Getting ready for the Forsythe, Latour/Woolgar discussion

We've been looking at "engineering" through a number of lenses - the first one was an "insider" view (Bucciarelli and Koen are both engineers). This week we focus on "outsider" views. You might ask WHY? What might an outsider allow us to see about engineering or science or what might they allow us to see in new ways? This will be the focus of discussion this week.

Moving into thinking about "engineering"

Our readings for the next week are some classic and contemporary works on how some engineers have written about the nature of engineering. Some questions for you to think about:

1. What does each argue about the nature of engineering (what would be their answer to the question ‘what is engineering?’ what do engineers know and how do they come to know it?’)?
2. How do they build their arguments (what evidence to convince their readers)? What was persuasive (or not) about their arguments? Why?
3. Where are the similarities and differences between these three readings?

Enjoy the readings!

Week 1: Noddings Chs 1-4

Philosophy of education is the philosophical study of education problems:  the aims or goals of education, the question of who is educated,  and how should they how educated, and what is the role of the State in education.  Philosophers of education

• ask "what is" and "what should be" 
• construct positions through arguing the likely outcome-consequences of choices
• are focused on directed persuasion
• use philosophical analysis to get at these such as analyzing language and epistemological stances

In chapters 1-4, Noddings articulates educational philosophies that are still relevant today. What does each philosopher/y have to say about the purpose of education, who is educated (and what they are educated for), how they are educated, and what it means to be educated?  How does this help you understand your own educational experiences thus far?