Engineering Peace and Justice: The Responsibility of Engineers to Society - Hardcover

Vesilind, P. Aarne

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1848826737 ISBN 13: 9781848826731

Publisher: Springer, 2010

Synopsis

Some years ago when I was chair of the department of civil and environmental engineering, a colleague introduced me to a visitor from Sandia Laboratories, perhaps the largest developer of armaments and weapons systems in the world. We had a nice visit, and as we chatted, the talk naturally centered on the visitor’s engineering work. It turned out that his job in recent years had been to develop a new acoustic triggering device for bombs. As he explained it, the problem with bombs was that the plunger triggering mechanism could fail if the bomb hit at an angle, and thus the explosives would not detonate. To get around this, he dev- oped an acoustic trigger that would detonate the explosives as soon as the bomb hit any solid surface, even at an angle. As he talked, I watched his face. His enthusiasm for his work was clearly e- dent, and his animated explanations of what they had developed at Sandia exuded pride and excitement. I thought about asking him what it felt like to have spent his engineering career designing better ways to kill people or to destroy property – the sole purpose of a bomb. I wondered how many people had been killed because this man had dev- oped a clever acoustic triggering device. But good sense and decorum prevailed and I did not ask him such questions. We parted as friends and in good spirits.

About this title

About the Author

Aarne Vesilind worked in engineering education for about 35 years, teaching environmental engineering and professional ethics first at Duke University and then at Bucknell University, where he held a chaired professorship and organized a successful conference on peace engineering.

From the Back Cover

The engineering profession has evolved considerably from the early engineers who were, almost without exception, employed in the making of war or in the defense of nations. Civil engineering emerged in the 18^th century, providing an alternative for many engineers, and today there is a strong movement in the development of "peace engineering" – the pro-active use of engineering skills in the promotion of peace. Engineering Peace and Justice: The Responsibility of Engineers to Society details the history of the profession, including its ethical commitment to the public good, and shows how engineers have, in the past, served their clients as either military or civilian engineers.

As well as presenting a discussion of the evolution of engineering, the book also examines concepts of ethical engineering, including the engineer’s duty to society; engineering’s relationship to war and peace; and the engineer’s commitment to the environment. The final section details some stories of contemporary engineers who have used their technical skills in the promotion of peace, becoming "peace engineers".

Engineering Peace and Justice: The Responsibility of Engineers to Society will be of interest to anyone involved in the engineering profession. Students contemplating careers in engineering will also find this book an inspiring guide to more vocational roles in the field.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 1848826737
• ISBN 13: 9781848826731
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 175