Thesis advisor: Elisa Magri / This thesis will argue that art expresses feeling, affirming the expressivist theory of aesthetics of R.G. Collingwood, and will expand this thesis to say that aesthetic experience of nature is also expressive. By aesthetic experience of nature, I refer to an experience in which the subject is not merely observing, but appreciating the natural world for its aesthetic qualities. I will present the argument that such experiences of nature are governed by the same principles of expression and imagination that intentionally made art objects are. I will begin with an analysis of the expressivist theory of Collingwood, which asserts that all proper art is the result of expression followed by an act of imaginative creation. Following this, I will investigate the expression of feelings in the non-art aesthetic experience of nature. To do this I will present the work of Arnold Berleant, whose framework for aesthetic engagement will allow the expressivist theory of expression and imagination to apply in natural aesthetics. With this framework in place I will explore several examples of aesthetic experience of nature to illustrate this process at work. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2024. / Submitted to: Boston College. Morrissey School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Philosophy. / Discipline: Departmental Honors.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BOSTON/oai:dlib.bc.edu:bc-ir_110012 |
| Date | January 2024 |
| Creators | McAleer, Beatrice |
| Publisher | Boston College |
| Source Sets | Boston College |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, thesis |
| Format | electronic, application/pdf |
| Rights | Copyright is held by the author, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise noted. |
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