Towards landscape conscience: a geographical perspective

Abstract

Abstract This article aims to show the reciprocal significance of space to human conscience and vice versa. We argue that human conscience is equally founded on external, spatial relations rather than strictly internal states or processes, and we apply the concept of ‘conscience’ to the landscape (‘landscape conscience’). Through an extensive literature review of relevant scientific fields, the article builds its argument for the spatiality of conscience beyond its previously strictly anthropocentric emphasis as a purely internal phenomenon, towards a more contingent and comprehensive approach to its study as a humans-space/landscape interrelationship. Further, we aim to elucidate the ways in which ‘landscape’ is amenable to—and consequently may profit from—the employment of the concept and insights of ‘conscience’. The interconnections and interlinkages of the three broadly defined domains/spheres of human faculties/capacities (perception, emotion, behaviour) in formulating and linking together human interrelations to the surrounding world, emerge as inherently instrumental to conscience formation.