An Awareness of What Is Missing: Four Views on the Consequences of Secularism

While the issues regarding widespread secularization in contemporary Western culture are difficult to properly assess, it can be argued that certain prerequisites are necessary for the well-being of any society and, furthermore, that certain of these necessary conditions are only provided by a given civilization\u27s major religious tradition. All societies need to perpetually engage in collective action and decision making, and as any given community faces the challenges of the future, its governing religious worldview is an indispensable source of guidance and time-honored wisdom. With this in mind, it will be argued that Western civilization is dependent upon a Judeo-Christian orientation for its ongoing vibrancy, integrity, and sustainability as a culture. When the background of shared values and norms provided by Judaism and Christianity no longer functions in any unifying capacity, society loses its sense of identity and purpose, and impoverishment in many areas of human life and endeavor is felt and observed. Something—whether it is described as value, order, meaning, community, or charity—goes missing. This diminishment will be analyzed with respect to four different Western fields of study: philosophy, literature, politics, and education

Rapidly Deployed and Assembled Tensegrity System: An Augmented Design Approach

The Rapidly Deployable and Assembled Tensegrity (RDAT) project enables the efficient automated design and deployment of differential-geometry tensegrity structures through computation-driven design-to-installation workflow. RDAT employs the integration of parametric and solid-modeling methods with production by streamlining computer numerically controlled manufacturing through novel detailing and production techniques to develop an efficient manufacturing and assembly system. The RDAT project emerges from the Authors\u27 research in academia and professional practice focusing on computationally produced full-scale performative building systems and their innovative uses in the building and construction industry