Another Kind of Science: Christopher Alexander on Democratic Theory and the Built Environment

Extract

This article concerns the political ramifications of character-giving, the work we do intensifying our ideals in the environments and populations around us. The premise here is that strategies of character-giving are just as crucial to the construction of a well-ordered society as the promotion of justice or stability. This theme is explored through an examination of the works of Christopher Alexander, a modern urban planner who shares many of the concerns of contemporary political science. Alexander's central project is to learn how to bring a more humane and democratic character to the modern cityscape. This kind of "reconstructive" humanism might be seen as a fitting model for renewal in political science.