Trauma and Tradition in Architecture

Bill Thompson

Trauma and Tradition in Architecture

Bill Thompson

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We begin by considering the concept of reality as that which joins all creatures great and small and yet separates them in time and space. We have learnt to become linked in space by ideas and models that are more or less perfect and linked in time by the joined up writing that brings with it the inherent dangers of being both true and false. Unfortunately, we have not yet learnt enough about ourselves to understand apperception, as participation in more than reality keeps us alive so that we unwisely extend our understanding of apperception to keep alive the traditions built upon lies and partial truths, so that from time to time the lies become exposed and a traumatic change occurs to end or reshape a tradition. In a secular world, these traditions alter the appearance of rules and regulations that convert the mundane world into specific social domain of the identity to which the unambiguous and the unequivocal can belong. A global society allows the same transformations of the mundane to be played with a very much richer palette than any single tradition clinging on to one identity of some kind or another, however ancient, popular, and exclusive; the reality of space is that of a mundane existence and sharing is not part of tradition. This paper describes how the architectural project is probably the most spectacular example of the changes we need to make by thinking about tradition as a global desire for the development of comfort and the removal of suffering rather than as some misguided specification of ancient origins or popular opinion that forces us to convert the mundane into spectacular, instead of allowing ourselves, the very special creatures, to live mundane lives free of pain and discomfort.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	48-62
Journal	The IUP Journal of Architecture
Volume	1
Issue number	1
Publication status	Published (in print/issue) - Aug 2009

Bibliographical note

Reference text: Althusser, L. (2000). Machiavelli and Us. London + New York: Verso.
Arendt, H. (1969). The Human Condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Baird, G. (2003). The Space of Appearance. Cambridge Massachusetts and London: MIT Press.
Barrs, B. J. (1990). A Cognitive Theory of Consciousness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bickerton, D. (1996). Language and Human Behaviour. University College Press.
Castells, M. (1997). The Power of Identity. Oxford: Blackwell.
Chomsky, N. (1957). Syntactic Structures. The Hague: Mouton.
Churchland, P. M. (1995). The Engine of Reason the Seat of the Soul. Massachusetts: MIT.
Day, C. (1990). Building With Heart. Green Books.
Flach, J. M., & Holden, J. G. (1998). The Reality of Experience: Gibson’s Way. Presence , 7 (1), 90-95.
Fodor, J. (2000). The Mind Doesn’t Work That Way. Massachusetts: MIT Press.
Forster, E. (2000). Kant’s Final Synthesis. Cambridge Massachusetts London England: Harvard University Press.
Forty, A. (1986). Objects of Desire. London: Thames and Hudson.
Freud, L. (1966). The Psychopathology of Everyday Life. London: Benn.
Fuller, S. (2002). Social Epistemology. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press.
Fuller, S. (2000). Thomas Kuhn. University of Chicago Press.
Gibson, J. J. (1974). Perception of the Visual World. Greenwood Press.
Hart, A. R., & Moore, G. T. (1973). The Development of Spatial Cognition. In D. a. Stea, Image and Environment. Chicago: Aldine.
Heft, H. (2001). Ecological Psychology in Context. London: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Hodge, J. (2007). Derrida on Time. London and New York: Routledge.
Howard, R. (1982). Three Faces of Hermeneutics. Berkeley Los Angeles and London: University of California Press.
Kitchen, R., & Freundschuh, S. (Eds.). (2000). Cognitive Mapping. Routledge.
Laing, R. D. (1975). The Divided Self. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books.
Lakoff, G. (2002). Moral Politics. Chicago and London: Uni of Chicago Press.
Lakoff, G. (1990). Women Fire and Dangerous Things. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press.
Lawson, B. (2001). The Language of Space. Architectural Press.
Lefort, C. (2006). Complications. New York: Columbia University Press.
Marmor, G. S., & Zaback, L. A. (1978). Mental Rotation by the Blind: Does Mental Rotation Depend on Visual Imagery? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance , 2 (4), 515-521.
Maturana, H. R., & Varela, F. J. (1998). The Tree of Knowledge. Boston + London: Shambhula.
Mitchell, B. (1990). The Logic of Architecture. MIT.
Norberg-Shultz, C. (1980). Genius Loci. London: Academy Editions.
Plotkin, H. (1999). Some psychological mechanisms of culture. In P. Van Loocke, The Nature of Concepts. London + New York: Routledge.
Rapoport, A. (2005). Culture Architecture and Design. Chicago: Locke Science Publishing Co.
Reason, J. (1992). Human Error. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Rorty, R. (1980). Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. Oxford: Blackwell.
Rossi, P. (1978). Francis Bacon. Chicago; London: University of Chicago.
Ryle, G. (1990). The Concept of Mind, ,. Penguin.
Saussure, F. (1983). Course in General Linguistics. Duckworth.
Schneider, W. X. (1996). Neural Networks and Visual Information Processing. In Handbook of Perception and Action Vol.1 (pp. 103-141). Academic Press.
Scruton, R. (1995). A Short History of Modern Philosophy. Routledge.
Searle, J. (1995). The Construction of Social Reality. Allen Lane.
Stirner, M. (1963). The Ego and His Own. New York: Libertarian Book Club.
Thompson, B. (2005). Culture and Architecture. In O. Romice, & E. Edgerton, Housing, Space and Quality of Life. Ashgate.
Thompson, B. (2007). Hermeneutics for Architects? The Journal of Architecture , 12 (2), 183-191.
Thompson, B. Zeit, Geist and Sein. In E. Edgerton, & O. Romice, Environmental Psychology Putting Research Into Practice (pp. 139-148). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
Thompson, W. J. (2003). Architectural Hermeneutics V: Harry and the Philosopher’s Stone. Environment and Behaviour , 35 (4), 478-485.
Winnecott, D. W. (1988). Human Nature. Free Association Books.
Zahavi, D. (2001). Husserl and Transcendental Intersubjectivity. Athens: Ohio University Press.
Zahavi, D. (2005). Subjectivity and Selfhood. Cambridge Massachusetts and London England.

