Estetyka, etyka i logika ogrodu. Filozofia Rosaria Assunta

The essay offers a philosophical interpretation of the concept of the garden accordingto the contemporary Italian aesthetician Rosario Assunto (1915–1994). Assuntosystematically developed a philosophical theory focused on the question of theidentity of the garden. He was interested in the “idea of the Garden” which, in hisopinion, determined historical gardens both at the ontological and epistemologicallevel. He defined the garden in terms of a happy connection of man and nature, basedon the aesthetic contemplation of beauty, characteristic of all the gardens regardlessof historical differences among them. According to Assunto, gardens are places whichcombine together aesthetics, ethics, and logic. This combination determines theunique identity of the garden which takes various forms, depending on the individualpoetics of their makers, socio-historical realities, taste, and the correspondent ideas ofnature. Assunto’s starting points are thus historical versions of the garden, descriptiveliterature, and German philosophy of the turn of the 19th century. For the Italianphilosopher, gardens have not only historical and artistic, but also ecological aspects,so that they should be protected and restored. Assunto’s theory is a unique proposalwhich anticipates today’s reflection on the topic of gardens, but seems much moresatisfactory than many contemporary approaches (A. Berleant, M. Miller, S. Ross).