As abstract as the study of philosophy may seem, it has to take place somewhere. Philosophy professor David Kishik posits that cities have influenced the development of philosophical ideas, from Socrates' Athens to William James' New York.
A great deal of philosophical thought, especially in moral philosophy, centers on the ways that people ought to relate to each other. It only stands to reason, then, that cities—the places where people come into contact with each other most intimately—have inspired some of the world's most important philosophers and philosophical ideas.
Writes David Kishik, "It might be enough to mention the critical importance of Athens to the birth of ancient philosophy with Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; or the way that modern philosophy got its start in Bacon’s London, Descartes’s Paris and Spinoza’s Amsterdam; or the deep roots of American pragmatism in New York, where William James spent the first years of his life as a curious child, and John Dewey spent the last years of his life as a revered professor."
Kishik notes, though, that philosophy has not always embraced the city as such. He writes, "With (Jean-Jacques) Rousseau’s fame also came his deep aversion to the city: 'The manner of living in Paris amidst people of pretensions was so little to my liking. The cabals of men of letters, their little candor in their writings, and the air of importance they gave themselves in the world, were so odious to me. I found so little mildness, openness of heart, and frankness in the intercourse even of my friends. Disgusted with this life of tumult, I began ardently to wish to reside in the country.'" Philosophers have championed pastoralism and nationalism, in opposition to urbanism.
And yet, "the city tends to work as a zone that facilitates associations and interactions between many elements (ideas, commodities, skills, persons, interests, fortunes, desires, sensibilities, ideologies, stupidities). At least in theory, the city is not a container for lives but their meeting point, which is not to be confused with a melting pot. (A meeting point permits the differences of the parties involved. A melting pot turns them all into a single stew.)"
FULL STORY: Metrosophy: Philosophy and the City
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.