Journal of History and Culture Journal of History and Culture

j o u r n a l o f h i s t o r y a n d c u l t u r e
Education alone would not suffice to determine the conclusion. Students at Princeton would often say in
difference to the other Ivy League schools, ‘God went to Princeton’. Evidence from another example comes from
the following anecdote: An architectural student sought a design evaluation from a famous architect in response to
his winning project for a cemetery competition; the student wanted him to see his winning project and right away
the architect openly declared: “God wouldn’t like this”, after a log pause the student asked why? “Because I’m the
closest thing to God you’ll ever meet and I don’t like it.” I presume this was his practiced remark to all students. 18
So let me recast the debate in a different way. Lest we forget, for many years Alexander, Rappoport,
Harbraken, Fathy and others, have attempted to re-establish our faith in the discipline of architecture. For them
Theo-centric norms replace individuality and originality in the building process; such norms can unite space and
time with culture. 19 The advent of postmodern thought altered Theo-centric and cultural norms and the social status
of architecture replacing it with a convenient synopsis of the text. This is precisely why the ‘god of deconstruction’,
Derrida, must be questioned, even if deconstruction remains ambiguous, incoherent and lacking in truthfulness.
Derrida and his disciples have established disparate definitions of the universe, causing us to be deficient in critical
reflection, our undertaking is to lift the mask of deception and to retain some sense of eschatological desire that is
codified by human conventions of space, time and social history.
Moholy-Naghy observes that the concern for originality is deep rooted in the western tradition of architecture
and the fine arts. She argues that since the industrial revolution architects and artist have had a hard time holding
on to and defining their role, “The architect is challenged and confused at every turn by technology, economy and a
haunting commitment to the public.” She is absolutely correct, what has artificial intelligence done for the ‘people
at the bottom’?
But Alas! Postmodernism came in order to affirm the philosophical differences and above all originality
pure and simple. With post-modernism our allegorical Prometheus had stolen the fire once again; the exuberant
self-realization of many architects today who supported the idea of philosophical postmodernism has temporarily
displaced the social mission of architecture. Like Greek Humanism that had prefigured western thought once more
it was as though this new knowledge generated by postmodern thought is meant to liberate us by lifting us above
the savage world or poverty, racism and corporate hegemony.
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