FORUM
Week 1: Discuss the differences between transcendental and existentiell phenomenology. With reference to Joan Ockman’s review on ‘Poetics of Space’, determine the branch of phenomenology advocated by Gaston Bachelard (pronounced as Bashhlar). You may want to refer to Wikipedia for more information on Husserl and Heidegger (100words).
Week 2: Discuss the terms ‘topoanalysis’ and ‘oneiric’. From the analogy of a shell, to cellar and garret, discuss spaces that have fascinated you as a child in your home (100words).
Week 3: What is the main difference between phenomenology and hermeneutics? Do we live in an age of absolute truths or personal truths (reference - http://www.kristisiegel.com/theory.htm#exist)
Week 4: Discuss Bachelard’s notion of image, in particular, the concepts of Materiality, Valorization and Playfulness. Compare these concepts with Christopher Alexander’s 15 geometric patterns of good design ( reference: http://www.arch.ksu.edu/seamon/Bachelard.htm)
Week 5: Discuss the following key disciplines in Western Philosophy and their relevance to you as a reflective designer (reference: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/phenomenology/#5). Determine the disciplines to which hermeneutics and heuristics belong.
Ontology is the study of beings or their being — what is to be.
Epistemology is the study of knowledge - how we know
Logic is the study of valid reasoning — how to reason.
Ethics is the study of right and wrong — how we should act.
Phenomenology is the study of our experience — how we experience
Week 6: In Being and Time, Heidegger distinguishes between ‘existentiell’ and ‘existential’. In your own practice as a designer, discuss the importance of experience in comparison to education. Conversely, what should an education in design equip the student for the industry?
Week 7: Compare the similarities and disimilarities between Heideggerian and Zen or other Eastern philosophies. Do you prefer quiet/meditative or cosy/dreamy respites (reference - http://transvaluation.wordpress.com/heiddeger-and-zen-an-exploration/)?
September 7, 2006 at 12:16 pm
Week 1
“For Husserl, the phenomenological reduction is the method of leading phenomenological vision from the natural attitude of the human being whose life is involved in the world of things and persons back to the transcendental life of consciousness and its noetic-noematic experiences, in which objects are constituted as correlates of consciousness. For us, phenomenological reduction means leading phenomenological vision back from the apprehension of a being, whatever may be the character of that apprehension, to the understanding of the being of this being (projecting upon the way it is unconcealed).” - Martin Heidegger.
Week 2
Here’s an interesting thread from another forum with students discussing their pains and joys of reading ‘Poetics of Space’(Chris’ comments is a must read).
http://www.gyford.com/phil/writing/2004/01/14/the_poetics_of_s.php
‘topoanalysis’: ‘the systematic psychological study of the sites of our intimate lives’
‘oneiric’ \oh-NY-rik\, adjective: Of, pertaining to, or suggestive of dreams; dreamy
Week 3
“Aristotle strikes a chord in his treatise On Interpretation that reverberates through the intervening ages and supplies the key note for many contemporary theories of interpretation. His overture is here:
Words spoken are symbols or signs (symbola) of affections or impressions (pathemata) of the soul (psyche); written words are the signs of words spoken. As writing, so also is speech not the same for all races of men. But the mental affections themselves, of which these words are primarily signs (semeia), are the same for the whole of mankind, as are also the objects (pragmata) of which those affections are representations or likenesses, images, copies (homoiomata). (Aristotle, On Interpretation, 1.16a4).
