Why Landscape Beauty Matters

Angelika Krebs
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Angelika Krebs: Philosophisches Seminar, Departement Philosophie und Medienwissenschaft, Universität Basel, Steinengraben 5, CH-4051 Basel, Switzerland

Land, 2014, vol. 3, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: This philosophical paper explores the aesthetic argument for landscape conservation. The main claim is that the experience of beautiful landscapes is an essential part of the good human life. Beautiful landscapes make us feel at home in the world. Their great and irreplaceable value lies therein. To establish this claim, the concepts of landscape and “Stimmung” are clarified. It is shown how “Stimmung” (in the sense of mood) is infused into landscape (as atmosphere) and how we respond to it aesthetically. We respond by resonating or feeling at home. The paper ends by indicating how art can help us to better appreciate landscape beauty. This is done by way of an example from contemporary nature poetry, Michael Donhauser’s Variationen in Prosa , which begins with “Und was da war, es nahm uns an” (“And what was there accepted us”).

Keywords: environmental ethics/the good life/intrinsic value/justice; environmental aesthetics/beauty/sublimity; landscape; “Stimmung”/mood/atmosphere; “Heimat”/feeling at home/sense of place; nature poetry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:3:y:2014:i:4:p:1251-1269:d:41998

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