APS1018 The Engineer in Society; Ethics, History, Philosophy
APS1018 The Engineer in Society; Ethics, History, Philosophy
This course has been designed for the reflective engineer with experience in the workplace. Though those without real world industry experience are welcome. Designed by a professional engineer for engineers, technologists, applied scientists and engineering executives, it will help practitioners reflect on their role in society and understand how that role has been shaped and is constantly changing. Most of the world’s leading employers depend on engineers, technologists, and applied scientists to design new technological systems, products and services and effectively operate and sustains these systems. Human resource leaders are charged with attracting, motivating, developing, and retaining these individuals, as well as partnering with them on large-scale systems change. This course provides insider insight into the way engineers think and feel about the work they do. It begins by studying the history of medieval and modern technology and proceeds to explore the rise of engineering science, the engineering disciplines and 19th century professionalization. And finally we explore how engineering ethics, culture, philosophy and identity has been shaped and forged in various countries, and how this impacts the role of the engineer in society. Each term we adapt themes across many aspects of society including, Military Industrial Security Complex, Big Pharma, Cyber Security, Technology and Privacy, Industry-Banking-Power-Politics, Globalization, Engineering Profession and Politics. We also look at futurism, and ethical implications – 4th industrial revolution and smart cities, telecommunications, mass media control, robotization of the military, biological engineering, transhumanism, war, business, and profit.
What also comes to mind for me is the concept “I wished I had known then what I know now”. This is often a sentiment by older people (50 plus) who look back on their careers or life in general and wish they had the “wisdom” to make a different decision or choose a different path but lacked the awareness at the time to explore other choices. Here are past student team research projects:
- Fall 2012 – Engineering Profession in China
- Fall 2013
- Summer 2014 – Engineering Culture in Various Countries
- Summer 2015 – Engineering Impact on Business and Society
- Apollo Program-The Social, Political, & Technological Impact of the Man on the Moon
- Dam Engineering-The Social, Political, & Technological Impact of Dams on Society
- Big Science -Social, Political, & Technological Impact of Big Science and Big Engineering Behind it
- Transportation Projects – Highways: Intersections of Engineering, Business and Society
- Transportation and the Passive Society- The Role of Engineer in Society
- Development of Commercial Aviation-The Social, Political, & Technological Impact on Society
- Summer 2016 – Engineering Disasters – Lessons to be Learned – Dedicated to the late Don Lawson
- Summer 2017
- Information Security (This project was conducted before the Facebook scandal broke)
- Artificial Intelligence and it’s implications (Policy, Strategic Drivers, moral and ethical considerations, Impact on Engineering
- Policy and Innovation: Can Governments Regulate, Legislate, and Spend their Way to Technological Progress?
- Collaborative Engineering Design
- The Engineering Profession in Ontario: Past and Future- How engineers were legislated by the government and the rationale behind it.
- Summer 2018 – Impact of Transhumanism
- Winter 2019
- Summer 2019
- Winter 2020 – 100% Online
- Summer 2020 – 100% Online
- Winter 2022 – 100% Online
- Winter 2023 – 100% Online
- Winter 2024 – 100% Online
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