Abstract

Engineers love to build ‘things’ and have an innate sense of wanting to help society. However, these desires are often not connected or developed through reflections on the complexities of philosophy, biology, economics, politics, environment, and culture. To guide future efforts and to best bring about human flourishment and a just world, our volume, Engineering and Philosophy: Reimagining Technology and Social Progress, brings together practitioners and scholars to inspire deeper conversations on the nature and varieties of engineering. The perspectives in this book are an act of reimagination: how does engineering work, how does it serve society, and in a vital sense, how should it. Our introductory chapter builds on the book’s perspectives to reframe notions of both technological and societal progress and the connection between the two. While there have long been philosophical and science and technology studies literatures that provide deeper perspectives on engineering, we worry that little of that reflection has actually shifted the practice and trajectory of engineering in a way that can better support societal progress. We seek to highlight how ‘reimagined’ conceptions of technological and societal progress can serve to provoke critical reflection about engineering among both engineers and everyday citizens. We conclude with a comment on what progress for the philosophy of engineering should look like, noting the need for both broad engagement and fundamental conceptual shifts.