Description
Book SynopsisEngineering has always been a part of human life but has only recently become the subject matter of systematic philosophical inquiry. The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Engineering presents the state-of-the-art of this field and lays a foundation for shaping future conversations within it. With a broad scholarly scope and 55 chapters contributed by both established experts and fresh voices in the field, the Handbook provides valuable insights into this dynamic and fast-growing field. The volume focuses on central issues and debates, established themes, and new developments in:
- Foundational perspectives
- Engineering reasoning
- Ontology
- Engineering design processes
- Engineering activities and methods
- Values in engineering
- Responsibilities in engineering practice
- Reimagining engineering
Trade Review
"This is an amazing collection! Not only is it the first book of its kind, defining the territory of the new and rapidly developing field of philosophy of engineering, it contains chapters by a truly international and multidisciplinary group of scholars. The compilation is rich and exciting, and very timely."
Deborah G. Johnson, Anne Shirley Carter Olsson Professor of Applied Ethics Emeritus, University of Virginia
"Neelke Doorn and Diane Michelfelder have curated an impressive body of works that turn the clarifying and critical lens of philosophy upon engineering. This volume begins to reveal the depths of an essential human enterprise, one that philosophers for too long treated as a superficial craft rather than what it is: a creative endeavor of social imagination in action."
Shannon Vallor, Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh
"Traditional philosophy of technology largely ignores engineers and engineering, but The Routledge Handbook of the Philosophy of Engineering takes engineers, their methods, their responsibilities, and their future seriously with a world-class collection of spot-on papers sure to stimulate your reflection. Beg, borrow, or steal this volume and start treating the humans and human activity of engineering in a philosophically serious way, today."
David E. Goldberg, Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois
Table of ContentsIntroduction I: Foundational Perspectives 1. What Is Engineering? 2. A Brief History of Engineering 3. Western Philosophical Approaches and Engineering 4. Eastern Philosophical Approaches and Engineering 5. What Is Engineering Science? 6. Scientific Methodology in the Engineering Sciences II: Engineering Reasoning 7. Engineering Design and the Quest for Optimality 8. Prescriptive Engineering Knowledge 9. Engineering as Art and the Art of Engineering 10. Creativity and Discovery in Engineering 11. Uncertainty 12. Scenarios 13. Systems Engineering as Engineering Philosophy 14. Assessing Provenance and Bias in Big Data III: Ontology 15. Artifacts 16. Engineering Objects 17. Use Plans 18. Function in Engineering 19. Emergence in Engineering 20. Towards an Ontology of Innovation: On the New, the Political-Economic Dimension and the Intrinsic Risks Involved in Innovation Processes IV: Engineering Design Processes 21. Engineering Design 22. Values and Design 23. Design Methods and Validation 24. Human-Centred Design and its Inherent Ethical Qualities 25. Sustainable Design 26. Maintenance V: Engineering Activities and Methods 27. Measurement 28. Models in Engineering and Design 29. Scale Modeling 30. Computer Simulations 31. Experimentation 32. On Verification and Validation in Engineering VI: Values in Engineering 33. Values in Risk and Safety Assessment 34. Engineering and Sustainability: Control and Care in Unfoldings of Modernity 35. The Role of Resilience in Engineering 36. Trust in Engineering 37. Aesthetics 38. Health 39. Philosophy of Security Engineering VII: Responsibilities in Engineering Practice 40. Ethical Considerations in Engineering 41. Autonomy in Engineering 42. Standards in Engineering 43. Professional Codes of Ethics 44. Responsibilities to the Public—Professional Engineering Societies 45. Engineering as a Political Practice 46. Global Engineering Ethics 47. Engineering Practice and Engineering Policy: The Narrative Form of Engineering Policy Advice VIII: Reimagining Engineering 48. Feminist Engineering and Gender 49. Socially Responsible Engineering 50. Engineering and Social Justice 51. Engineering and Environmental Justice 52. Beyond Traditional Engineering: Green, Humanitarian, Social Justice, and Omnium Approaches 53. Engineering and Contemporary Continental Philosophy of Technology 54. Engineering Practice from the Perspective of Methodical Constructivism and Culturalism 55. Reimagining the Future of Engineering
