Toward an Epistemology of Engineering

Abstract

What's Engineering Knowledge? How different is it from traditional Scientific Knowledge? How can we obtain reliable Engineering Knowledge? How can we assess the value of Engineering Knowledge? To help answer these questions and contribute to a reflection on the epistemology of engineering, we propose a model where engineering is seen as developing in four dimensions linked in a transdisciplinary relationship. We then articulate this model with the four key questions of the philosophy of knowledge, to clarify the nature of this relationship and illuminate some distinctive attributes of engineering knowledge.