LEA | Applied Epistemology Lab

LEA is an interdisciplinary research laboratory. Its perspective is rooted in epistemology and philosophical reflection, but it extends this viewpoint in multiple directions and across various fields of knowledge.
A primary and fundamental area of application is the epistemology of design: LEA promotes critical and reflective thinking in relation to the philosophical and psychological foundations of design, the semiotics of architecture, the philosophy of perception and spatial representation, the dialectic between constraint and freedom in creative activities, non-linguistic normativity, and architectural nudges.
LEA is also engaged in developing scientific investigations in the metaphysics and ontology of architecture, focusing on the definition of the ontological boundaries of architectural works, the nature of their constitutive properties—especially site-specificity—and on comparing architectural works with those produced in other artistic domains or through other forms of human activity.
Other research interests include the evaluation of arguments and justificatory inferences for or against evaluative claims or design choices; the study of natural and artificial functions and their ontology; the enrichment of design problems through methodological, sociological, and political considerations; and the ethical dimension of rationality and the assessability of design decisions.
In general, LEA is interested in the development of a critical metalevel in relation to meaningful questions.
LEA is also actively involved in the epistemology of semiotics; the epistemology of ethics, bioethics, and political philosophy; the study of rational argumentation; the philosophy of mind and cognitive sciences; the philosophy of biology; and the philosophy of food.

LEA supervises undergraduate and graduate theses; hosts PhD students, offering them a scholarly environment in which to develop their research; coordinates research and editorial projects involving faculty from diverse disciplines, both within DADU and from other departments and universities; and promotes and organizes cultural events, symposia, and conferences.

Asilo Sella
Via Garibaldi 35, Alghero (SS) – 07041