September 9, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Week 1
There were 3 approaches towards the term “phenomenology” dated from 1807, 1920 and 1927. However, it is towards the latter years which we could see 2 different methodology on prodigy. For Husserl, phenomenology is an advance which took the spontaneous understanding towards a certain starting point and then tries to wheedle out the most important elements of the experiences. These important elements which Husserl refers to are the experience that we come into contact with at that certain point of time. This experience is often referring to your own personal experience, and you will tend to extract the most memorable part of it from the entire journey, that leaves a deep mark in your memory. To Husserl, this is the act of awareness and the phenomenon that directed it. It is an intentional act in which comprises the act of hate, love, kindness and believing. However, on the controversy, the content of transcendental phenomenology, it refers to the act of been loved, hated, wanted and believed. It is in this world, which we or rather Husserl felt about the existence of the external world and its no-essential elements which would directly affect us. In spite of this, at the later stage, it was later defined that c would be the study of the fundamental configuration that is left in the pure consciousness and thus the relations between it. And this is “transcendental phenomenology”. As for Heidegger, the phenomenon advance towards the globe in a vision of the world of beings. And to Heidegger, “vision of the world of beings” the denial if Husserl’s “transcendental phenomenology” ego built up earlier by him. In which Husserl left the world to be contemplated with the understanding of has been transparent before been conscious. However, to Heidegger, been conscious has been around the world for decades. And the difference between “existential phenomenology” and “transcendental phenomenology” , it is the importance of understanding the natural or scientific attitudes or theories of the ontology nature aspect of this world.
Week 2
“Topoanalysis” means the study of the psychological aspect of our intimacy side of our life.
“Oeniric” means to dream or in a dreamy state of mind.
At a little corner of 3 roomed flat smacked right in the heart of Geylang. Entry into the apartment, you will negotiate a common space where the family would be sitting down for dinner or watching TV. As a child I would love to tuck right at the corner of my bedroom. This is where I curdle myself in the company of shadows. Over-shadow with my bed, wardrobe and of course soft-furnishing makes the entire corner cozy and protective from the “external harm” to the fact that the little boy was afraid of monsters creeping out of no where and grabbed him into the arm of darkness… It is from here I started dreaming of the would it be like if I’m someone who is famous and powerful. And this is where I would fall asleep, I would read, do my homework and even sometimes eat here. This is just like a social space for myself. And this is the place where I would retreat to whenever I’m sad…
September 11, 2006 at 3:04 pm
WEEK 1
Transcendentalism was rooted in the transcendental philosophy of Immanuel Kant (and of German Idealism more generally), which the New England intellectuals of the early nineteenth century embraced as an alternative to the Lockean “sensualism” of their fathers and of the Unitarian church, finding this alternative in Vedic thought, German idealism, and English Romanticis.he Transcendentalists desired to ground their religion and philosophy in transcendental principles: principles not based on, or falsifiable by, sensuous experience, but deriving from the inner, spiritual or mental essence of the human. Kant had called “all knowledge transcendental which is concerned not with objects but with our mode of knowing objects.
Another source for concept “transcendental” that I have ever heard is probably through religious term, which I have got in
my experience in Bible study, that christian as “transcendental” religion, provide eternal life through what christian said Lord’s salvation of human sins. Human can make their own salvation through what they have done, because human is limited, so they need an unlimited and supranatural p[ower to make the total and complete salvation. So they need “transcendental” power to make it perfect, the Lord is being done by Himself.
According to the poetics of space, the means of space itself doesn’t really come by the human itself. Through what Bachelard mention by the extraterrestrial experience to explore the space, he mentioned that the experience of space is not just an inert box. Chris’ comments in http://www.gyford.com/phil/writing/.. also mentions that the experience of space is not only in the physical mode, but it should leads further than that. The “transcendental” or supra-natural experience.
As what he said that Bachelard and other phenomenologists, cognition is multi-dimensional and ambiguous; Bachelard (like Heidegger before him) turns to the literary image as a mirror of subconscious, associative expression of the kind of subjectivity normally accessible only in dreams.
The other term, phenomenology based on human itself. Means that to look for particular case and object , it based on human thought. Because the term of phenomenology is the term that describe the human experience or how human looks at particulars events or object. The basic of it is human experience that form human cognitive thinking.
WEEK 2
Topoanalysis derives from the word topos and analysis. Topos means surface and analysis means the process that involving human cognitive thinking to find the problem solving. Topoanalysis can be descripted as a psychological approach of some object through understanding the basic surface of it.
