The work of Christopher Alexander and his associates on the pattern language approach to environmental design is considered from the point of view of the variety of forces which oppose its implementation. It is argued that as a radical paradigm shift in environmental design, the pattern language faces opposition from epistemological, political, ideological and aesthetic ‘enemies’. These oppositions are fundamental to the nature of the paradigm shift proposed, and they reveal some of the dilemmas in the theory and practice of environmental design.