Ethics and practice

‘Theorising Architectural Education’ is the title given to one of the sessions in a conference on architectural education held in the Faculty of Architecture at Sydney University. The title may seem innocuous, but this depends on how the term ‘theory’ is construed. In a commonly held sense, theory is thought of as providing rules for practical action. Theory maps out general principles, which are then applied in particular situations. The concomitant notion is that correct practice is determined by correct theory. We assert that if ‘theory’ is taken with these connotations, then it is not innocuous, but veils a threat to design studio education.