Archive - The Pathos of Things

Design and Responsibility

Plans and decisions are the marks of moral agency

Apr 21 •

Why "Architects" Are Taking Over

The term is vague but sounds authoritative – perfect for the information economy

Apr 7 •

March 2024

In Praise of Leisure

A positive vision of design

Mar 23 •

The chair is no longer a symbol of power, though it still fascinates designers

Mar 16 •

Why We Don't Consume Houses

The ideal home is still a refuge from modernity

Mar 10 •

Chatbots and Superyachts

A future of thrilling new artefacts has failed to materialise – at least for most of us

Mar 3 •

February 2024

Woe to the Unrepentant Cities

Urban squalor and the limits of design

Feb 17 •

How Powerful Is American Culture?

The world is not as homogenised as it appears

Feb 11 •

Architecture as Anarchy

The disturbing prophecies of the avant-garde Archigram group

Feb 4 •

January 2024

The Digital Doppelgänger

Deepfake technology is terrifying, but it could also be liberating

Jan 27 •

Artists Without an Art

How the culture of authenticity undermines itself

Jan 21 •

Mechanising the Oceans

The shipping container is an uncanny symbol of modern life

Jan 14 •

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