About the philosophy section

Welcome to the site of the department of 

Philosophy

Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management

The mission of the Philosophy section is to contribute to the professional and academic education of future engineers and to conduct research into philosophical problems related to modern technology and its impact on society.

The first part of the mission is accomplished by providing service teaching on foundational and normative issues for all engineering programs at the University of Technology Delft. The main topics of these courses are ethics and engineering, philosophy of science and technology, and argumentation and critical thinking. The Philosophy section has specifically been entrusted the task of developing and introducing required courses in ethics and engineering in all the university’s engineering programs by the board of directors of the university.

Through its research the Philosophy section aims to contribute to ongoing debates about the nature of modern technology and its role in society. Its research program focuses on foundational and methodological problems with respect to technology, e.g. the nature of technical artifacts and technological systems as socio-technical systems, and ethical problems in the design, development and implementation of technology, notably ethical problems related to technological risks.