Oneiric is the daydreaming, that provide unself-concious to become your inspiration to feel and to understand something. This is my ‘oneiric’ of poetics of space :
Remind me of my childhood space, which I spent the most in my grandma’s house, in Malang.Malang is a small town in east Java, which become the desirable place of Dutch people during the colonial period in Indonesia around the beginning of 20th century. The space is very poetic for me, because up to now I can still remeber how nice is the house. My grandma’s house is an old House, which still has colonial influence, build in early 20 century, and bought by my grandpa in 1954. The unique of the space is because it still has the “cellar” (underground space) or what usually I call “bunker”. The bunker is so dark, I even felt so afraid to go in. The house itself is two storey house, but it don’t has an attic. The livingroom is so big, and it felt that way, because the space is flowing from the semi-public space that we called guest room, living room and private living room. I always played in this spaces, running and dancing as a small girl. Because the weather cool and nice, the space is become so nice,too. It has unique huge colonial windows, even I always pretended to play theatre in that setting. The unique of the space is not only in the inside part, the exterior and landscape are also interseting. The garden is so huge, until I can run and catch the butterflies every morning. So nice …. probably I cannot find any memorable space in my life again,accept in my grandma’s house.The sunlight, shadows, the grass’ smells, the air, and the beauty of marching tree that formed the corridor is become my own childhood’s poetics of space.
September 16, 2006 at 4:07 pm
WEEK 3
Phenomenology, itself expound on a multifaceted relation of consciousness, perception, attention, self-awareness, purpose or intention in action and everyday bustle of our life. Phenomenology has thus leads itself from conscious experience into condition that would help to give experience its intention. Initially, phenomenology has focused itself on practical and shared circumstance of come into contact with activities.
However it is only recently that phenomenology has turned to focus itself on the substance of experience and on how mental representation or intentionality is grounded by individual’s brain activity. The study of phenomenon is based on the study of its methods and its main results. It focuses more on the substance of noesis and noemata. Phenomenologies address itself between intentional act of consciousness and object or content.
Phenomenology, in short or layman’s term is the study on the reflection on various types of experiences. This is simply extracted out from the first-person point of view. On the other hand, we do not really characterize or categorizes an experience at the point of time we faced or whilst performing it. To come into contact with or to describe observable fact, we required to attain a milieu of having lived from beginning to end type of encounter or happening. Or simply to say that, we can just look at the type of familiarity of experience that we had experienced before.
In phenomenology, what makes up of it is actually to experience conscious is a certain awareness of one’s experience while living through or performing it. Thus we should allow our own experience to spread out from conscious experience into semi-conscious and even unconsciousness activity with pertinent conditions which would directly invoked our experience.
Phenomenology, in my point of view, should or at least be able to recollect an intentional subject matter and then proceed to examine the complexity of consciousness and correlated phenomena.
Hermeneutics is the study and the development of theories of interpretation and the understanding of texts. Hermeneutics is based more the precise procedure or technique for interpretation or an unambiguous theory of construal. In hermeneutics, words are spoken symbols or signs of affections or impressions of the soul. In which it clearly define its boundaries between hermeneutics and phenomenology, by understanding the nature in relation to human, modes of communication and interpretations.
Prior to this, we are living in both personal and absolute truths. The reason has been that we are constantly seeking for unadulterated certainty. Another source that explains “absolute truth”:-
Absolute : There is no one Bst. Equivalent to the Hindu Parabrahman, the indescribable Ultimate. The nearest is Dharmakaya, a philosophic term. Psychologically this is the Alayavijnana of the Yogacara School. Ontologically Sunyata is the absolute Void, even void of voidness, of which a positive concept is Tathata, the Suchness or Thusness of things. For relationship see Suzuki, Essays in Zen Buddhism Third Series, p.295 – 8 (1939).
