Description
Philosophy and gardens have been closely connected from the dawn of philosophy, with many drawing on their beauty and peace for philosophical inspiration. Gardens in turn give rise to a broad spectrum of philosophical questions. For the green-fingered thinker, this book reflects on a whole host of fascinating philosophical themes.
- Gardens and philosophy present a fascinating combination of subjects, historically important, and yet scarcely covered within the realms of philosophy
- Contributions come from a wide range of authors, ranging from garden writers and gardeners, to those working in architecture, archaeology, archival studies, art history, anthropology, classics and philosophy
- Essays cover a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from Epicurus and Confucius to the aesthetics and philosophy of Central Park
- Offers new perspectives on the experience and evaluation of gardens
Table of Contents
Foreword viii
David E. Cooper
Acknowledgments xi
Dan O’Brien
Planting the Seed: An Introduction to Gardening – Philosophy for Everyone 1
Dan O’Brien
Part I The Good Life 11
1 The Virtues of Gardening 13
Isis Brook
2 Cultivating the Soul: The Ethics of Gardening in Ancient Greece and Rome 26
Meghan T. Ray
3 Escaping Eden: Plant Ethics in a Gardener’s World 38
Matthew Hall
4 Food Glorious Food 48
Helene Gammack
Part II Flower Power 63
5 Plants, Prayers, and Power: The Story of the First Mediterranean Gardens 65
Jo Day
6 Brussels Sprouts and Empire: Putting Down Roots 79
Michael Moss
7 Transplanting Liberty: Lafayette’s American Garden 93
Laura Auricchio
8 Cockney Plots: Allotments and Grassroots Political Activism 106
Elizabeth A. Scott
Part III The Flower Show 119
9 Hortus Incantans: Gardening as an Art of Enchantment 121
Eric MacDonald
10 Gardens, Music, and Time 135
Ismay Barwell and John Powell
11 The Pragmatic Picturesque: The Philosophy of Central Park 148
Gary Shapiro
Part IV The Cosmic Garden 161
12 Illusions of Grandeur: A Harmonious Garden for the Sun King 163
Robert Neuman
13 Time and Temporality in the Garden 178
Mara Miller
14 Cultivating Our Garden: David Hume and Gardening as Therapy 192
Dan O’Brien
Part V Philosophers’ Gardens 205
15 The Garden of the Aztec Philosopher-King 207
Susan Toby Evans
16 Epicurus, the Garden, and the Golden Age 220
Gordon Campbell
17 Gardener of Souls: Philosophical Education in Plato’s Phaedrus 232
Anne Cotton
Notes on Contributors 245
