Papers from the 'Aesthetics and Rock Art III Symposium' held at the XV UISPP World Congress, Lisbon, 4-9 September 2006. Contents: Introduction (Thomas Heyd); 1) The magic of great art: do we have the answers? What makes some rock art unforgettable to some people? Does the magic lie in the mark, the maker or the viewer? (Margaret Bullen); 2) Does aesthetics have perceptual roots? (J. B. Der?gowski); 3) Aesthetics, function, and fashion in rock art: Reactions to 'Aesthetics and Rock Art' (John Clegg and Shiv Jamwal); 4) A rock art typology: Narrative and non-narrative figurative representation (Livio Dobrez); 5) Visual images are not always illustrations of texts: The status of Arnhem Land rock art (Michael Eastham); 6) Variabilite stylistique dans la tradition rupestre 'Planalto' du Bresil Central: Un meme ensemble thematique, plusieurs, esthetiques (Stylistic variability in the Planalto rock art tradition of Central Brazil: Same thematic approach, several aesthetics) (A. Isnardis, V. Linke and A. Prous); 7) Intentions in the engraved stones and standing stones of Pembrokeshire (Anne Eastham); 8) Aesthetics and function: A composite role in Borneo rock art? (Jean-Michel Chazine); 9) The Ethics of transculturation: Cultural appropriation and etiquette in the aesthetics encounter with engravings and paintings on rock (Thomas Heyd); 10) Aesthetics, ethics, and rock art conservation: How far can we go? The case of recent conservation tests carried out in un-engraved outcrops in the Coa Valley, Portugal. (Antonio Pedro Batarda Fernandes); 11) Afterthoughts: What I have learnt (John Clegg); 12) Is there a place for aesthetics in the study of Pleistocene visual cultures? (April Novell).

This book argues that an attentive encounter with nature is of key importance for the development of an environmentally appropriate culture. The fundamental idea is that the environmental degradation that we are increasingly experiencing is best conceived as the consequence of a cultural mismatch: our cultures seem not to be appropriate to the natural environment in which we move and on which we depend in thoroughgoing ways. In addressing this problem, Thomas Heyd weaves together a rich tapestry of perspectives on human interactions with the natural world, ranging from traditional modes of managing human communities that include the natural environment, to the consideration of poetic travelogues, ecological restoration and botanic gardens. The volume is divided into three parts, which respectively consider the relation of human beings to nature in terms of ethics, aesthetics and culture. It engages the current literature in each of these areas with the help of inter-disciplinary approaches, as well as on the basis of personal encounters with natural spaces and processes. The ultimate aim of this book is to make a contribution to the development of a cultural fabric that is suitable to the natural spaces and processes in which we may thrive, and on which we all depend as individuals and as a species.

This book argues that an attentive encounter with nature is of key importance for the development of an environmentally appropriate culture. The fundamental idea is that the environmental degradation that we are increasingly experiencing is best conceived as the consequence of a cultural mismatch: our cultures seem not to be appropriate to the natural environment in which we move and on which we depend in thoroughgoing ways. In addressing this problem, Thomas Heyd weaves together a rich tapestry of perspectives on human interactions with the natural world, ranging from traditional modes of managing human communities that include the natural environment, to the consideration of poetic travelogues, ecological restoration and botanic gardens. The volume is divided into three parts, which respectively consider the relation of human beings to nature in terms of ethics, aesthetics and culture. It engages the current literature in each of these areas with the help of inter-disciplinary approaches, as well as on the basis of personal encounters with natural spaces and processes. The ultimate aim of this book is to make a contribution to the development of a cultural fabric that is suitable to the natural spaces and processes in which we may thrive, and on which we all depend as individuals and as a species.

How do the ways in which we think about and describe nature shape the use and protection of the environment? Do our seemingly well-intentioned efforts in environmental conservation reflect a respect for nature or our desire to control nature's wildness? The contributors to this collection address these and other questions as they explore the theoretical and practical implications of a crucial aspect of environmental philosophy and policy-the autonomy of nature. In focusing on the recognition and meaning of nature's autonomy and linking issues of metaphysics, epistemology, ethics, and policy, the essays provide a variety of new perspectives on human relationships to nature.

The authors begin by exploring what is meant by "nature," in what sense it can be seen as autonomous, and what respect for the autonomy of nature might entail. They examine the conflicts that arise between the satisfaction of human needs (food, shelter, etc.) and the natural world. The contributors also consider whether the activities of human beings contribute to nature's autonomy. In their investigation of these issues, they not only draw on philosophy and ethics; they also discuss how the idea of nature's autonomy affects policy decisions regarding the protection of agricultural, rural, and beach areas.

The essays in the book's final section turn to management and restoration practices. The essays in this section pay close attention to how efforts at environmental protection alter or reinforce the traditional relationship between humans and nature. More specifically, the contributors examine whether management practices, as they are applied in nature conservation, actually promote the autonomy of nature, or whether they turn the environment into a "client" for policymakers.