Extracted from A popular dictionary of Buddhism
by Christmas Humphreys, 1997
In fact, we ourselves are not even aware that we are in fact seeking absolute truths, as we are constantly hoping that by doing so, we would be in a state of calmness and seek inner peace. However, the percentile of personal and absolute truths is almost on the balance degree. This is because, in the course of searching for one truth we are inevitably searching for the latter, which ever comes first. And we are also constanly hunting down for the right truth in hope that it would lead us on the correct path and thus gain happiness and inner peace. On the other hand, seeking too much of the personal truth might cause more “internal harm” than good. This is because, we are always rummaging around for personal gains and comfort in consequence slipshod of what’s going on around us. As a consequence we should have or at least constantly remind ourselves to have a good balance on the scale.
WEEK 4
On Materialization, Bachelard’s approach towards it was that the quintessence of a particular entity should be scrutinized in depth. This is to be done via each individual’s experience and soul. This involves in the distinction between the experience of subjective responses and subjective coordinates. An example of it would be to come into contact with a space, which is not regulated by its substantial existence but rather in its visual forms of the space. Gaston’s characterization of Vulgarization is base on the personal feel towards warmth, intimacy and vibration of that particular space or experience and is not highlighting on the importance of hypothesis. Gaston’s image of playfulness has no testimony of account and no untailored elucidation is recorded.
As for Alexander, his scrutiny of possessions on architectural configurations, he employs the use of illustration, boundary and pattern. The roundness and similarity captures the physical presence of the articles. To him, the image that is constituted has its own set of rules and grammar. This set of language rules can be used to describe or produce the expression of the object by itself. Additionally, each image or illustrations would have their individual elucidation. This is due to the fact that each set of images would have their own set of grammar language and its foundation. This can thus be further break down to several and serial sphere of influences.
In point of view, designers and architects alike have drawn a connection between Gaston’s and Christopher’s philosophy along with design process. This connection between the 2 seems to be the physical form of design philosophy’s body and soul element of it. It is as if that without the existence of either ingredient, one could not have possibly live to tell the tale of grammar and ontology.
September 18, 2006 at 12:58 am
Week One
G.W.F. Hegel, Edmund Husserl and Martin Heidegger gave definations to the word “phenomenology” dated back to the early 1800s. For each of them, this word has a different meaning. For G.W.F. Hegel, phenomenology is an approach that begins with an exploration of phenomena with a conscious experience. For Edmund Husserl, phenomenology is an approach that requires the phenomenological reflexion state. For Martin Heidegger, phenomenology is an approach of the Being behind all beings and the terms “ontology” and “existential phenomenology” were introduced.
Individuals view “phenomenology” with a different prespective and to me, it all narrows down to experiencing the differences in a particular place… something “special”… the “x” factor, i believe!!!
“transcendental“ refers to 1. beyond our experience of phenomena, although not beyond potential experience 2. of or relating to those theories that explain knowledge with reference to the process of knowing
“existential” refers to 1. based on personal experience 2. of a formula or proposition asserting the existence of at least one object fulfilling a given condition
“transcendental” vs “existential”
One is refering to something which is existing and the other is not. In another words, being conscious and sub-conscious. Heidegger thinks of conscious being as always and already in the world. Transcendence is maintained in existential phenomenology to the extent that the method of phenomenology must start from another point.
Week Two
“topoanalysis” refers to picking an “object” and looking into this “object” in a psychological approach through observations and understandings of its elements and producing a solution
“oneiric” refers the sub-conscious state of our minds… hallucinating and day-dreaming kind of surreal environments and thoughts
being “oneiric” in my childhood space…
i was the youngest and in every parent’s eyes, youngest is always the youngest… i stay in an old apartment and by luck, i have my own room ever since i was a little girl… like any other typical little girl’s room, my room was painted in lilac and decorated in flowery thingys…
it was like a princess’s room…
the whole atmosphere seemed ever so surreal thinking back… as if it was an imaginery place… perhaps it was a place i missed and you know how children are capable of imagining “extra-ordinary” things… well, going back to my childhood space… i think, it was those flowery thingys hanging down from the ceiling which i paid particular attention to… different layers of shelters, having lots of cushions around me which builts up like nests that gives me the feeling of security and comfort… as far as i can recall, i have never left my bed empty… empty in a way where there is only one pillow and a blanket… i always have lots of pillows, cushions and a thick duvet to cuddle up to…
maybe i can further describe the term “different layers of shelters”… hmmmm… the feeling is almost like sleeping in a cave and when you get up, you go out into another “layer of space”… picture this… i had a little shelter above my bed with lots of UV light stars stucked on them… there are about half a meter away from me after i lay down… thats space no.: 1 then when i get up and off my bed, i stepped into another space… space no.: 2 which is my room with a much higher ceiling height… guess thats what i am trying to say…
Week Three
“Phenomenology” vs “Hermeneutics”
The term “phenomenology” offen refers to the ways on how we treat our individual’s experiences in a particular space or place. It can be said that every “phenomena” is unique as it is based on the our individual’s meaning of space. As for the term “hermeneutics”, it is a study and evaluation of theories based on text.
