Engineering rigor and its discontents
Thursday, March 5, 2009
This extended abstract (here) critically examines the use of the terms “rigorous” and “soft” in the context of engineering modeling. Common engineering usage of the terms is contrasted with Toulmin’s notion of “reasonableness” and Schoen’s notion of “reflective practice.” The abstract continues by considering an economic model of models in engineering, suggesting that overly “rigorous” engineering practice may box itself into being unable to afford the models it values, thereby presenting a conundrum for the practice and teaching engineering that demands relaxation.
