| Description |
1 online resource (viii, 126 pages) : illustrations, digital file |
| Series |
Synthesis lectures on engineers, technology, and society, 1933-3641 ; # 14 |
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Synthesis digital library of engineering and computer science.
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Synthesis lectures on engineers, technology, & society ; # 14. 1933-3641
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| Contents |
Introduction -- 1. Technical artefacts -- A world made by humans -- Technical artefacts and natural objects -- Technical artefacts and social objects -- Technical functions -- The moral status of technical artefacts -- Conclusion: the dual nature of technical artefacts -- A few more issues |
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2. Technical designing -- Characterising technical designing -- The structure of technical designing -- Reasoning in technical designing -- Engineers, designers, users and other roles -- Conclusion -- A few more issues |
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3. Ethics and designing -- Ethics -- Engineers as designers of actions -- Values and the design process -- The development of quieter aeroplane engines -- Regulative frameworks -- Conclusion -- A few more issues |
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4. Technological knowledge -- Engineers and knowledge -- What engineers know: two examples -- Forms and features of technological knowledge -- Conclusion -- A few more issues |
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5. Sociotechnical systems -- Hybrid systems -- System roles for people: user and operator -- Rules and coordination mechanisms -- System designs and system boundaries -- The mid-air collision above Überlingen -- System design and controllability -- Conclusion -- A few more issues |
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6. The role of social factors in technological development -- Utopian and dystopian views of technological development -- Technological determinism -- Social constructivism -- The role of physical-technical and social factors in designing -- The evolution of civil aviation -- Conclusion -- A few more issues |
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7. Ethics and unintended consequences of technology -- Unintended consequences and risks -- Sociotechnical systems and responsibility -- Technology as a social experiment -- Conclusion -- A few more issues |
| Summary |
Technology is analysed from a series of different perspectives. The analysis starts by focussing on the most tangible products of technology, called technical artefacts, and then builds step-wise towards considering those artefacts within their context of use, and ultimately as embedded in encompassing sociotechnical systems that also include humans as operators and social rules like legislation. Philosophical characterisations are given of technical artefacts, their context of use and of sociotechnical systems. Analyses are presented of how technical artefacts are designed in engineering and what types of technological knowledge is involved in engineering. And the issue is considered how engineers and others can or cannot influence the development of technology. These characterisations are complemented by ethical analyses of the moral status of technical artefacts and the possibilities and impossibilities for engineers to influence this status when designing artefacts and the sociotechnical systems in which artefacts are embedded. The running example in the book is aviation, where aeroplanes are examples of technical artefacts and the world aviation system is an example of a sociotechnical system. Issues related to the design of quiet aeroplane engines and the causes of aviation accidents are analysed for illustrating the moral status of designing, and the role of engineers therein |
| Analysis |
Philosophy of technology |
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Technical artefacts |
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Sociotechnical systems |
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Ethics of technology |
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Designing |
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Use |
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Operators |
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Technological knowledge |
| Notes |
Part of: Synthesis digital library of engineering and computer science |
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Series from website |
| Bibliography |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 117-120) and index |
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Bibliography-Authors' biographies-Index |
| Subject |
Technology -- Philosophy.
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Technology -- Social aspects.
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Aeronautics -- Technological innovations
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TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING -- General.
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Aeronautics -- Technological innovations
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Technology -- Philosophy
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Technology -- Social aspects
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| Form |
Electronic book
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| Author |
Vermaas, Pieter E.
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| ISBN |
9781608455997 |
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1608455998 |
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9783031799716 |
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3031799712 |
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