Philosophy and Engineering Education: New Perspectives, an Introduction

All educators bring to their work preconceived ideas of  what the curriculum should be and how students learn. Seldom are they  thought through. Since without an adequate philosophical base it is  difficult to bring about desirable changes in policy and practice, it is  necessary that educators have defensible philosophies of engineering  education. This point is illustrated by recent debates on educational  outcomes which can be analysed in terms of competing curriculum  ideologies. While these ideologies inform the development of a  philosophy of engineering education they do so in light of a philosophy  of engineering for such a philosophy focuses on what engineering is, and  in particular how it differs from science. This is addressed in this  study through consideration of the differences in the modes of  abstraction required for the pursuit of science on the one hand, and the  pursuit of engineering design, on the other hand. It is shown that a  philosophy of engineering is not a philosophy of science or a philosophy  of engineering education, but it is from a philosophy of engineering  that a philosophy of engineering education is drawn. Uncertainty is  shown to be a key characteristic of engineering practice. A way of  formulating a philosophy of engineering is to consider it through the  classical prism that splits the subject into five divisions, namely  epistemology, metaphysics, logic, ethics aesthetics. Additionally,  “behaviour” also characterizes the practice of engineering.