The Intent Is Pelagian. the Architecture Is Augustinian. Dave Snowden

The intent is Pelagian. The architecture is Augustinian.

Credit: Dave Snowden

Sowden says the intent is Pelagian, he is describing how many systems are designed. The assumption is that if we set the right goals, create the right processes, and explain what people should do, they will act accordingly and the desired outcomes will follow.

This part refers to Augustine, who argued that human behaviour is shaped by deeper forces such as habits, structures, and context.

When Snowden says the architecture is Augustinian, he means that the structures we build strongly influence behaviour. Incentives, constraints, history, and institutional patterns often shape what people actually do, regardless of the intentions behind the design.

The phrase highlights a common mismatch. Systems are designed with the belief that people will act intentionally and rationally, but the structures of those systems end up shaping behaviour in ways that the designers did not fully anticipate.