Thursday, October 29, 2009

Art and Nature

Thoughts on the “appropriate aesthetic appreciation” of nature:

1. Aesthetic means “involving the arts.”

2. Aesthetic appreciation refers variously to our valuation/assessment/enjoyment of the arts.

3. “Appropriate” aesthetic appreciation is variable and context-dependent.

4. Therefore, (from 1 &2) only art objects (including events) are the proper object of (appropriate) aesthetic appreciation.

5. Art objects are, minimally, intentional artifacts.

6. Nature is not an intentional artifact.

7. Therefore, (from 5 & 6) nature is not an art object.

8. Therefore, (from 4 & 7) there can be no (appropriate or inappropriate) aesthetic appreciation of nature.

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