Engineering Ethics as Theorizing Technology: Reconstructing Engineering Ethics through Philosophy of Technology

Abstract

This paper proposes a reconstruction of engineering ethics by integrating philosophical perspectives on technology. Traditional approaches often emphasize individual responsibility and normative decision-making, overlooking the structural and societal dimensions of technology. Drawing on postphenomenology and political philosophy of technology, this study reframes engineering ethics as a form of theorizing technologyーaddressing ethical concerns at the design stage and recognizing the mediating role of technology in shaping human action and experience. It advocates engineering ethics as civic education, fostering critical reflection and ethical imagination among engineers and the public, and calls for institutional frameworks to support ethical engagement in technological practice.