This graduate seminar course presents a philosophically informed exploration of design, focusing variously on the ontological, epistemological, moral and political bearings of our increasingly artificial (i.e. designed) world and illuminating ways that design shapes individuals’ sense of identity and possibility, social structures and organizations, and enduring hierarchies of power. Course topics include the profound conditioning and enabling dynamics that designed artifacts and environments constitute within human experience; the potential for developing goods and services that respect moral and natural limits while promoting human flourishing; and the appropriate role of design in contexts of governance and public policy. Readings reflect a range of philosophical, psychological, and political perspectives, but all share a focus on the meaning, impact, or potentialities of intentional design within contemporary, technologically intensive societies. This course will invite students to reflect on the values they want to project through their professional careers, and to situate their studio or other professional activities in a robust conceptual framework encompassing considerations beyond those of short-term market viability and commercial gain.