Publisher's Synopsis
Challenging the conventional view that engineering design has its roots in "theory" and consists in the application of theory in "practice", this book aims to increase awareness of the philosophy of engineering amongst practising engineers, academics and students. The author follows approaches well-established in the history and philosophy of science to give an improved understanding of engineering and design.;The book begins by looking at some problems related to the nature of design and design theory, and at Rankine's proposed solution, the harmony theory and practice. The author then proposes alternative views concerning the nature of engineering knowledge and introduces the concept of the design procedure. This is used in conjunction with Kohn's idea of the "scientific revolution", to develop a view of engineering as a skill and to look at its history in terms of structural design revolutions, illustrated by a recent major design revolution, the plastic design of steel framed structures, and an interpretation of "Gothic" design as a design revolution. The author concludes with a number of suggestions for new avenues of research which challenge the contemporary view that engineering science is the only academically respectable area. Finally, the author outlines the consequences of his proposed views for the study of the history of engineering and suggests ways in which they could influence engineering education.
