Towards a philosophy of engineering

摘要

“Design as exploration” model is used to describe a generalized design approach focused on a synthesis process. We posit that design synthesis is the differentiating element that separates engineering as fundamentally different from the physical sciences. As such, it is design synthesis that is necessary and sufficient component to a philosophy of engineering. With this end in mind, design as exploration is used as a framework looking towards developing a philosophy of engineering. Design synthesis and the design as exploration model form the basis for a philosophy of engineering. In this paper, we present thoughts and reasons as to why design synthesis, as an embodiment of intelligence, is key to a philosophy of engineering.