Addressing Concerns Related to Environmental Aesthetics of Engagement

This article responds to Glenn Parsons’ threefold objections against engagement aesthetics, demonstrating that Parsons’ critiques are rooted in a limited reading of its philosophical foundations. While Parsons focuses primarily on Berleant and Saito, he overlooks broader influences from the history of philosophy (e.g., Budd, Thoreau, Deleuze, Dewey, Ingarden). Contrary to Parsons’ arguments, engagement aesthetics maintains methodological coherence by reconciling reasoning and experiencing—a primary yet unresolved tension in environmental aesthetics. By expanding the theoretical framework and addressing these objections, this study reaffirms engagement aesthetics’ viability and proposes renewed perspectives for further inquiry.