We live in an age of widespread ideological relativism. We understand that there are individuals with their own individual perspectives in this life, and more and more we have come to appreciate the many different kinds of thoughts and opinions from different people of different backgrounds, especially being so easily exposed to these perspectives on the internet.

We see cultural relativism everywhere. We constantly remind ourselves not to judge the behaviors and practices of individuals from another culture because these behaviors and practices can come from motives that we might not understand from our own perspectives.

We see the evidence of a highly distilled form of relativism in marketing: gum that changes flavor over a period of time and works differently with different people, body deodorant that changes scent over a period of time, removable faceplates for cell phones and video game consoles to allow individuals to express themselves through their gadgets in colors, designs, and more.

Future architectural designs reflect these underlying conceptions as well. Eventually we will see skyscrapers that consist of pillars of rotating units that allow the occupants on each story to change their respective views whenever they want.

Glimpses of relativist thought can be seen in the growing modular industry’s recognition of the benefits of flexibility and change in commercial construction especially. Continue reading…