Objective aesthetic values in nature as a motivation for nature-preserving behaviour based on the example of Alpine landscapes
Is there a way to define aesthetic values in nature as intrinsic values, despite their anthropocentric origins? Can an awareness of aesthetic values be developed or trained, thereby encouraging behaviour that preserves nature?
The beauty of nature is a frequently used motif. It has been and continues to be addressed in a multitude of works of literature and art, and even in everyday discussion, there are hardly any counterarguments to the thesis that nature contains elements that are perceived as aesthetically appealing. In this context, however, it is often said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, i.e. aesthetic values are subjective. In environmental discourses, the question of an intrinsic aesthetic value located in nature has therefore become a point of contention in scientific discourse.
The theoretical part of the Ph.D. project deals with ways of defining a certain kind of objectivity of aesthetic values in relation to alpine landscapes and locating the value as intrinsic, within the object itself. A main objective is to view the anthropocentric starting point of aesthetic perception not as an obstacle to establishing objectivity, but as an opportunity to develop nature-conserving behaviour. This is why the project, in its specification to alpine landscapes, addresses the question of the extent to which the recognition and perception of aesthetic values in relation to alpine landscapes can be trained. If it is clear whether and how training is possible, aesthetic values in nature could be used as a tool to promote nature conservation.
The overarching goal of the Ph.D. project is to analyse the reasons behind the aesthetic value attributed to alpine landscapes and, in conjunction with theories of natural aesthetic appreciation, to develop an educational programme specific to alpine landscapes that contributes a new approach to promoting nature-preserving behaviour.