| The origin of the "Wilderness" ideological trend can be traced back to the early European immigrants who arrived in the New World of America during the colonial period.American literature from the colonial period has shown a tendency to be closely associated with the geographical environment,and this geographical environment is known as the "wilderness".The early European colonizers arriving in America saw the wilderness as a terrifying "barbarous" realm beyond the limits of civilization until the mid-19 th century,when transcendentalism infused the wilderness with spiritual and aesthetic value,and a positive attitude toward the wilderness emerged.The background of this shift in attitude was the Industrial Revolution.The urban pollution and social maladies wrought by the Industrial Revolution led nature writers and poets to seek solace in the wilderness.By the early 20 th century,the wilderness as a "tonic" for industrial ills had become popular,and an increasing number of scholars emphasized the aesthetic value of wilderness,leading to the rise of the wilderness preservation movement worldwide.Since the 1940 s,with the rise and growth of ecology,the "home" and "root" properties of the wilderness have been emphasized,and its ecological aesthetic value further highlighted.Today,the concept of "wilderness" is generally understood as "an area largely unmanaged and unaltered by humans" or "a primitive natural state," representing the existence of natural order to a great extent.The ecological aesthetic value of the wilderness has become an important driving force for countries to build ecological civilization and pursue sustainable development.In general,the aesthetic value of wilderness is primarily reflected in two aspects.Firstly,the spiritual freedom of seeking roots and transcending.The original spiritual characteristics of primitive peoples in the wilderness,as the spiritual homeland of humanity,enable people to establish a spiritual connection with nature even in the highly developed material civilization of today.The aesthetic impulse provided by the wilderness enables people to break free from the pressures and troubles of daily life and experience the freedom beyond time and space.Secondly,the ecological shift in aesthetic emotions.The ecological ethics and aesthetics of wilderness aesthetics,mediated by emotions and guided by science,with aesthetics as the goal,promote the formation of the concept of harmonious coexistence and equality between human and nature.They strengthen people’s awe and affinity for wilderness.Therefore,this essay is mainly based on the following questions: the origin of the "wilderness" ideology,the spiritual essence of the "wilderness" and the connotations and dilemmas of the ecological aesthetic trend toward the "wilderness." Through in-depth analysis of the connotations and changes of the wilderness and its aesthetic values,this article attempts to explore the ecological aesthetic ideal behind it,reinterprets the relationship between humans and nature,and attempts to reflect on the concept of "wilderness" from the perspective of cultural configuration,thereby anticipating its future development trends.Introduction: This section discusses the background and significance of the research topic,as well as the current status of related research both domestically and internationally,and outlines the research approach of this paper.Chapter 1: The Origin of the "Wilderness" Ideology examines the transformation of the concept of "wilderness" from a terrifying and barbarous place to an aesthetic and spiritual resource.By analyzing the divine aesthetic connotations of wilderness during the transcendentalism period,the spiritual value of wilderness as a medium of communication between humanity and God is emphasized.As an overflow of God’s spirituality,the wilderness is also endowed with the true,the good,and the beautiful,possessing aesthetic value.Its divine connotation makes the beauty of the wilderness awe-inspiring and approachable.With further intimate contact with the wilderness,the discovery of its intrinsic value is the germ of "ecological morality," but there is still ambiguous thinking about the relationship between civilization and the wilderness.Chapter 2: The Spiritual Essence of the "Wilderness" Ideology explores the cultural foundation of the aesthetic culture toward the wilderness and reveals its essential connotations of spiritual freedom and self-transcendence.In the 1890 s,people’s one-dimensional spiritual emptiness in the city led to a desire to return to nature and an eagerness to welcome the "wilderness fever." The people’s innate nature of longing for "wildness" as a gift of their genes is undeniable.Based on this national foundation,holistic thinking that respects all lifeforms is formed,redefining the relationship between humans and the wilderness.On this basis,the beauty of wilderness freedom can be fully displayed.In the rebirth and transformation of the whole system,the form of beauty can be eternal,and the human spirit can return to freedom and surpass itself.Chapter 3: "The Ecological Value of Wilderness" explores,under the influence of ecology,scholars’ recognition that the basis for appreciating the beauty of wilderness is the health of the entire ecosystem,and the criteria for ecological health is overall harmony."Land ethics" takes the overall ecological harmony as a prerequisite and ecological community as a carrier,creating a new ethical relationship and promoting the development of "earth aesthetics".The understanding of the inherent relationship between organic matter and its environment has made people aware that a combination of ecological scientific theories and land ethics and aesthetic consciousness is a powerful weapon for preserving wilderness.Thus,wilderness has moved towards ecological aesthetics,and modern values have been highlighted.Chapter 4: "Wilderness Aesthetics" and Modern Society mainly summarizes and looks ahead to the content of the previous three chapters.It analyzes the reasons for the change in the "wilderness" trend,summarizes the main spiritual connotations of the "wilderness" concept,and reflects on the problem of the humanistic vacuum and environmental justice in the "wilderness" concept,and draws inspiration from the "wilderness" trend for the construction of "Beautiful China".The conclusion mainly extends and analyzes the cultural configuration essence of the "wilderness" trend,and puts forward several problems and countermeasures that may be faced in future wilderness protection and ecological restoration. |
