Totally disagree Moss .Greater understanding is more likely to lead to greater appreciation .What was previously considered mundane or dismissed , from members of our own species to all other species , from large monuments to the piece of bone in a cist ,to the dirt around the cist , all now more generally given a respect unthinkable even a few decades ago .
The source of our aesthetic appreciation/joy of phenomena , e.g. stars or ancient monuments or collectively is due to their presence but the quality of the experience is due to our filtering of the experience . Others may be offended by the monument , seeing it as an example of pagan beliefs or an obstacle to provision of much needed food or homes . Our contemporary understanding (huge distances , possible other inhabited worlds , not believing they influence our lives etc ) of the stars would underpin a different experience from someone who would have perceived them as having an impact on their lives . Seeing a comet over Stonehenge would not be a delight if you thought it would bring bad luck .
