ABSTRACT

Sustainability and Design Ethics begins with a brief exposition of the Greek myth of Prometheus, as retold by Dr. Albert Anderson. In this consideration of the myth, Prometheus is punished by Zeus not merely for stealing fire and the technical arts from the gods but also for not using his gift of foresight to know that with such knowledge humans would become “A menace to themselves, to other creatures and to the earth itself.” So told, the myth establishes a starting point for the discussion of the ethical obligations that might be expected of knowledgeable people such as design professionals. The introductory chapter goes on to describe the general recognition that modern society has occurred at the expense of nature, with significant social, and environmental impacts. Much of the good of modern life and much of the bad are outcomes of the work of design professionals.

The nature of sustainability is presented in broad strokes, and the scope of sustainability is discussed, including some acknowledgment that a single meaningful definition would be complex. One challenge of discussing sustainability is that a simple definition is a difficult to impossible tool to apply in practice. Concepts of strong and weak sustainability are used to illustrate the challenges. Sustainability is concept as well as an application, particularly for designers, who must think of outcomes as well as processes.

In the final analysis, there is no question that sustainable societies and economies are necessary, and the role of the design professions is foundational to that future. It is the designer who will distill the details of sustainable practice from the general concept. Accepting this responsibility and acknowledging the ethical obligations of the professions are critical to the creation and maintenance of long-term sustainability.