Glenn Parsons

Philosophy of Design

The Philosophy of Design is an introduction to the fundamental philosophical issues raised by the contemporary practice of design. The first book to systematically examine design from the perspective of contemporary philosophy, it offers a broad perspective, ranging across key philosophical areas such as aesthetics, epistemology, metaphysics and ethics. The first part of the book explores central issues about the nature of design and its products, and the rationality of design methods. A central theme is that Modernist ideas, such as those offered by Loos and Gropius, provide important responses to these philosophical issues. In the second part of the book, these Modernist ideas serve as touchstones in the exploration of key issues for design, including: the place of aesthetics in design; design's relation to personal expression; the meaning of function; and design's relation to consumerism. The social responsibility of designers, and the impact of design practice on ethical reasoning are also discussed. Written in an accessible style, The Philosophy of Design presents a new perspective on design and a provocative reassessment of the Modernist legacy. It will engage students and designers with current philosophical debates, helping them to bring into clearer focus the meaning of contemporary design, and its unique challenges and possibilities.

The Philosophy of Design

Allen Carlson

Functional Beauty is an in-depth philosophical study of the relationship between function and aesthetic value. Breaking with the philosophical tradition of separating aesthetic value from functionality and drawing on recent research on the nature of function in the philosophy of science, Glenn Parsons and Allen Carlson explore the ways in which aesthetic value can depend upon function. In so doing, they provide a theory of the aesthetics of functionalobjects, including furniture, tools, and machines. They also shed new light on the aesthetics of the natural environment, architecture, and art.

Glenn Parsons

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