Overview
- Is the first-ever monograph on the philosophy of engineering in China
- Clarifies the differences between “I create, therefore I am” and “I think, therefore I am” mentalities
- Illustrates the three stages of engineering activities: planning and decision-making, operating, and using artifacts
Part of the book series: Philosophy of Engineering and Technology (POET, volume 39)
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About this book
This book is the first academic work on the philosophy of engineering in China that reflects two decades of research. It puts forward a new thesis, namely that the core maxim in the philosophy of engineering is “I create, therefore I am,” which is radically different from the Cartesian maxim: “I think, therefore I am.” In addition, the book offers the first detailed portrait of the roots and evolution of the philosophy of engineering in China.
The book begins by discussing the triptych thesis of science, technology and engineering, which argues that there are a number of important distinctions between the three, e.g. scientific activities are chiefly based on discovery, while technological activities center on invention, and engineering activities focus on creation. Considering the latest developments in the philosophy of engineering, the author also analyzes engineering communities, engineering practice and a micro–meso–macro framework. In subsequent chapters, the author separately analyzes the three stages of engineering activities: planning, operating and using artifacts. In the closing chapter, two views on the philosophy of engineering (as a new subdiscipline of philosophy and as a philosophy in its own right) are briefly explained.
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Keywords
Table of contents (5 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
Authors and Affiliations
About the author
Dr. Bocong Li is Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Engineering Studies (a quarterly publication in Chinese).
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Engineering
Book Subtitle: I Create, Therefore I Am
Authors: Bocong Li
Translated by: Shunfu Zhang, Nan Wang
Series Title: Philosophy of Engineering and Technology
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-64088-3
Publisher: Springer Berlin, Heidelberg
eBook Packages: Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and Religion (R0)
Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer-Verlag GmbH, DE, part of Springer Nature 2021
Hardcover ISBN: 978-3-662-64087-6Published: 20 October 2021
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-662-64090-6Published: 21 October 2022
eBook ISBN: 978-3-662-64088-3Published: 19 October 2021
Series ISSN: 1879-7202
Series E-ISSN: 1879-7210
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XX, 243
Number of Illustrations: 1 b/w illustrations
Topics: Philosophy of Science, Engineering Ethics, Engineering/Technology Education