Engineering Philosophy

Advances in modern technology have provoked dramatic changes in contemporary society. Engineers are both in part responsible and subject to these changes in their day-to-day work, i.e., the broadening of design criteria to include ethical, contextual, and cultural issues. The organization and culture of design work has also changed; engineers now are to be multi-disciplinary and polyvalent. To cope, engineers must not only learn to apply these new technologies, but need to widen their perspective in the challenges they confront if they are to make full and effective use of them.
Engineering Philosophy addresses the intertwine between philosophy and engineering. It reflects on the essentials of engineering and how philosophy -through its practice of clarifying, analyzing, probing and exploring alternative ways of seeing- contributes to a better analysis and understanding of these fundamentals. The book seeks to spark an evaluation of what is seen truly essential in engineering thought and practice to enable practitioners, faculty staff, and students in engineering and architecture to operate in accord with the requirements of an ever-changing society.