Abstract
William Morris' achievements in design have been discussed so frequently under the idea of "Modern Design" that the evaluation of Morris has been distorted. When we reconsider the relation of Morris to "Modern Design", we have to begin to interpret rightly his thoughts on design based on his own writings and works of design. Given suggestions by recent English studies on Morris, I came to the following conclusions : 1) Morris precept of simplicity did not mean exactly the demand of a severe simple form like that of "Modern Design". He really thought that simplicity of life, begetting simplicity of taste, was of all matters the most necessary for the birth of a new and better art. Beyond simplicity of life, he craved for a decorative art based on two elements, utility and beauty. 2) It was not necessarily machinery in itself or the division of labour that Morris objected to, but the improper use of them. What he meant was that as a condition of life, production by machinery was altogether an evil, but as an instrument for giving us better life conditions it was indispensable.
