The Capacity to Wonder as a Heuristic Virtue in Environmental Ethics

The concept of wonder has gained prominence in environmental ethics as an experience that predisposes us to act ethically towards the natural world. This paper contends that the cultivated capacity to wonder, especially at non-natural beings, is a virtue central to acting ethically in relation to the environment. The paper argues wonder is not merely affective but also epistemic, or heuristic, insofar as in wonder, encounters with non-natural beings can act upon us such that our paradigms are transformed. The paper focuses on two interrelated kinds of wonder, questioning-wonder and awe-wonder, as demonstrating these epistemic features. The paper also contends wonder provides a bridge between subjective experience and objective value and informs what is meant by intrinsic value. Lastly, the paper takes up the role of horror-wonder in virtuous life.