Corey Beckford

I argue for a Kantian proto-environmental aesthetics by focusing primarily on §42 of the Critique of the Power of Judgement. I propose an alternative interpretation of this section, which reveals a latent morally normative aesthetic theory regarding the aesthetic appreciation of nature per se. When it comes to the appreciation of nature, Kant is decidedly not a pure formalist; rather, he implicitly recommends intellectually interested and cognitively laden appreciation, albeit of a rather specific kind. What he implicitly recommends in the aesthetic appreciation of nature qua nature lays the ground for a proto-environmental aesthetics in the third Critique.

Important objections are raised by Steven Burik in his comment on Rui Zhu's response to Rorty and MacIntyre. We will try to address them without proceeding in an eristic, point-by-point manner. In general, it seems that at least some of Burik's objections are based on his misreading of Zhu's response. Burik is not to blame, however. Zhu's response was short and many of the points made there were not sufficiently explained or developed. By way of his generous commentary Burik has provided us a much needed opportunity to offer some remedies.A key distinction in Zhu's response was its reference to comparative philosophy as a form of intercultural studies and as philosophy. The former compares philosophies and the...