Keywords

Architecture Journal Architecture
Hermeneutics
Humanity
Identity
Society
Traumatic Change
Biochemical Reality
Deterministic Physics
Transcendental Symbolism
Metaphysical Musings
Philosophical Phenomenology
Homogenous Relationship
Global Society
Biochemical Action.

Access to Document

http://www.iupindia.org/809/IJARCH_Trauma_Tradition_48.html

Cite this

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title = "Trauma and Tradition in Architecture",

abstract = "We begin by considering the concept of reality as that which joins all creatures great and small and yet separates them in time and space. We have learnt to become linked in space by ideas and models that are more or less perfect and linked in time by the joined up writing that brings with it the inherent dangers of being both true and false. Unfortunately, we have not yet learnt enough about ourselves to understand apperception, as participation in more than reality keeps us alive so that we unwisely extend our understanding of apperception to keep alive the traditions built upon lies and partial truths, so that from time to time the lies become exposed and a traumatic change occurs to end or reshape a tradition. In a secular world, these traditions alter the appearance of rules and regulations that convert the mundane world into specific social domain of the identity to which the unambiguous and the unequivocal can belong. A global society allows the same transformations of the mundane to be played with a very much richer palette than any single tradition clinging on to one identity of some kind or another, however ancient, popular, and exclusive; the reality of space is that of a mundane existence and sharing is not part of tradition. This paper describes how the architectural project is probably the most spectacular example of the changes we need to make by thinking about tradition as a global desire for the development of comfort and the removal of suffering rather than as some misguided specification of ancient origins or popular opinion that forces us to convert the mundane into spectacular, instead of allowing ourselves, the very special creatures, to live mundane lives free of pain and discomfort.",

keywords = "Architecture Journal Architecture, Hermeneutics, Humanity, Identity, Society, Traumatic Change, Biochemical Reality, Deterministic Physics, Transcendental Symbolism, Metaphysical Musings, Philosophical Phenomenology, Homogenous Relationship, Global Society, Biochemical Action.",

