Reflections on Thomas Tredgold’s Definition of Engineering

What is engineering? To a practicing engineer or to a college student majoring in engineering this question might be too obvious to ask or its answer too simple to bother articulating. Certainly, an engineering professor, an engineering educator, will have a ready answer... In any case, it behooves every engineer to consider and seek a broad, deep understanding of what he or she is about—after all, engineers know the value of good definitions. It is especially incumbent upon the Christian engineer to consider what engineering is in light of the Christian faith, in light of God, creation, man, Christ, and the gospel, as revealed in scripture. The concepts in this paper have been developed in the context of the first-year Introduction to Engineering course at a Christian university, with the understanding that it is wise to start one’s journey as a Christian engineer by considering what engineering is in light of the Christian faith. As with most things, the prospects of finishing well are enhanced by starting well. At the same time, reflecting on the definition of engineering is appropriate for the practicing Christian engineer. Fresh insights may be gleaned, and a deeper commitment to Christ and his calling may be inspired. The follower of Christ never outgrows the fundamental truths of the gospel, and revisiting those truths frequently is a source of spiritual growth. The practicing Christian engineer similarly benefits from the revisiting of engineering fundamentals if only to be reminded of what he or she is about. Many definitions of engineering have been put forward. “Engineering is problem-solving” is a common one and has the benefit of being short and easy to remember. However, this definition is really too simple. All humans are problem-solvers: engineers, nurses, lawyers, plumbers, and baseball players. It is true and interesting to an extent that, in a very general sense, virtually every individual is an engineer—that everyone engineers—but we seek here a narrower definition that will be useful in understanding engineering in its conventional sense as a field of study and a profession. How else might engineering be defined? Shortly after starting his first engineering position (c. 1994), the author formulated the following: “Engineering is the intersection of science and business” [1]. But this is too narrow, if only with regard to context; engineering takes place in settings other than the private, for-profit sector. An “official” definition composed by a panel of experts defines engineering as [2]: Business, government, academic, or individual efforts in which knowledge of mathematical and/or natural science is employed in research, development, design, manufacturing, systems engineering, or technical operations with the objective of creating and/or delivering systems, products, processes, and/or services of a technical nature and content intended for use. This is comprehensive and informative, listing many contexts and products, but it is unwieldy, and using it as a basis for reflection risks missing the forest for the trees. Finally, we have the classic definition from Thomas Tredgold, a 19th century civil engineer [3]: Engineering is the art of directing the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man. Tredgold captures the essence of the previous definitions, but his is pithy and poetic. It has stood the test of time, it is memorable, and it is accessible to a wide audience. This paper will take Tredgold’s definition as a framework for reflecting on what engineering is in light of the Christian faith.