge. This aesthetics can be called ecological and anthropological aesthetics. The final part of the book discusses the practice of environmental aesthetics and the benefits it can bring: How can environmental education, legislation, and other aspects construct practical action plans based on theoretical conclusions. Therefore, the author shifts from basic research to applied research, attempting to prove—differently from art—that there are ethical limitations when discussing the environment. This book is aimed at readers of different types: scholars and students in philosophy, art and aesthetics, landscape architecture and planning, urban and environmental design, cultural geography, and environmental studies. Most importantly, readers interested in environmental issues.