The course introduces students to the philosophies which have both generated architectural designs since the early 20th century, as well as those which allowed criticism of prevailing work. These will be placed in the context of wider social, political and economic concerns that marked the 20th century, and the start of the 21st. The course will run in a lecture and seminar format. Lectures will introduce the main trends of thought of the period, which include evolutionism, Marxism, existentialism, structuralism and environmentalism. Working in groups, students will then present the work of a key architectural writer in a seminar context. A separate written essay from each student will also form part of the assessment. At the conclusion of the course students will be able to categorize architectural works from the period according to the philosophy or ideas they embody, and to critically appreciate the strengths and limitations of those ideas.