ENVR 142GS | Wilderness and Human Values Abroad

Focus will be on the relationship between traditional sources of Japanese aesthetics and the historical and contemporary challenges Japan has faced in protecting its natural environment and resources. We will explore what role if any Japan’s nuanced and rich aesthetic heritage has played in shaping and inspiring Japan’s efforts to protect its natural heritage. In other words, to what extent does traditional aesthetics still have a part to play in Japan’s efforts today to mitigate or even reverse the repercussions of unremitting industrialization on natural environment and resources? In exploring the relationship between cultural aesthetics and contemporary environmentalism, we intend to maximize the experiential learning component through immersion in Japan’s cultural and natural heritage.

Instructor

Instructor Name: Professor Edmond Chang

Instructor Title/Department: Lecturer / MMW

Email: e6chang@ucsd.edu

Weekly Readings and Assignments

Start Here

Week 3 | Seeking Spirituality through Nature

Week 4 | Grafting Nature onto Urban Modernity

Week 5 | Presentation and Synthesis