author = "Bill Thompson",

note = "Reference text: Althusser, L. (2000). Machiavelli and Us. London + New York: Verso. Arendt, H. (1969). The Human Condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Baird, G. (2003). The Space of Appearance. Cambridge Massachusetts and London: MIT Press. Barrs, B. J. (1990). A Cognitive Theory of Consciousness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bickerton, D. (1996). Language and Human Behaviour. University College Press. Castells, M. (1997). The Power of Identity. Oxford: Blackwell. Chomsky, N. (1957). Syntactic Structures. The Hague: Mouton. Churchland, P. M. (1995). The Engine of Reason the Seat of the Soul. Massachusetts: MIT. Day, C. (1990). Building With Heart. Green Books. Flach, J. M., & Holden, J. G. (1998). The Reality of Experience: Gibson{\textquoteright}s Way. Presence , 7 (1), 90-95. Fodor, J. (2000). The Mind Doesn{\textquoteright}t Work That Way. Massachusetts: MIT Press. Forster, E. (2000). Kant{\textquoteright}s Final Synthesis. Cambridge Massachusetts London England: Harvard University Press. Forty, A. (1986). Objects of Desire. London: Thames and Hudson. Freud, L. (1966). The Psychopathology of Everyday Life. London: Benn. Fuller, S. (2002). Social Epistemology. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Fuller, S. (2000). Thomas Kuhn. University of Chicago Press. Gibson, J. J. (1974). Perception of the Visual World. Greenwood Press. Hart, A. R., & Moore, G. T. (1973). The Development of Spatial Cognition. In D. a. Stea, Image and Environment. Chicago: Aldine. Heft, H. (2001). Ecological Psychology in Context. London: Lawrence Erlbaum. Hodge, J. (2007). Derrida on Time. London and New York: Routledge. Howard, R. (1982). Three Faces of Hermeneutics. Berkeley Los Angeles and London: University of California Press. Kitchen, R., & Freundschuh, S. (Eds.). (2000). Cognitive Mapping. Routledge. Laing, R. D. (1975). The Divided Self. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. Lakoff, G. (2002). Moral Politics. Chicago and London: Uni of Chicago Press. Lakoff, G. (1990). Women Fire and Dangerous Things. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Lawson, B. (2001). The Language of Space. Architectural Press. Lefort, C. (2006). Complications. New York: Columbia University Press. Marmor, G. S., & Zaback, L. A. (1978). Mental Rotation by the Blind: Does Mental Rotation Depend on Visual Imagery? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance , 2 (4), 515-521. Maturana, H. R., & Varela, F. J. (1998). The Tree of Knowledge. Boston + London: Shambhula. Mitchell, B. (1990). The Logic of Architecture. MIT. Norberg-Shultz, C. (1980). Genius Loci. London: Academy Editions. Plotkin, H. (1999). Some psychological mechanisms of culture. In P. Van Loocke, The Nature of Concepts. London + New York: Routledge. Rapoport, A. (2005). Culture Architecture and Design. Chicago: Locke Science Publishing Co. Reason, J. (1992). Human Error. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Rorty, R. (1980). Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. Oxford: Blackwell. Rossi, P. (1978). Francis Bacon. Chicago; London: University of Chicago. Ryle, G. (1990). The Concept of Mind, ,. Penguin. Saussure, F. (1983). Course in General Linguistics. Duckworth. Schneider, W. X. (1996). Neural Networks and Visual Information Processing. In Handbook of Perception and Action Vol.1 (pp. 103-141). Academic Press. Scruton, R. (1995). A Short History of Modern Philosophy. Routledge. Searle, J. (1995). The Construction of Social Reality. Allen Lane. Stirner, M. (1963). The Ego and His Own. New York: Libertarian Book Club. Thompson, B. (2005). Culture and Architecture. In O. Romice, & E. Edgerton, Housing, Space and Quality of Life. Ashgate. Thompson, B. (2007). Hermeneutics for Architects? The Journal of Architecture , 12 (2), 183-191. Thompson, B. Zeit, Geist and Sein. In E. Edgerton, & O. Romice, Environmental Psychology Putting Research Into Practice (pp. 139-148). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Thompson, W. J. (2003). Architectural Hermeneutics V: Harry and the Philosopher{\textquoteright}s Stone. Environment and Behaviour , 35 (4), 478-485. Winnecott, D. W. (1988). Human Nature. Free Association Books. Zahavi, D. (2001). Husserl and Transcendental Intersubjectivity. Athens: Ohio University Press. Zahavi, D. (2005). Subjectivity and Selfhood. Cambridge Massachusetts and London England.",

