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The Conceptual Elusiveness of Engineering Functions :A Philosophical Analysis

机译:工程功能的概念模糊性的哲学分析

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In this paper, we describe the conceptual elusiveness of the notion of function as used in engineering practice. We argue that it should be accepted as an ambiguous notion, and then review philosophical argumentations in which engineering functions occur in order to identify the consequences of this ambiguity. Function is a key notion in engineering, yet is used by engineers systematically in a variety of meanings. First, we demonstrate that this ambiguous use is rational for engineers by considering the role of functions in design methods and by analysing the ambiguity in terms of Kuhn's notion of methodological incommensurability. Second, we discuss ontological and mereological analyses of engineering functions and describe a proof that subfunctions cannot formally be taken as parts of the functions they decompose. Engineering functions figure sometimes in philosophical work and are then typically taken as having an unambiguous, well-defined meaning. Finally, we therefore revisit work in philosophy of technology on the dual nature of technical artefacts, in philosophy of science on functional and mechanistic explanations, and in philosophy of biology on biological functions, and explore the consequences of the fact that engineering function is an ambiguous notion. It is argued that one of these consequences may be that also the notion of biological function has an ambiguous meaning.
机译:在本文中,我们描述了在工程实践中使用的功能概念的概念上的难以捉摸。我们认为应将其作为一个模棱两可的概念来接受,然后再回顾其中发生工程功能的哲学论证,以便确定这种歧义的后果。功能是工程学中的关键概念,但工程师已以各种含义系统地使用了功能。首先,我们通过考虑功能在设计方法中的作用并根据库恩的方法不可通约性概念分析歧义,证明这种模棱两可的用法对于工程师是合理的。其次,我们讨论了工程功能的本体论和行为学分析,并描述了不能正式将子功能视为其分解功能的一部分的证明。工程功能有时在哲学著作中体现出来,然后通常被认为具有明确,明确的含义。最后,因此,我们重新审视关于技术制品的双重性质的技术哲学,关于功能和机理解释的科学哲学以及关于生物学功能的生物学哲学,并探讨工程功能模棱两可这一事实的后果。概念。有人认为,这些后果之一可能是生物学功能的概念也有含糊的含义。

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