Emerson, Abbey, and Art

The quote "there are two kinds of art: decorative, non objective wall paper art and art with a moral purpose" describes a central issue in Abbey's Desert Solitaire. He contends that the vast majority of today's society sees wilderness and nature as a beautiful and mysterious place. People enjoy marveling at its magnificence, but they often fail to delve more deeply into it. They view landscape in the same manner as the paintings they hang in their living rooms, they're an esthetically pleasing form of decoration but hold little further significance or purpose. Abbey contends that people driving by in their cars may be awed by nature's beauty; but in failing to experience it, they miss its greater meaning. He asserts that without nature, mankind would be lost. Nature provides many moral, physical, and psychological advantages that are necessary to the survival of the human race.

The average citizen realizes nature's beauty, but fails to recognize its greater purpose. As a result, mankind continues to industrialize and destroy it. In conversing with one of the tourists at Arches National Park, Abbey is told to convert the National Park into "Disneyland National Park." The man advises Abbey, "Your road is bad; pave it. Better yet, build a paved road to every corner of the park; better yet, pave the whole damned place so that any damn fool can drive anything anywhere... Next, charge a good stiff admission fee... And advertise, for godsake, advertise" (247). While this may be an extreme example, it still portrays man's misconceptions about nature. People see nature as a type of art that belongs in a museum. It is considered breathtaking in the same way as the beauty of the "Mona Lisa" is and as such, the public feels that it should be put on display. They also feel that it should be used to the advantage of society- an asset to be exploited. The public contends that its beauty is unquestionable, but if only a limited number of people are truly affected by its presence, it serves little purpose.

And it is this idea that Abbey attacks with a passion. He believes that nature is absolutely necessary for survival. His reasons for this belief are varied and numerous. One is that its presence is necessary for democracy to flourish. If everyone were to move from the countryside into the cities, man would become a pawn of the government and lose many of the freedoms that they now have. Only in nature can true autonomy be achieved and only in the wilderness would the people have a chance of defeating the government ,militarily, if necessary. As Abbey explains, " We may need [nature] someday not only as a refuge from excessive industrialism but also as a refuge from authoritarian government and political oppression" (130). Abbey also says that nature is essential to the upholding of society's moral values. He explains, "We need the possibility of escape as surely as we need hope; without it the life of the cities would drive all men into crime or drugs or psychoanalysis" (129). So in Abbey's view, nature is a necessity. This is true both morally and politically among other reasons.

Abbey strives to show nature's true importance to society. He tries to prevent its modernization and destruction, preserving it so that future generations will be able to enjoy and benefit from it. Ralph Emerson's beliefs in many ways coincide with Abbey's. Emerson also truly appreciated the importance of nature. As he explains in The American Scholar, "The first in time and the first in influences upon the mind is that of nature"(85). He contends that one can only learn about himself through the examination of nature. And as such civilization's progress is dependent upon nature. Its disappearance would impede if not halt the progress of man. So Abbey is in no way alone in his belief in the importance of nature. And both Emerson and Abbey convey an important message; nature is an absolutely vital resource that must be protected for future generations.