Eco-aesthetics and Ecological Aesthetics of Nature

Eco-aesthetics and ecological aesthetics of nature are closely related, twin disciplines having a similar, but not identical object of interest. Eco-aesthetics is a discipline which – in our opinion – focuses on the existing world of nature, nature intact by man or modified by him only to a limited extent (wilderness areas, natural ecosystems, nature and landscape parks). Eco-aesthetics would advocate simple acceptance of nature without arranging it, nature protected against anthropogenic impact distorting or modifying its original, existing beauty. And for these reasons eco-aesthetics is part of – or at least is close to – the biocentric vision of the world, in contrast to ecological aesthetics of nature, which fits more into the anthropocentric vision of reality. While eco-aesthetics is interested in nature understood autonomously in its original and existing form, ecological aesthetics of nature focuses more on the environment modified by man.