# Parsons Chapter 6 **Opening (not a real abstract):** Function, Form and Aesthetics So far, we have examined some of the key moves in Modernism: curtailing expression in Design, and putting function to the fore. But beauty, or aesthetic value, also seems to be an important aspect of Design problems. The Modernist concurs that good Design must be aesthetically appealing, but holds that beauty or aesthetic value is to be cultivated simply though the pursuit of functionality, rather than through the use of decoration or a period or cultural style. However, this crucial idea – that when “Form follows Function” the result will be beauty – has been hotly disputed within Design and architecture. Moreover, in philosophical discussions of beauty and aesthetic value the very idea of any connection between beauty and functionality has long been a vexed notion. In this chapter, I explore these