ABSTRACT
The question of whether there are enduring principles of architecture is naturally interpreted as asking whether there are rules of design or construction which are universally valid, or at least which hold for the most part. This is an important issue for architects and an interesting one for architectural historians; though for the latter it may be secondary to the question of whether over the centuries certain principles have actually been adhered to. For a philosopher, more abstract questions arise as to the possible status of any such principles, and how they could be anything other than cultural commitments. Yet more generally, the issue becomes that of subjectivity and objectivity with regard to architectural descriptions, interpretations and evaluations.
