Matter of method

Abstract MATTER OF METHOD Marco Fasolo We need to reflect on the teaching of Descriptive Geometry and contribute to the ways in which a Course of such discipline must be held. The main aim of teaching D.G. lies in forming the student to acquire the ability to think in space. Therefore, to avoid that the Course, which must be set and taught in an educational sense, can be absorbed and thus returned in an informational sense, it must be avoided that the student learns only to draw graphic signs. Such a possibility stems from the fact that the soul of the main purpose is come out and it has remained the material structure of signs, probably mutilated. In other words, we must avoid that the topics (even few compared to the full picture of the discipline) are mainly and reductively learned as simple drawing tools. To avoid this, you must follow the construction road of a spatial mentality alive and active of the architect student. Therefore, how is it possible to reach this goal? That’s possible through the construction and application of a method. The word method, from the Greek méthodos (μέθοδος - chase, go back), means the set of processes that is used to achieve a purpose or a particular outcome. René Descartes, in his Discourse on the method, has paved the way allowing us to reach this goal. In the second part of his work, the French philosopher lists four precepts or rules that must be followed and observed in order to arrive at the Truth. As an example we consider a classical problem of the D.G.: the construction of an inclined plane in perspective given its angle of slope. Let’s try to follow and apply the four precepts dictated by Descartes.