Aesthetic sustainability

Abstract

The scope and range of human aesthetic preferences have been discussed recently from the perspective of their role in advancing sustainability in contemporary societies. Philosophical and applied studies in environmental and everyday aesthetics seem to support the idea that knowledge and awareness cause changes in aesthetic values. Aesthetic sustainability as a concept has recently been developed to show why certain objects, artefacts, and landscapes become valued more highly over time. Instead of discussing the temporality of aesthetic values only in terms of historical styles, trends, or tastes, as has traditionally been the case, the concept focuses attention on the deeper layers of aesthetic appreciation, bringing together aesthetic, ethical, and cognitive values. Aesthetic sustainability is introduced here as a conceptual tool that provides insight into how human aesthetic preferences and choices function. It is also pointed out how the sphere of aesthetics is an important part of the human capability to imagine more sustainable futures.