Aesthetics for conservation

The Department of Philosophy welcomes Allen Carlson, professor emeritus at the University of Alberta, presenting “What is a Sound Natural Aesthetics for Conservation Policy and Land Management?” Recently a number of environmental philosophers, realizing the importance of aesthetic appreciation in our relationship with the natural environment, have claimed that, as one prominent environmental philosopher puts it: “a sound natural aesthetics is crucial to sound conservation policy and land management.” In light of such claims, the question of the nature of “a sound natural aesthetics” warrants consideration. The question has been addressed by several different accounts, ranging from time-honored approaches such as the picturesque tradition and landscape formalism to more recent points of view. This presentation will examine these different positions, arguing that, concerning the question “What is a sound natural aesthetics for conservation policy and land management?” some approaches are more promising than others. Free and open to the public.