Calling spiritually prosperous and self-knowing designers everywhere!
Because Love, Life, Goethe: How to be Happy in an Imperfect World is one of the most marvellous books I have ever read, I was excited to learn that John Armstong, the philosopher, was yesterday’s RSA Thursday speaker. He spoke about a new book , The Promise of Civilisation; about how money and power might be used well, about the power of spiritual prosperity to guide material activity, and about how that spiritual prosperity consists above all in self-knowledge and authenticity.
As always, I mentally wrestled throughout with the design angle on all of this. Actually his example of high civilisation was a masterpiece of urban design in Edinburgh’s New Town, and he refers readily to “objects” that speak to him of civilisation, so it’s not much of a stretch.
So what are the habits of a civilised designer? In what respect is he or she spiritually prosperous and self-knowing? The ones I can think of really know, but do not vulgarly over-estimate, the full stretch of what design can do, and find ways to express how design relates to the world around us. Next question: who was the more civilised: Victor Papanek or George Nelson?
Comments
RSA Bookshop
The RSA Bookshop, in partnership with Blackwell's the UK's leading academic bookseller, offers Fellows and friends an opportunity to purchase books and to explore our speakers’ ideas in greater detail. Visit the RSA Bookshop.
Current RSA Events- RSA at the Birmingham Book Festival - State of Emergency October 20, 2010
- RSA at the Birmingham Book Festival - Reporting Live From The End of the World October 15, 2010
- RSA at the Birmingham Book Festival - Dispatches from the Dark Side -The Death Of Justice October 8, 2010
- RSA at the Birmingham Book Festival - Whoops! Why Everyone Owes Everyone and No-One Can Pay October 7, 2010
- RSA at the Birmingham Book Festival - The Wavewatcher's Companion October 5, 2010