Tomás Maldonado
        Basic curriculum


The following document has never been published before. It is a typed manuscript by Tomás Maldonado from the Ulm School of Design archives in Ulm. The text justifies the new orientation of the basic curriculum that Maldonado had to push through to replace the routine practices that dated back to Max Bill\\\'s Bauhaus experience. This document brings to a head the arguments postulating that intellectual problem solving is at least on par with hands-on problem solving. The text provides insights into the level of sophistication of the debates conducted at the school. It also sheds light on the significance of the disputes over the guiding principles and the orientation of the curriculum. It clearly shows that the development of the school must also be seen as an intermeshing of the methods and the contents of the curriculum. The issue of methods and contents cannot be understood using the notions of educational theory; it must be seen as an expression of design.

(in german only)