In modern age everythings are advanced than before. On the other hand, it gives a lof of troubles (pollutions, extreme temperature changes, poisoning, etc) to the human . The society keeps on moving. Everyday, we produced a lot of wastes (chemicals,industrial wastes, etc) . what is the purpose of this? A lot of philosophers had told us in thousand years ago, we can't just moving without any concern with the nature. we should learn how to live with the nature.
For Capitalism, it encouraged people for consumption (manufacturing and consuming). Otherwise, the enterprises can't keep on moving and expand. What is the purpose of this? Is there any meaning to the human? For Buddhism, all sort of things are empty and without any meaning except the nature and the universe. For people they can let things or wealth go and they can get the most valuable in the world. It's "PEACE AND HEALTH".
Best,
Chinese Symbol Lab Founder & Creative Director
Benjamin Ma
Ethics, Spirituality and Design
Dear Benjamin, thank you for directing the discussion on Design a little bit further into topics that also touch spirituality.
The question in design research regarding that topic could be if spiritual concepts influence the relationship of designers and users to things and if there is any style criteria for certain spiritual concepts.
There is, that is sure, a wide range of semantic relations to spiritual concepts in design.
Nonetheless I have statements from interviews with people:
- Dutch Design (especially in the north of the Netherlands) is very much influenced by calvinistic ideas of reduction and clarity. (As told by Rob Vermeulen, Vermeulen Brand Identity)
- In Education: The fact of critizism is treated differently in different cultures and their spiritual framework
And when you ask for the purpose of all the mankinds direction, one concept is, that it is a stage of evolution that will lead to another stage of evolution. Regarding the crisis and fear in the society right now, it is also a sign of rising awareness, esp. towards spiritual questions.
ETHICS, SPIRITUALITY AND DESIGN
Dear Jules,
It's nice to recognized U and get U feed back. U had raised very good examples. Nowadays, a lot of designers only focus on the techniques,concept and new ideas. It's important but it's not an end. For creation,it consists of two elements "CONTENT AND FORM". It's a topic that a lot of philosophers had been
debated about for thousands years.
For me, I focused on content and form first. They were equally important to the beginners. They were the ingredients of the beginners. As I grew more mature, I would spend more time on content and I read a lot of books (philosophy, arts, music,design,architecture, fashion, literature, criticism, film,etc.) All these are related and their philosophy almost the same at the end. They focus on "SPIRITUALITY.
At my later stage, I really admired Bauhaus,De Stiyl,Art movements. They gave me design inspiration and spirituality. Right here, I give my respect and appreciation to all of them.
Best,
Benjamin Ma
Chinese Symbol Lab Founder & Artistic Director
Emptiness
Benjamin
Have look at the Cumulus Kyoto 2008 conference:
"The concept of [cu:] “Emptiness” will be examined from three separate points of view"
http://www.kyoto-seika.ac.jp/cumulus/e_programs/session.html
... and particualrly the paper by:
Cipriani, G. (2008). The Wrong Form of Emptiness in Global Design. Cumulus Kyoto 2008 Conference [cu:] “Emptiness”. Retrieved April 11, 2008, from, http://www.kyoto-seika.ac.jp/cumulus/e_programs/oralpresenters.html#os1
Heidegger's concept of 'unconcealing' the 'truth' can be linked to listening to this 'emptiness' that is in fact everything in possibility.
Johann