Allen Carlson (1943-2025)
Allen Arvid Carlson, professor emeritus of philosophy at the University of Alberta, has died.
Professor Carlson was known for his work in aesthetics, environmental philosophy, and the aesthetics of nature. You can learn more about his writings here and here.
He joined the Department of Philosophy at Alberta in 1969. He earned his PhD at the University of Michigan and his undergraduate degree at Macalester College.
The following memorial notice was provided by his University of Alberta colleagues.
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The Department of Philosophy at the University of Alberta was sorry to learn of the passing of our former colleague, and Professor Emeritus, Dr. Allen Arvid Carlson, on January 28th, 2025.
Born in Stephen, Minnesota, in 1943, Allen studied history and archeological studies at Macalester College in St. Paul, where he received his Bachelor of Arts, before beginning his graduate studies in philosophy at the University of Michigan. In 1969, Allen moved to Edmonton, Alberta, to join the University of Alberta’s Department of Philosophy. He soon became a leading light in the emerging field of Environmental Aesthetics through his development of his natural environmental model of nature appreciation. According to this approach, just as knowledge of art history and art criticism is needed to reveal the aesthetic qualities of works of art, natural scientific knowledge is needed to reveal the actual aesthetic qualities of natural environments. As well as numerous articles, he was the author of Aesthetics and the Environment: The Appreciation of Nature, Art and Architecture (Routledge, 2000), Nature and Landscape: An Introduction to Environmental Aesthetics (Columbia University, 2009), and Functional Beauty, with an alumnus of this department, Glenn Parsons (Oxford, 2008). He was the edited or co-editor of three further texts, Nature, Aesthetics, and Environmentalism: From Beauty to Duty, with Sheila Lintott (Columbia University, 2008), The Aesthetics of Human Environments, with Arnold Berleant (Broadview, 2007), and The Aesthetics of Natural Environments with Arnold. Berleant (Broadview, 2004). Allen retired in 2010 but remained active in the field.
Allen is survived by his wife, Arlene Kwasniak; two daughters, Eleanor and Ginger; and two grandchildren, Orrin and Ellis. A memorial will be held by the family at the Eden Brook Funeral Home & Cemetery in Calgary at 2:00 pm February 6, 2025, and a Celebration of Life later this year. To view and share photos, condolences, and memories of Allen, please visit this memorial site.
I was a colleague of Allen’s in 2001-2002, when I was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Alberta. He was most welcoming in a department that was quite unwelcoming and had deep rifts, due to turmoil that pre-dated my arrival by several years. Allen tended to keep to himself. But I enjoyed talking about aesthetics with him. I had previously studied at an art college, had worked in packaging and corporate design for a few years, and had taught aesthetics at UBC, in fall 1999 and fall 2000. Allen’s deepest interest was clearly in environmental ethics. I am grateful for him kindness and decency when I was at UofA.
I learned about “Appreciation and the Natural Environment” (1979) some years ago when I began teaching environmental philosophy. Not only did that become a perennial favorite of my students, it really changed how I move through natural and built environments alike. My hikes, walking my dog through the woods, mornings spent enjoying the sun coming up over the trees, fantasizing about where to plant new natives in the yard, it’s all different now, and I have Carlson’s essay to thank for that.
Allen Carlson was, back in the 80s in Edmonton, my teacher and my landlord. He was a lovely philosopher and man, always insightful, patient, and good-humored. He made swell martinis, too.