Changes

In the [[Western culture|Western world]] the idea of wilderness having intrinsic value emerged in the 1800s, especially in the works of the [[Romantic movement]].  [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] artists [[John Constable]] and [[JMW Turner]] turned their attention to capturing the beauty of the natural world in their paintings. Before that, paintings had been primarily of religious scenes or of human beings. [[William Wordsworth|William Wordsworth’s]] poetry described the wonder of the natural world, which had formerly been viewed as a threatening place. Increasingly the valuing of nature became an aspect of Western culture.[http://www.spacesfornature.org/greatspaces/conservation.html] This artistic movement also coincided with the [[Transcendentalism|Transcendentalist movement]] in the Western world.

In the [[Western culture|Western world]] the idea of wilderness having intrinsic value emerged in the 1800s, especially in the works of the [[Romantic movement]].  [[Kingdom of Great Britain|British]] artists [[John Constable]] and [[JMW Turner]] turned their attention to capturing the beauty of the natural world in their paintings. Before that, paintings had been primarily of religious scenes or of human beings. [[William Wordsworth|William Wordsworth’s]] poetry described the wonder of the natural world, which had formerly been viewed as a threatening place. Increasingly the valuing of nature became an aspect of Western culture.[http://www.spacesfornature.org/greatspaces/conservation.html] This artistic movement also coincided with the [[Transcendentalism|Transcendentalist movement]] in the Western world.

Many scientists, who study nature in more specific and organized ways, also share the conviction that nature is beautiful; the French mathematician, [[Henri Poincaré|Jules Henri Poincaré]] (1854-1912) said:<blockquote>The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.</br>If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living. Of course I do not here speak of that beauty which strikes the senses, the beauty of qualities and of appearance; not that I undervalue such beauty, far from it, but it has nothing to do with science; I mean that profounder beauty which comes from the harmonious order of the parts and which a pure intelligence can grasp.

Many scientists, who study nature in more specific and organized ways, also share the conviction that nature is beautiful; the French mathematician, [[Henri Poincaré|Jules Henri Poincaré]] (1854-1912) said:  

 

"The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.If nature were not beautiful, it would not be worth knowing, and if nature were not worth knowing, life would not be worth living. Of course I do not here speak of that beauty which strikes the senses, the beauty of qualities and of appearance; not that I undervalue such beauty, far from it, but it has nothing to do with science; I mean that profounder beauty which comes from the harmonious order of the parts and which a pure intelligence can grasp."

A common classical idea of beautiful art involves the word [[mimesis]], the imitation of nature.  Also in the realm of ideas about beauty in nature is that the perfect is implied through symmetry, equal division, and other perfect mathematical [[forms]] and notions.

A common classical idea of beautiful art involves the word [[mimesis]], the imitation of nature.  Also in the realm of ideas about beauty in nature is that the perfect is implied through symmetry, equal division, and other perfect mathematical [[forms]] and notions.