Therefore, the main difference between these two words, “phenomenology” and “hermeneutics” is that “phenomenology” is a physical experience of individual interactions and “hermeneutics” is a more technical shadow and concept of written documents.
So, back to the question, are we living in an age of absolute truths or personal truths?
i believe we all need a balance in our lifes… therefore, i feel that we are living in an age of both absolute and personal truths… why? simple… absolute truths can be defined as written truths… i see facts which have been written in books and informations being mounted on walls as absolute truths… people offen believes what they see and read rather then something which doesnt exist…
but…
on the other hand, we have our sub-conciousness in us… everyone does and that balanced up our lifes and that is our personal truths… sometimes, we chose to believe in what we have in our minds rather than what we see and read… perhaps, i should say that we chose to believe in what we know rather then people and facts telling us what we should know…
whether we are living in an age of absolute truths or personal truths is quite an subjective question i believe… which i have no answers to it at this moment…
September 18, 2006 at 11:49 am
WEEK 3
Hermeneutics is described as the development study of the interpretation and understanding of the text, which in contemporary usage hermeneutics often refers to study of the interpretation of Biblical text. It also commonly use in contemporary philosophy to denote the theories of the interpretation of the texts.
In the other side, Phenomenology is the study of structures of conciousness of experienced from the first person point of view. The main structure of an experience is its intentionality, and its an experience of or about some object. The phenomenology itself is commonly understood in either of two ways : as disciplinary field of philosophy or as a movement in the history of philosophy. Litterally, the nphenomenology is the study of “phenomen” of appearances of things, or things as they appear in daily experiences, or the way we experience things, thus the meanings things have in our experience.
I think according to the opinion, nowadays many people live in personal thruth. Because every person feels that everyone is right. Everyone is based on their own understanding, and based on the “phenomenological” thinking.I think people have been educated to have that kind of thinking…. ( do you agree ? ) And they can and have the proof of that things are right.
We cannot see which is the absolute thruth in this world, probably only the ALMIGHTY is the absolute thruth of all things. For people who being agnostic, probably still didn’t have the answer yet… wait until the time come…
WEEK 4
Materialization :
Bachelard :Things are not only be seen as cartesian image. The essence of things should be found in the depht of the experience and soul of the things itself. For example the experience of space, is notlimited in physical essence that make the visual of the space very beautiful , but more about the “multiplying its variation”
Alexander : To analyse the things, the architectural patterns,he uses the visual image, the boundary and pattern, the roundness and similarity and capture the essence of physicall condition of the objects.
Volarisation :
Bachelard : The image is not only in terms of theoritical based, its has feelings, warmth, intimacy, and vibration.
Alexander : The image has its structured, has the rules and grammar of being applied and explain. The feelings of objects and image came from the rules and grammars, which can be describe to produce the expression of the object itself.
Playfullness :
Bachelard : The image has no history, no casual explanation required.
Alexander : The trace of the image is have explanation, because every image and things have the root, and it can be break down into several and serial domains.
Conclusion : Designers and Architects have to be connected both Bachelard’s and Alexander’s way thinking along the design process itself. Both can be combine as body( Alexander’s ) and soul ( Bachelard’s ).
