Modern property development operates at the intersection of finance, politics, law, planning, design, construction and more. But in most discussions or even press articles about property development and property developers in general, one dimension is often missing: moral philosophy. Of course, one of the greatest, if not the greatest complaint about property developers is exactly that: the missing moral underpinning.
So, what then, does it mean to build well — not just in terms of structural integrity, but in terms of human integrity?
From Aristotle’s concept of eudaemonia to Christopher Alexander’s pattern language, a deep ethical tradition has laid the groundwork for what property development could be: a moral and professional practice, not just an economic activity.
In this post, we explore how timeless philosophy — when applied to modern land use — can transform development into a practice of purpose and public benefit.
Aristotle and the Purpose of Practice
Aristotle argued that every action aims at some good. This concept — called telos — means all human activities should be directed toward a meaningful end.
For Aristotle, the ultimate end is eudaemonia: this is not just a feeling of happiness, but human flourishing — achieved through virtuous action, arising from practiced and developed ethical character, and directed towards service to the community. It may surprise you to learn that this philosophy was not unique to Aristotle but was almost universal in every place and time at least until very recently.
Now ask yourself: what is the telos of property development?
If the answer is maximising return on investment, we are falling short of the mark. Profit is not a purpose — it’s a by-product of an activity directed to some better end. In fact, the pursuit of profit as an end is arguably the cause of all human misery. How profoundly true is that ancient saying, “the love of money is the root of all evil”. In contradistinction to the profit chaser, a true professional aligns their practice with a higher social good.
The Developer’s Practice: More Than a Job
Aristotle made a powerful distinction: not all work is “practice.” A practice is a sustained, cooperative human activity directed toward internal goods — excellence in execution and service to the common good.
Medicine is a practice. So is law. So too can be property development — if approached with:
- Mastery of knowledge (planning, construction, finance, law and other disciplines),
- Excellence in delivery (quality, safety, community benefit),
- Ethical character (trustworthiness, restraint, fairness).
This isn’t idealism. It’s a framework. And it’s one we already expect from doctors, architects, and engineers. Why not from developers?
Virtue Ethics vs. Modern Utilitarianism
Aristotle’s framework, called virtue ethics, is character-based. It focuses not just on what people do, but on who they become.
Modern development discourse is often shaped by ethical systems like utilitarianism (for example) — the idea that good decisions maximise net benefit. But when driven only by utility (e.g., yield, density, GDP, profit maximisation), it often neglects who benefits, who is excluded, and what is lost.
Virtue ethics reframes this. It asks:
- Is this development just?
- Is it respectful of people and place?
- Does it contribute to human flourishing?
In this view, the developer becomes a moral agent — not just a project manager.
Enter MacIntyre and Solomon: Business as Moral Practice
Alasdair MacIntyre, a modern interpreter of Aristotle, argued in his landmark book After Virtue that modern professions have lost their moral compass. They’ve become institutions chasing external goods (like profit, status, power), rather than practicing internal goods like skill, justice, and community care.
Robert Solomon took this further into business. He argued that business is not amoral — it is a domain where values are practiced, relationships are formed, and long-term trust is earned.
When applied to development, this means the developer is not a neutral market actor. They are a moral practitioner, choosing to serve or exploit.
The way you practice your profession becomes the character you develop.
Christopher Alexander: Building Patterns for Life
Christopher Alexander, perhaps the most influential architectural theorist of the 20th century, offered a bridge between ethics and design. His work A Pattern Language proposed that good environments emerge from recurring design patterns that are directed towards certain ends: they support human life, community, and beauty.
From “public outdoor rooms” to “house clusters” and “common land,” his patterns are more than spatial templates. They are moral choices, embedded in design.
What does this mean for developers?
It means you’re not just shaping land — you’re shaping the habits, health, and happiness of those who will live there.
Imagine a development process where:
- Site plans are shaped not by maximising FSR, but by creating connection.
- Yield analysis includes social yield — not just profit return on capital deployed.
- Project success is measured not only by IRR, but also by flourishing of community, ecology, and future generations.
This is not naive. It is disciplined. And it is deeply professional.
Why This Matters Now
We live in a time of housing crises, ecological and environmental disruption, and eroding trust in institutions.
Investors’ expectations are also changing as the locus of work and wealth creation moves through the generations. To quote Lord Keynes totally out of context and with tongue in cheek, the older rich today, will, in the long run, be dead. New generations of investors are demanding more than just financial returns — they want purpose-driven leadership. This is totally understandable. Our earth, our home, and the communities that inhabit it, are under profound stress. The time has come to push back against opaque processes and cookie-cutter outcomes.
Developers who ground their practice in virtue, character, and purpose will not just build better places — they will build trust, value, and resilience into their projects.
They will stand out — and lead.
Conclusion: From Philosophy to Practice
Ethics is not a luxury for developers. It is a foundational tool, no less important than feasibility spreadsheets or planning permits.
Aristotle and Lao Tzu, St. Paul and Thomas Aquinas, MacIntyre, Solomon, and Alexander, all offer us more than theories. They offer us alternative views to the mad, destructive, money driven views that drive so much modern business. They also offer us a challenge:
If you have power to shape land and life, what kind of developer will you choose to be?
The answer may determine more than just your portfolio. It may shape your legacy.
At Pleroma Property Investments, we seek out the best available knowledge of what enhances human and ecological well-being. We then incorporate it as best as we possibly can in the design and construction of our developments. Our end is to create places where people want to live. We want to challenge the current status quo and to change it for the better. We also want to open the door of opportunity for those who think the same way we do. Contact us to learn more.
Coming Up: In our next post, we explore the developer’s inner world — some of the traits, character, and decision making mindset needed to develop ethically in today’s world.