A Study On The "Continuity" In Western Environmental Aesthetics

The basic meaning of“continuity”and related theoretical researches originate from ancient Greece.The Ionian School,Pythagoras School,Zeno and the others all discussed“continuity”,while Aristotle discussed it more comprehensively and deeply.On this basis,many theorists such as Leibniz and Dewey have consciously constructed their theories in a continuous way of thinking.Western environmental aesthetics also contains a tradition of“continuity”.Most scholars have noticed the theory of continuity discussed by Arnold Berleant who is the main theorist of"non-cognitive camp".Besides,we should pay more attention to the theory of“aesthetic field”.Though is discussed in his early works,it is the foundation of his theoretical system.In fact,in addition to Berleant,many other environmental aestheticians have the idea of continuity in their theory,although they did not use the exact name of“continuity”,such as the main theorist of the"cognitive camp",Allen Carlson.In fact,the essence of the continuity is“process”and“relation”,which involves many important categories in environmental aesthetics,such as“human"”“nature”"body"“environment”"time"and“space”.Besides,it also involves how to appreciate environment,which is the primary issue of environmental aesthetics.As a way of thinking,“continuity”has two main qualities in Western environmental aesthetics,which are“process”and"relation".The former emphasizes environment is“dynamic”and is not“framed”.And as a result,the aesthetic appreciation of environment actually becomes a "process".The latter emphasizes that the continuity between human and environment means they each other are equal.And there are not“subject”or“object”.The aesthetic experiences emerge when the exact possibility of environment encounters the exact possibility of a person.It is generally acknowledged that Western environmental aesthetics has no metaphysics.Carlson is one of them who reject metaphysics.Actually,we'd better be cautious to talk“metaphysics”today.However,maybe we can jump out of the traditional framework of metaphysics,maintain an open mind in order to solve the problems,and regard“continuity”as a transcendental,basic principle of appreciating environment.The metaphysics of continuity requires us to change our way of thinking,to choose a different path compared to the tradition,which recognizes the existence of universal continuity,and pays more attention to the connections and similarities rather than the differences or individuality between things.Of course,that does not mean denying the existence of differences.We should pay attention that Berleant uses the metaphysics of continuity to construct his theory consciously.Carlson does not use the word of“continuity”,though his theory still contains such way of thinking.Compared to the“strong version”of continuity in Berleant's theory,we can call it the“weak version”of continuity in Carlson's theory.For Carlson,the basic issue of environmental aesthetics is:what and how to appreciate.As far as the natural environment,he proposes the Natural Environmental Model,which emphasizes the overall,dynamic and all-round appreciation of the natural environment.“Overall”emphasizes the organic integral relationship between the object and its environment,including the continuity of time and space in the physical sense and the continuity of biological existence;“dynamic”and“all-round”emphasize the continuity of experience.It means“immersing”and dynamically experience the environment in a way of obtaining the experience of daily life,and using all the senses and wisdom to experience at the same time.Then gain the basic experience and ultimately sublimate it into aesthetic experience.Furthermore,analogous to the natural ecosystem,Carlson regards the human environment as a whole human ecosystem,and the“ecological inevitability”of the human environment is“functional fit”.In fact,the more essential ecological inevitability of the human environment is“fit”,which is similar to the“survival of the fittest”in biology.The various elements of the human environment interact,coordinate,interdepend and balance with each other under long-term integration.That is the continuity of the various elements of human environment,and the“fit”is exactly what we should appreciate.The theory of continuity in Berleant's environmental aesthetics was initially formed in its early theory of“aesthetic field”.First of all,in the process of aesthetic appreciation,the various elements in the aesthetic field interact and interdepend with each other and the boundaries of them become blurred and open to each other,and finally form a continuous unity of aesthetic experience.Secondly,as the context in which aesthetic experience is gained,aesthetic field itself is not closed or self-sufficient.The aesthetic experience and all personal experiences and cultural experiences are continuous.On the basis of aesthetic field,Berleant redefines“environment”.Starting from the continuity of people and the environment,the various aesthetic elements in environmental field act comprehensively and directly on aesthetic perception.While at the same time the social culture which is continuous with aesthetic experience acts indirectly on aesthetic perception through the sustained presence of body.Thus the aesthetic experience is formed finally.We can regard Carlson's continuity as a“weak version”and Berleant's continuity a“strong version”.The fundamental difference between the two is that Carlson holds the idea of subject-object dichotomy,while Berleant holds the monism.On the basis of the metaphysics of continuity,we should prepare to appreciate environment in concept at first.It is necessary to realize the continuity between human and environment in the sense of life.Furthermore,in specific context of appreciating environment,the continuity between human and environment means that the person is present at the most basic level,in other words means that“body”is present.The“body”here is both physical and mental,or is“embodiment"”,which not only requires us to use all the senses including sight,hearing,tactual sense,olfaction,taste and kinesthetic sense,but also requires us fully mobilize our own memory,beliefs,habits,lifestyles,value judgments and other factors,and actively feel environment.Secondly,the special space-time nature of environment means that the“environment”we appreciate is formed in its interaction with we appreciator.Therefore,"environment”is constantly changing and ready to form.We need interact with environment and engage in it no matter when and where we are.Third,as continuity emphasizes "process",the continuity of environment also requires us to focus on the“process”of appreciation rather than the final meaning or result.Finally,we'd better advocate an inclusive aesthetic appreciation of environment and pay more attention to individual's rich and diverse processes of aesthetic experience rather than establish a specific model of appreciation or focus on the effects of aesthetic appreciation.Returning to aesthetic experience itself and following the guidance of continuity may be an important opportunity to combine cognitive and non-cognitive factors in aesthetic appreciation of environment.