Philosophy of Design

Glenn Parsons is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Ryerson University

• AcknowledgementsIntroduction1 What is Design?1.1 Defining ‘Design’1.2 Ontological Issues1.3 Activity, Profession and Practice1.4 The Rise of the Designer2 The Design Process2.1 The Challenges of Design2.2 A Crisis of Confidence2.3 The Epistemological Problem2.4 Are Design Problems Ill-Defined?2.5 Some Responses2.6 Prestructures and Principles3 Modernism3.1 The Origins of Modernism3.2 Reinterpretations and Linkages3.3 The Failure of Modernism4 Expression4.1 The Meanings of Design4.2 Expression and Eros4.3 The Better Realization Argument4.4 Illusion and Reality4.5 An Objection5 The Concept of Function5.1 The Indeterminacy of Function5.2 Intentionalist Theories of Artefact Function5.3 Evolutionary Theories of Artefact Function5.4 Objections to the Evolutionary Theory5.5 Novelty, Design and the Epistemolocial Problem6 Function, Form and Aesthetics6.1 Can Form Follow Function?6.2 Squaring Function and Aesthetic Value6.3 Dependent Beauty6.4 Functional Beauty6.5 Good Taste in Design6.6 Bad Taste7 Ethics7.1 Applied Ethics and Design7.2 Consumerism, Needs and Wants7.3 Is Need an Empty Concept?7.4 Does Design Alter the Moral Landscape?7.5 The Designer Stands Alone?Epilogue: The Meaning of ModernismSuggestions for Further ReadingNotesReferences

"With The Philosophy of Design, Glenn Parsons constructs an elegant bridge between two major islands in the archipelago of human thought: philosophy and design. Bringing existing work �together into a systematic treatment�, Parsons cogently presents the philosophy of design as a load-bearing structure. Through original philosophical explorations of design, including a bold rethinking of design history, he also demonstrates its capacity for carrying traffic."Per Galle, The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, School of Design"This very readable and illuminating book is a must-have for designers and the students of design."Oxford Journal