Social responsibility of the engineer

Abstract

WHETHER engineers should assume a larger measure of social responsibility has been debated extensively during the last decade with practical results that are not impressive, yet there appears to be significant crystallization of professed opinion. While the view still lingers here and there that the engineer should stick to his technical knitting, letting other professional men worry about the social consequences of his work, there is nevertheless a pervasive and growing opinion that he should play a more active part in the social realm and that his educational preparation should take this aim into account. However, the extent of the discussion and of apparent agreement upon this point is out of all proportion to the practical results, as measured either by active participation or by changes in educational programs looking to participation. Progress seems to be stymied biologically; after professional maturity, we seem to exhibit a certain elasticity of professed view but tend nevertheless to cling tenaciously to established habits. Not having participated, we don't start. Thus as a profession of engineers and educators we seem to agree upon principle, and more or less let it go at that.