Theory

Operative Criticism

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Tafuri's pejorative term for history written to legitimise present practice — to be avoided in favour of a properly critical, non-instrumental historiography.

Knowledge Power Autonomy

Details

Introduced
1968

Referenced by

Sources

  1. Manfredo Tafuri. Architecture and Utopia: Design and Capitalist Development. MIT Press, 1976.
  2. Tafuri, Manfredo. Theories and History of Architecture. Harper & Row, 1980.

Cite this entry

First published May 2026Last revised Jul 2026

CLAD. "Operative Criticism." Atlas of Architectural Thought. CLAD, 2026. https://www.cl-ad.com.au/research/atlas/theory/operative-criticism/. Accessed July 17, 2026.