In this article,I will examine the concept of xujing虛靜 (emptiness and stillness) in Daoism and its relationship with the aesthetic appreciation of nature and environmental ethics.Firstly,I will examine the Chinese philosophical understanding of nature through the concept of qi.I point out that qi is characterized by four interrelated features,which are emptiness,creativity,vitality,and stillness.Xujing are also aesthetically appreciated as the objective features of qi.Secondly,I will discuss why,as the objective features of qi,xujing are considered to be features that have aesthetic value.I argue that empathy is the reason why emptiness as the objective feature of qi is regarded as having aesthetic value.Thirdly,I will discuss how the aesthetic concept of emptiness helps contribute to the construction of place-based environmental ethics.
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