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
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