September 18, 2006 at 2:36 pm
Week 1
The term phenomenology was has been described in several ways by namely Edmund Husserl (1859-1938), Georg Hegel (1770–1831) and Martin Heidegger (1889-1976).
For Hegel, phenomenology is an approach that begins with an exploration of phenomena as a means to finally grasp the logical, spirit that is behind phenomena.
Edmund Husserl who is also known as the “father” of Phenomenology redefined phenomenology at first as a kind of descriptive psychology and later as studies the nature and scope of knowledge to study essences.
For Edmund Husserl, phenomenology is it the necessary aspect of experiences and the essence of what we experience which is know as a “transcendental phenomenology”.
For Martin Heidegger, the vision of a world of beings behind all existing elements, that is, as an introduction to ontology (is the study of being or existence).This has been called an “existential phenomenology”.
The controversy of opinion between Husserl and Heidegger influenced the development of existential phenomenology France; Heidegger criticized Husserl’s theory of phenomenology as he attempted to develop a study of existence that led him to his original theory of the abstract human being.
Week 2
Topoanalysis means the process of the thinking and understanding the objects affecting our physiology.
Oeniric means a state of mind in which you drift along with your thoughts or in a dreamy state of mind (your own world).
My house was 2 stored bungalow with a courtyard behind with good landscape around. As a child I was very fascinated with staircase and the space below the landing. I used to eat play sleep in and around that area.
The light filtered from the gap between the tread and a riser was a experience, specially when the marble floor used to be very cold.
All of my treasured belongings were kept in a tent like structure below the staircase.
I had a feeling of MY Space in there.
The laid marble stone was like my drawing board, with the freedom to do any thing I wished.
Week 3
Hermeneutics - The Greek word has the basic meaning of one who makes the
Hermeneutics can be described as the study of concepts expressed in theories and text. A hermeneutics is also defined as a method or theory of interpretation.
It explains concepts which are documented in text. In the contemporary philosophy it is broadly used to portray the study of theories and methods of the interpretation of all texts.
Phenomenology is study of our experiences with about certain things in consciously or unconsciously from an individual’s perspective.
As Husserl has mentioned, Art is not a means of securing pleasure, but a revelation of being.
As all of us have individual understanding and reaction about situations and places, one has its own opinion.
Truth is considered to be universal if it is valid in all times and places.
If I feel that the experiernce is a fact (truth) from my point of view, but might not be in in other persons perspeactive i.e. Personal truth is a personalised interpretation and cannot be challenged.
Absolute truth is open to the world published,accepted and believed. Hence we live in age of both absolute and personal truth.
October 3, 2006 at 3:17 pm
WEEK 5
Wow… its feels me like I am studying philosophy and theology in seminary…
Keywords :
Ontology is the study of beings or their being — what is to be.
Epistemology is the study of knowledge - how we know
Logic is the study of valid reasoning — how to reason.
Ethics is the study of right and wrong — how we should act.
Phenomenology is the study of our experience — how we experience
Western philosophy helps me to firm my reflective thinking process, which means that knowing what ontology , logic,epistemology, and phenomenology are as parts of our creative thinking process that brought our design into higher level; Ontology will help me describe how we should make the design to be products, epistemology will help us to know about people needs and people desire of better life, logic means to bring explanation and stuctural thinking process, ethics will provide the way of how design can effect and affected human behaviours, and phenomenology help us to understand, to appreciate, and to experience the space and design itself.
In the other side, as a designer, we should be capable to transfer what ever we see, we know and we experienced before into our metacognitive level of thinking, basic on the 5 points above. matacognitive level will bring us to the higher level of design experience, which not oonly touching the design only to the surface, but deep down into its messege and its meaning.
October 4, 2006 at 7:29 am
WEEK 5
As designers in this 21st century epoch, we are incessantly in contact in the company of Ontology, Epistemology, Logic, along with Phenomenology. These 4 aspects dole out as our foremost foundation towards artistic manifestation. It too serves as a platform to convey our design metaphors into a next pinnacle. Ontology in design enables us to illustrate our ideas into practical and functional designs that are advantageous to its civilizations and its population. This is an imperative gauge that would conclude if a specific intention is brought across the board effectively.
