Aesthetics and Design

Reviews / Votes

This informative and probing study serves as both a sure-footed guide to the philosophy of design and an original contribution to its debates not least through the focus given to the role of design-artefact or environment-in everyday life and in human flourishing. Illuminating and pleasantly readable. * Peter Lamarque, Professor of Philosophy, University of York, UK * This book is poised to become a mainstay in the emerging and much needed field of the philosophy of design. As such it will serve both scholars and practitioners alike. * Pradeep A. Dhillon, Emerita Associate Professor, Education Policy, Organization and Leadership, University of Illinois, USA * Petts reviews design activities and products seriously by examining their fundamentals through philosophical thoughts, and sees how some designers have applied ethical and ecological concerns in their exemplary work. His book is superb and inspiring in addressing how apology statements made by contemporary designers can be conceived for our better living. * Eva Kit Wah Man, Chair Professor of Humanities, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong * Through critically analyzing a rich array of examples, Petts argues that design is fundamentally an aesthetic matter informed by people's experience of living with objects and environments, rather than simply fulfilling basic needs and functionality. The book establishes a new direction of exploration for both aesthetics and design studies. * Yuriko Saito, Professor Emerita of Philosophy, Rhode Island School of Design, USA *