Feng shui as philosophy and art
Feng shui is both a philosophy and an art, but to remain relevant and credible in the modern world it also needs to become more evidence based and even scientific. Feng shui is a philosophy because it is grounded in Chinese metaphysics and a view of reality that treats place, pattern and person as dynamically interrelated. It is an art because practitioners compose material arrangements, light, colour, form and symbolism into an aesthetic that cultivates harmony. Art produces affects, shaping how we feel, perceive and act within a space. Precisely because feng shui aims to enhance human well-being through design, it deserves a strong evidence base. Decorative claims or inherited maxims are not sufficient when the goal is health, clarity and ethical practice. An evidence-based approach does not replace the philosophical roots of feng shui. Instead, it clarifies them by showing where traditional principles already align with contemporary research in environmental psychology, health and building science, where they do not, and where we simply do not yet know and where more research is required. Read more on What is Feng Shui? Art, Philosophy, or Science?
For example, the principle of placing a bed in a “commanding position” mirrors what environmental psychology calls prospect and refuge theory, where people feel safer and calmer when they can see the entrance but are not directly in line with it (Appleton, 1975). Similarly, feng shui’s advice to introduce natural light and plants resonates with findings from biophilic design research, which shows reduced stress and improved recovery rates in hospital patients when nature is incorporated indoors (Ulrich, 1984).
