No one has lived more deeply in this world living artifice

than engineers. Engineers are only beginning to share their

design lives with the larger world by means of conceptual
analysis and critical reflection. This is an analysis and
reflection from which the philosophical world would
nevertheless profit, and to which they might contribute, if
they would but make the effort to begin to enter it.

Why is philosophy important to engineering? Ultimately and

most deeply it is because engineering is philosophy - and
through philosophy engineering will become more itself.

Philosophy has not paid sufficient attention to engineering. Nevertheless, engineering should
not use this as an excuse to ignore philosophy. The argument here is that philosophy is
important to engineering for at least three reasons. First, philosophy is necessary so that
engineers may understand and defend themselves against philosophical criticisms. In fact, there
is a tradition of engineering philosophy that is largely overlooked, even by engineers. Second,
philosophy, especially ethics, is necessary to help engineers deal with professional ethical
problems.

Philosophy is not merely reading about philosophers. It is the art of thinking. It is

learning how to think and reason. Philosophy is the foundation of all knowledge and
without it math, science, art, etc. would not exist.

Philosophy is Greek and means “lover of wisdom”. That is why it is most important.
Engineers can help reflect on the conceptual foundations of what th ey do and tease out what types of
knowledge (tacit and otherwise) that they use. Engaging practitioners of engineering on all of these
things is key in helping to get the right philosophical answers but also in helping to bring the insights
from philosophy back into engineering practice and education.

For fPET 2018, we want a diverse mix of philosophical approaches, but are especially keen for
analysis that engages with the richness of engineering practice. In this vein, studies that seek to
understand and potentially give advice to engineers in practice are desired, both ethically as well as
practically. Prior to fPET, we will work with a mix of engineers and philosophers to dialog and
attempt to create shared insights across both fields, focusing on refle cting on engineering practice.
The Washington, DC area is a unique place to host an fPET: there are many engineers in the extended
DC metropolitan area, including many who work in government and as contractors. We will have a
diverse community of philosophers, engineers, scientists and public policy practitioners together by
hosting it at the University of Maryland, College Park, helping to put engineering into a broader
government context.