Planning theories have commonly embodied a mixture of sociological assumptions about human and social behaviour and philosophical assumptions about the nature, purposes and premises of planning. Both the sociological and philosophical assumptions of planning warrant thorough examination. This article argues the case for the systematic examination of the philosophy of planning by examining two areas where philosophical analysis might help to elucidate, and critically examine, philosophical assumptions made in planning thought and practice. These are the areas of ethics and epistemology. Prior to this examination, philosophy is itself defined, and the relationship between ethical and epistemological judgments is discussed with respect to the logical distinction that can be made between facts and values.
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