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N1 - Reference text: Althusser, L. (2000). Machiavelli and Us. London + New York: Verso. Arendt, H. (1969). The Human Condition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Baird, G. (2003). The Space of Appearance. Cambridge Massachusetts and London: MIT Press. Barrs, B. J. (1990). A Cognitive Theory of Consciousness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bickerton, D. (1996). Language and Human Behaviour. University College Press. Castells, M. (1997). The Power of Identity. Oxford: Blackwell. Chomsky, N. (1957). Syntactic Structures. The Hague: Mouton. Churchland, P. M. (1995). The Engine of Reason the Seat of the Soul. Massachusetts: MIT. Day, C. (1990). Building With Heart. Green Books. Flach, J. M., & Holden, J. G. (1998). The Reality of Experience: Gibson’s Way. Presence , 7 (1), 90-95. Fodor, J. (2000). The Mind Doesn’t Work That Way. Massachusetts: MIT Press. Forster, E. (2000). Kant’s Final Synthesis. Cambridge Massachusetts London England: Harvard University Press. Forty, A. (1986). Objects of Desire. London: Thames and Hudson. Freud, L. (1966). The Psychopathology of Everyday Life. London: Benn. Fuller, S. (2002). Social Epistemology. Indianapolis: Indiana University Press. Fuller, S. (2000). Thomas Kuhn. University of Chicago Press. Gibson, J. J. (1974). Perception of the Visual World. Greenwood Press. Hart, A. R., & Moore, G. T. (1973). The Development of Spatial Cognition. In D. a. Stea, Image and Environment. Chicago: Aldine. Heft, H. (2001). Ecological Psychology in Context. London: Lawrence Erlbaum. Hodge, J. (2007). Derrida on Time. London and New York: Routledge. Howard, R. (1982). Three Faces of Hermeneutics. Berkeley Los Angeles and London: University of California Press. Kitchen, R., & Freundschuh, S. (Eds.). (2000). Cognitive Mapping. Routledge. Laing, R. D. (1975). The Divided Self. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books. Lakoff, G. (2002). Moral Politics. Chicago and London: Uni of Chicago Press. Lakoff, G. (1990). Women Fire and Dangerous Things. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press. Lawson, B. (2001). The Language of Space. Architectural Press. Lefort, C. (2006). Complications. New York: Columbia University Press. Marmor, G. S., & Zaback, L. A. (1978). Mental Rotation by the Blind: Does Mental Rotation Depend on Visual Imagery? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance , 2 (4), 515-521. Maturana, H. R., & Varela, F. J. (1998). The Tree of Knowledge. Boston + London: Shambhula. Mitchell, B. (1990). The Logic of Architecture. MIT. Norberg-Shultz, C. (1980). Genius Loci. London: Academy Editions. Plotkin, H. (1999). Some psychological mechanisms of culture. In P. Van Loocke, The Nature of Concepts. London + New York: Routledge. Rapoport, A. (2005). Culture Architecture and Design. Chicago: Locke Science Publishing Co. Reason, J. (1992). Human Error. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Rorty, R. (1980). Philosophy and the Mirror of Nature. Oxford: Blackwell. Rossi, P. (1978). Francis Bacon. Chicago; London: University of Chicago. Ryle, G. (1990). The Concept of Mind, ,. Penguin. Saussure, F. (1983). Course in General Linguistics. Duckworth. Schneider, W. X. (1996). Neural Networks and Visual Information Processing. In Handbook of Perception and Action Vol.1 (pp. 103-141). Academic Press. Scruton, R. (1995). A Short History of Modern Philosophy. Routledge. Searle, J. (1995). The Construction of Social Reality. Allen Lane. Stirner, M. (1963). The Ego and His Own. New York: Libertarian Book Club. Thompson, B. (2005). Culture and Architecture. In O. Romice, & E. Edgerton, Housing, Space and Quality of Life. Ashgate. Thompson, B. (2007). Hermeneutics for Architects? The Journal of Architecture , 12 (2), 183-191. Thompson, B. Zeit, Geist and Sein. In E. Edgerton, & O. Romice, Environmental Psychology Putting Research Into Practice (pp. 139-148). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. Thompson, W. J. (2003). Architectural Hermeneutics V: Harry and the Philosopher’s Stone. Environment and Behaviour , 35 (4), 478-485. Winnecott, D. W. (1988). Human Nature. Free Association Books. Zahavi, D. (2001). Husserl and Transcendental Intersubjectivity. Athens: Ohio University Press. Zahavi, D. (2005). Subjectivity and Selfhood. Cambridge Massachusetts and London England.

