Philosophy and Engineering: An Emerging Agenda

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xvii

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2. Philosophy

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 13-13

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   2. Philosophy and Engineering: Setting the Stage

      • Ibo van de Poel

      Pages 1-11

   3. Distinguishing Architects from Engineers: A Pilot Study in Differences Between Engineers and Other Technologists

      • Michael Davis

      Pages 15-30

   4. The Rise of Philosophy of Engineering in the East and the West

      • Li Bo-cong

      Pages 31-40

   5. Multiple Facets of Philosophy and Engineering

      • Paul T. Durbin

      Pages 41-47

   6. Comparing Approaches to the Philosophy of Engineering: Including the Linguistic Philosophical Approach

      • Carl Mitcham, Robert Mackey

      Pages 49-59

   7. Focussing Philosophy of Engineering: Analyses of Technical Functions and Beyond

      • Pieter E. Vermaas

      Pages 61-73

   8. Philosophy, Engineering, and the Sciences

      • Joseph C. Pitt

      Pages 75-82

   9. Engineering Science as a “Discipline of the Particular”? Types of Generalization in Engineering Sciences

      • Marc J. de Vries

      Pages 83-93

   10. How the Models of Engineering Tell the Truth

       • Zachary Pirtle

       Pages 95-108

   11. Limits to Systems Engineering

       • Maarten M. Ottens

       Pages 109-122

3. Ethics

   1. Front Matter

      Pages 123-123

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   2. Integrity and the Ethical Responsibilities of Engineers

      • Alastair S. Gunn

      Pages 125-134

   3. Prioritising People: Outline of an Aspirational Engineering Ethic

      • W. Richard Bowen

      Pages 135-146

   4. Ethical Principles for Engineers in a Global Environment

      • Heinz C. Luegenbiehl

      Pages 147-159

   5. Professional Ethics Without a Profession: A French View on Engineering Ethics

      • Christelle Didier

      Pages 161-173

   6. Imagining Worlds: Responsible Engineering Under Conditions of Epistemic Opacity

      • Mark Coeckelbergh

      Pages 175-187

   7. Transferring Responsibility Through Use Plans

      • Auke Pols

      Pages 189-203

   8. Design Problems and Ethics

      • Wade Robison

      Pages 205-214

Whereas science, technology, and medicine have all called forth dedicated philosophical investigations, a fourth major contributor to the technoscientific world in which we all live - that is, engineering - has been accorded almost none of the philosophical attention it deserves. This volume thus offers a first characterisation of this important new field, by some of the primary philosophers and ethicists interested in engineering and leading engineers interested in philosophical reflections. The volume deals with such questions as: What is engineering? In what respect does engineering differ from science? What ethical problems does engineering raise? By what ethical principles are engineers guided? How do engineers themselves conceive of their profession? What do they see as the main philosophical challenges confronting them in the 21st century? The authors respond to these and other questions from philosophical and engineering view points and so illustrate how together they can meet the challenges and realize the opportunities present in the necessary encounters between philosophy and engineering - encounters that are ever more important in an increasingly engineered world and its problematic futures.

• design
• environment
• ethics
• physics
• science
• systems engineering
• technology

From the reviews:

“It is the tangible outcome of the ‘Workshop on Philosophy and Engineering’ (WPE), which took place in October 2007 in Delft (The Netherlands). … If one wants to get an impression of the variety of topics that one might study in this new and emerging area, it is a great place to start. … a book … to browse through and to keep as a work of reference.”­­­ (Ilse Oosterlaken, Science and Engineering Ethics, Vol. 16, 2010)

• Delft, Netherlands

  Ibo Poel

• University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, U.S.A.

  David Goldberg

Policies and ethics