Research Thursdays - Philippe d鈥橝njou鈥檚 New Book Scrutinizes Design Through a Philosophical Lens

Thursday, Dec 03, 2020
Philippe d鈥橝njou, Professor, School of Architecture

Philippe d鈥橝njou, Professor in the School of Architecture, has just published a new book titled Ethical Design Intelligence: the Virtuous Designer which explores the deep significance of philosophy and ethics to the practice of design. It offers designers from disciplines such as architecture, urban design, planning, landscape, interior and industrial design an alternative ethical framework in which to expand the thinking about their practice.听

Arguing that design today is primarily an agency driven by the momentum of globalization, embedded in economy, materialism and utility, the book reconceptualizes the notion of virtue in design practice.听Across chapters covering topics such as virtuous character, creative agency and unsustainable practices, the book scrutinizes design through a philosophical lens.听

d鈥橝njou dissects articulations from different philosophical thinkers from antiquity to contemporary time to reveal that ethics is fundamental to everything affected by design. Countering well-established modes of postmodern relativism in design, which has led to 鈥渄efuturing鈥 and 鈥渦nsustainability,鈥 ethical realism is presented as an alternative solution. This book is written for designers, educators, researchers, and students.听

For more information or to purchase the book, visit:听

d鈥橝njou has been at FAU since 2004. He teaches design, theory, philosophy and ethics and his research explores design and design ethics from an existential perspective. d鈥橝njou鈥檚 work appears in scholarly journals and edited collections, which recently include The Design Philosophy Reader (2018) and L鈥橦erne Onfray (2019); it has been translated and published in Chinese, French, and Spanish. d鈥橝njou is also the author of Design Ethics beyond Duty and Virtue (2017).

(Printable Version)