The Philosophy of Science and Engineering Design

This book discusses the relationship between the philosophy of science and philosophy of engineering, and demonstrates how philosophers of engineering design as well as design researchers can benefit from the conceptual toolkit that the philosophy of science has to offer. 
In this regard, it employs conceptual tools from the philosophical literature on scientific explanation to address key issues in engineering design and philosophy of engineering design. Specifically, the book focuses on assessing the explanatory value of function ascriptions used in engineering design and philosophy of technical functions; on elaborating the structure of explanation in engineering design; on assessing the role and value of design representations in engineering design and philosophy thereof; and on elaborating means for the testing of design methods.

Presenting a novel and effective approach to tackling key issues in the field, philosophers of engineering and design alike willgreatly benefit from this book.

List of contents

Introduction.- Chapter 1: Function Ascription and Explanation: Elaborating an Explanatory Utility Desideratum for Ascriptions of Technical Functions.- Chapter 2: Mechanistic Explanation in Engineering Science.- Chapter 3: Dissolving the 'Problem of the Absent Artifact': Design Representations as Means for Counterfactual Understanding and Knowledge Generalization.- Chapter 4: On Testing Engineering Design Methods: Explanation, Reverse Engineering, and Constitutive Relevance.

Product details

• Authors: Dingmar van Eck, Dingmar van Eck
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 29.08.2016
• EAN: 9783319351544
• ISBN: 978-3-31-935154-4
• No. of pages: 75
• Dimensions: 149 mm x 7 mm x 237 mm
• Weight: 149 g
• Illustrations: IX, 75 p. 9 illus.
• Series: SpringerBriefs in Philosophy
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Philosophy > General, dictionaries; Maschinenbau, C, Philosophy of Science, Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, Mechanics, Mechanics of solids, Mechanics, Applied, Religion and Philosophy, Philosophy and science, Engineering Mechanics