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N2 - We begin by considering the concept of reality as that which joins all creatures great and small and yet separates them in time and space. We have learnt to become linked in space by ideas and models that are more or less perfect and linked in time by the joined up writing that brings with it the inherent dangers of being both true and false. Unfortunately, we have not yet learnt enough about ourselves to understand apperception, as participation in more than reality keeps us alive so that we unwisely extend our understanding of apperception to keep alive the traditions built upon lies and partial truths, so that from time to time the lies become exposed and a traumatic change occurs to end or reshape a tradition. In a secular world, these traditions alter the appearance of rules and regulations that convert the mundane world into specific social domain of the identity to which the unambiguous and the unequivocal can belong. A global society allows the same transformations of the mundane to be played with a very much richer palette than any single tradition clinging on to one identity of some kind or another, however ancient, popular, and exclusive; the reality of space is that of a mundane existence and sharing is not part of tradition. This paper describes how the architectural project is probably the most spectacular example of the changes we need to make by thinking about tradition as a global desire for the development of comfort and the removal of suffering rather than as some misguided specification of ancient origins or popular opinion that forces us to convert the mundane into spectacular, instead of allowing ourselves, the very special creatures, to live mundane lives free of pain and discomfort.

AB - We begin by considering the concept of reality as that which joins all creatures great and small and yet separates them in time and space. We have learnt to become linked in space by ideas and models that are more or less perfect and linked in time by the joined up writing that brings with it the inherent dangers of being both true and false. Unfortunately, we have not yet learnt enough about ourselves to understand apperception, as participation in more than reality keeps us alive so that we unwisely extend our understanding of apperception to keep alive the traditions built upon lies and partial truths, so that from time to time the lies become exposed and a traumatic change occurs to end or reshape a tradition. In a secular world, these traditions alter the appearance of rules and regulations that convert the mundane world into specific social domain of the identity to which the unambiguous and the unequivocal can belong. A global society allows the same transformations of the mundane to be played with a very much richer palette than any single tradition clinging on to one identity of some kind or another, however ancient, popular, and exclusive; the reality of space is that of a mundane existence and sharing is not part of tradition. This paper describes how the architectural project is probably the most spectacular example of the changes we need to make by thinking about tradition as a global desire for the development of comfort and the removal of suffering rather than as some misguided specification of ancient origins or popular opinion that forces us to convert the mundane into spectacular, instead of allowing ourselves, the very special creatures, to live mundane lives free of pain and discomfort.

KW - Architecture Journal Architecture

KW - Hermeneutics

KW - Humanity

KW - Identity

KW - Society

KW - Traumatic Change

KW - Biochemical Reality

KW - Deterministic Physics

KW - Transcendental Symbolism

KW - Metaphysical Musings

KW - Philosophical Phenomenology

KW - Homogenous Relationship

KW - Global Society

KW - Biochemical Action.

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SP - 48

EP - 62

JO - The IUP Journal of Architecture

JF - The IUP Journal of Architecture

IS - 1

ER -

Trauma and Tradition in Architecture

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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Cite this