Chapter 1: The Aesthetic Sensibilities of Bears

Have you ever encountered astonishing images of bears pausing to appreciate natural landscapes, such as breathtaking vistas or sunsets? These moments remind me of hikers and photographers who exert considerable effort to find the perfect spot for contemplation. The similarities in our behaviors reveal profound insights into our aesthetics, autonomy, and identities, which could be transformative.

Bears engage in complex social relationships. They have preferences for companionship, can form friendships, and participate in playful interactions. These animals exhibit intricate social dynamics within their communities, where older bears mentor younger ones in various skills. They also engage in kinship relations and share resources and defense roles. Notably, bears spend long durations gazing at their reflections in water, and cubs are known to grieve for their deceased mothers for extended periods.

Before delving deeper, let’s share some captivating anecdotes about bears. In Kamchatka, located in the Russian Far East, a Canadian couple—artist Maureen Enns and rancher Charlie Russell—began a remarkable venture in the mid-1990s. Living in a cabin encircled by an electric fence due to the local grizzly bear population, they embarked on a mission to document the lives of these animals like never before. Their extraordinary bravery led to unprecedented success.

As part of their journey, Enns and Russell adopted three orphaned wild brown bear cubs. They chronicled their experiences in a series of books, which I won't detail here, but it's worth noting that these cubs guided them to various old bear nesting sites, unveiling fascinating patterns.

“Within a week of our arrival at Kambalnoe with the cubs, I discovered them curled up in an old bear’s nest and observed them sitting up and peacefully looking out across the lake. The cubs and I discovered many more hollows in the ground, with ever increasingly spectacular vistas,” Enns reflected.

Maureen later returned to these sites to paint from the bears' perspectives, creating impressionist artworks that she believed accurately captured the bears’ views. When exhibited years later, the audience predominantly questioned the appropriateness of using impressionism, which indicated that they had implicitly recognized the bears’ capacity to make aesthetic evaluations akin to our own—this was the core insight of her expedition.

What does this imply? This narrative isn't merely about intelligence. It's not surprising to suggest that bears possess a form of non-human intelligence. Instead, it reveals that our aesthetic preferences are not exclusively human. Throughout history, humans have pondered the essence of beauty, even establishing an entire philosophical branch around it. This inquiry often assumes that our aesthetic preferences stem from a unique human identity. While architecture may provide a fairer context for this idea, it appears that both humans and bears share a similar appreciation for beauty in nature.

This observation doesn't propose a definitive thesis, but it aligns with evidence of analogous behaviors in other intelligent species—like crows, who seek out shiny objects valued by humans. This suggests a shared understanding in nature regarding the appreciation of its most striking, unique, and pure forms. Our ability to perceive beauty isn't strictly predetermined by our birth; rather, it evolves throughout our lives.

Nature doesn’t simply dictate our tastes; it inspires them. A shared sensibility might reside within us, bears, crows, and other beings, compelling us to pursue the most stunning aspects of our environment. The ongoing discovery of beauty shapes our preferences, which, due to their commonality, likely contributes positively to our well-being. Perhaps this means bears experience a similar boost in mindfulness that humans do when exploring and resting at scenic viewpoints. While the specifics may be uncertain, it's evident that our tastes are not random; though they can’t be labeled as entirely independent, they transcend our individual identities.

Section 1.1: The Bears' Artistic Perspective

Chapter 2: The Intersection of Aesthetics and Cognition

In this chapter, we explore the cognitive parallels between humans and bears regarding aesthetic appreciation.

This video titled "Irish People Try American Triscuits For The First Time" humorously highlights the cultural differences in taste and perception, paralleling how different beings appreciate their environments uniquely.