Epistemology translates into design entails the knowledge that is required for a specific product to be created, that requires the understanding of various aspects. These aspects are the understanding of what the civilization, its people and the environment requires. Thus with such understanding, we are able to convert logical investigation into authenticity. In addition to this, we are able explain our commonsensical thoughts and further strengthen our structural thinking process. By doing so, we could let the civilization better comprehend what is happening around them, thus heighten their level of consciousness.
Moral principles, values and codes of conduct are the principal steering conditions to all design practitioners. These bounding principals serve as a moral conscious and checks that make sure we are doing the right thing. By observing these ethical values, we could reduce the level of immoral acts that could bring harm to the civilizations.
By observing the above criteria, designers should also process the aptitude of consciousness. This skill of understand the phenomenological aspect would allow us to understand the experience in a particular surroundings. This is because, for example, if a particular action or activities happen almost everyday in a specific setting, or something that don’t happen all the time, we tend to miss these minute features out. As a consequence, of such cause and actions, we tend to be negligent about what is happening around us. Henceforth, we should be able to understand, be conscious of the valuable encounter whenever we are in a new environment. This is vital, as it would facilitate design practitioners to generate design metaphors to those explicit proposals, and consequently, achieve good design products.
Last but not least, I believe as design practitioners, not only we must fabricate first-class and efficient design. We should in summary be able to decode our experience, metaphor, philosophy and channel it across the board and make it comprehensible to the mass. By means of it, we would be able to explore design into a deeper profundity and not just by skimming on the surface of it. This is very crucial towards the development of all design practitioners across the line.
October 10, 2006 at 10:40 am
WEEK 6 :
I think the word EXPERIENCE has a lot of meaning for design practice or professional. The experience doesn’t only means a lot of practice and a lot of work, but the most important thing is how do we look at other people minds, other people processes, and other people actions. The other word, EDUCATION or in term of DESIGN EDUCATION has been make critical support to the design experience itself. The design education will make a strong support of firming the critical thinking of the designer itself.
Talking about design, it is not about the “idea and build”. Design should came up with observation, theory, analythical and synthethical process, in order to produce ORIGINALITY of work.
This two things are very crucial according to the development of all design practitioner around the world.
So,when thinking about equiping the student for the industry, I think that there some programs that probably can be applied in school such as :
- Collaboration work between student and insutrial needs as learning process.
- Joining the design competition.
- Learning based on Industrial needs.
Off course, before they go directly to the industry, some critical trainings has to be set as the backup foundation for their prior learning.
November 9, 2006 at 2:08 pm
WEEK 7 :
What is being understand by the Haeidegger’s phenomenology is the relativity of exixtance or presence. He said that everything that being seen is relative, is virtual. according to what has been mentioned by Umehara, the word throwing which is Umehara’s word, and it seem similar to the Heidegger’s idea of “throwness” in Being and Time. The idea is very similar, with the difference lying in that for Dogen, this was a way to eternity. For Heidegger it is simply the necessary condition of one’s life that must be taken up and embraced in order for us to have a grasp on our existence.
As what is being mentioned by the 4 basic fundaments of Buddhism :
1. The truth that suffering exists.
2. The truth that suffering has a cause.
3. The truth that the cause can be removed.
4. The truth that there are eight practices by which the cause of suffering can be removed.
which is similar to the “dualism” ot the word being and nothingness in western/ Heiddeger’s concept.
And the difference between the East and west tradition is basically through this sentence :
” …As what is being said that :”…It is in this way that it can be seen that there is a fundamental difference within the ontological framework between East and West, a chasm that Heidegger wanted to transcend. This is the gap that Steffney argues Heidegger was unable to reconcile. ”
Answering the question for myself, I prefer that both of them to be walking together. Sometimes we need to be more mediative in work, thinking and making dialog with ourselves. But in the other time, I prefer to dreaming about something, to gain inspiration and to move forward. So this is the keyword for myself : BALANCE.