--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I’m going to argue here that the most…" description: "\"I’m going to argue here that the most accurate and least muddled way to think of permaculture is as a design approach, and that we are often misdirecte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/toby-hemenway-38464_accurate_i-m-going-to-argue-here-that-the-most-ac_3110228.png" --- # I’m going to argue here that the most accurate and least… ![“I’m going to argue here that the most accurate and least muddled way to think of permaculture is as a design approach, and that we are often misdirected by the fact that it fits into a larger philosophy and movement which it supports. But it is not that philosophy or movement. It is a design…” quote by Toby Hemenway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/toby-hemenway-38464_accurate_i-m-going-to-argue-here-that-the-most-ac_3110228.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/toby-hemenway-38464_accurate_i-m-going-to-argue-here-that-the-most-ac_3110228.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e38/toby-hemenway-38464_accurate_i-m-going-to-argue-here-that-the-most-ac_3110228.png) > “I’m going to argue here that the most accurate and least muddled way to think of permaculture is as a design approach, and that we are often misdirected by the fact that it fits into a larger philosophy and movement which it supports. But it is not that philosophy or movement. It is a design approach for realizing a new paradigm.” [Toby Hemenway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-hemenway/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Permaculture is fundamentally a design method, not a philosophy; it supports broader movements but stands alone as a practical paradigm. **In simple terms:** Permaculture = design approach, not a philosophy. Key Takeaway Apply permaculture as a design tool. Themes design environment sustainability methodology Mood analytical pragmatic Type educational technical When to use this quote - urban gardening - community planning - landscape restoration Key Concepts systems thinking ecology innovation Questions to Reflect On - How can design thinking improve your environment? - What limits design‑only approaches? A Different Perspective May be misinterpreted as ideology. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Accurate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/accurate/) [Agriculture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agriculture/) [Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach/) [Approach Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/approach-realizing-5429845/) [Arguing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/arguing/) [Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design/) [Design Approach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/design-approach-1787681/) [Facts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/facts/) [Fit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit/) [It support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/it-support/) [Movement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/movement/) [New Paradigm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new-paradigm-338037/) [Paradigm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paradigm/) [Permaculture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permaculture/) [Permaculture Design](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/permaculture-design-3724975/) [Philosophy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy/) [Realizing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/realizing/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) [Think Permaculture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-permaculture-5429844/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [A structured design approach can heighten the hit rate in the fuzzy front end of innovation processes in public and private sectors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jens-martin-skibsted/a-structured-design-approach-can-heighten-the-hit-rate-in-the-fuzzy/) [Jens Martin Skibsted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jens-martin-skibsted/) > [The process of design starts with exploration, but ends with refinement. 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You could be a congressman,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianne-williamson/you-don-t-have-to-be-a-spiritual-seeker-you-can-be-a-businessman/) [Marianne Williamson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianne-williamson/) ## More by Toby Hemenway > [Permaculture is not the movement of sustainability and it is not the philosophy behind it; it is the problem-solving approach the movement and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-hemenway/permaculture-is-not-the-movement-of-sustainability-and-it-is-not-the/) [Toby Hemenway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-hemenway/) > [“The average yard is both an ecological and agricultural desert. 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It is where the dead are brought back to life. Here, in the thin earthy boundary between inanimate rock and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-hemenway/yet-soil-is-miraculous-it-is-where-the-dead-are-brought-back-to-life/) [Toby Hemenway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-hemenway/) > [The plants we've chosen will collect and cycle Earth's minerals, water, and air; shade the soil and renew it with leafy mulch; and yield…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-hemenway/the-plants-we-ve-chosen-will-collect-and-cycle-earth-s-minerals-water/) [Toby Hemenway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-hemenway/) [Explore all 11 Toby Hemenway quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-hemenway/) ## More Accurate quotes > [The surprise of an army is now next to an impossibility. ... 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