The Role of an Engineer
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Aristotle's philosophy is one part culture and one part abstract logic. In other words, a logic exists independent of culture, but the culture must embrace that logic in its own way. There are some moral criteria which are non-negotiable, such as the virtues. Courage, Friendship, and generosity are virtues shaped largely out of abstract logic, but they are constrained by the individual's capacities in their fulfillment. This creates a fairly rigid placeholder for virtues, the fulfillment of which can vary. For instance, a frail man and a very strong man can each be courageous, however this does not mean that they should act the same in every situation. If the frail man faces a very strong man in battle, and tries to fight the strong man knowing he cannot defeat the strong man, he has acted foolishly, not courageously. So there is a proper action relative to the individual's qualities for a given set of circumstances.
Consider the Following professional roles, adapted from the text:
Savior: The way we engineer technology can not only be used to solve problems related to technological development, but it can also be used to address social and cultural problems. The Engineer is society's redeemer in that he/she uses engineering principles to create technology and a way of thinking that will solve large-scale social problems.
Guardian: Engineer's share responsibility for the technological development of society and the solutions to its problems with public servants. In this view, Engineers would be very influential consultants if not chief decision makers.
Bureaucratic Servant: The engineer does what his employer tells him to and asks no questions or offers no interventions.
Social Servant: The engineer does what the marketplace demands. In this view, the engineer is primarily loyal to the collectively expressed desires of the population, and only intervenes with the employer as an advocate of those desires.
Social Enabler and Catalyst: Though the engineer submits to the authority of management and public desires, he/she acts as an educator, to help management and society understand their interests.
Game player: Engineers are essentially selfish business people, who are advocates for no one but themselves. They seek to promote their own interests through whatever social structures serve their individual interests best. |
