Engineering philosophy in the globalized world

ENGINEERING PHILOSOPHY IN THE GLOBALIZED WORLD

I. P. Navka, S. G. Dzhura

Donetsk National Technical University

E-mail: *****@***dgtu.

Ideas govern the world

Plato

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The paper analyzes the present state of the engineering philosophy and its influence on the processes taking place in the world. The leading problems which could be solved by the historical process comprehension are emphasized, the conclusions are made, and the particular methods to solve the problems which arise in the informational community are shown.

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The informational revolution followed by the computer revolution and resulted in creation of the global informational networks is the main sign of the century which is past. The mankind passed swiftly the post-industrial epoch and entered the informational one. The latter is presented by two powerful branches: 1) the information obtained from the environment, processed by the mankind and resulted in science theories. It’s the science development; 2) mass information on the mankind present state which is brought ( or is not) to practically all people and which requires more and more new methods and facilities /1,2/.

At the same time the informational revolution made it possible to put forward and implement the ideas of the “open society”. But here a rather serious paradox arose. It was to lead to the crisis ( first of all to the ecological one in the broadest sense of the word) and has already done it. The matter is that globalization developed, first of all, into the informational freedom of the information getting. But the information could be both positive and vividly negative ( e. g. informational wars). From the other hand, the idea of the freedom itself could be understood differently. Thus, the evolution integration and globalization of the society ( mainly as understanding of the situation the developing world appears in) have evidently positive character. The problem lies in the purpose the evolution subjects (personalia, organizations, countries etc.) act with.

The first approach: to have the Earth planet population shadowed with the help of the Internet, apply new technologies and make it being zombies in fact.

The other approach: to discuss the present state with the help of the global network, find adherents, create evolution and socially significant projects, and give the findings to those who need them. In this case the Internet would be the Knowledge accumulator.

It is the philosophical evaluation that is needed in connection with the problems. We are pleased to underline the “engineering philosophy” which is a new section of philosophy is being developed. The authors of the paper made a number of presentations at the international conferences and discussed the creation of virtual communities /2/, engineering ecological problems /3/, noosphere through the Internet /4/, and the evolution content of the Internet /5/. All this should be examined through the prism of the philosophical comprehension of the aim of the life /6/.

As the Law University hosts the conference I would like to discuss the correlation between the human and space laws. But it is a separate problem which is not examined in the paper.

I would also like to analyze different approaches to the human development and points of view on the Universe. The mankind moves from anthropocentrism ( where a man is the centre of existence) through the cognition borders broadening to the geocentrism and noosphere thinking.

If to have the evolution understanding of the Internet the latter can do much:

1.  Through - transference of the ideas ( as E-mails, ICQ, etc.)

2.  Consistency of the watch ( the sites with the positive information are assimilated to the candle lit at the altar where other candles ( cognition of other people coming ) are lit.

3.  Freedom of the information choice ( the implemented principle of the free will is seen here as nowhere else).

4.  Attraction on the assonance base ( the visits to the sites are paid on the inner assonance base).

5.  The network is the spatial storage of the Information ( e. g. placement of the Living Ethics within the Network is the implementation of the parable on the necessity to put it to the spatial and informational cross-roads which is the Network).

6.  Spatial service. The evolution information works within the network, lights up the people’s cognition and follows the Roerich’s precept which is “Light up hearts!”

7.  The international collaboration is implemented within the Network as joint projects, forums, conferences etc.

8.  The space cleaning. The sites are the spatial trouble dischargers and fulfil a serious evolution function.

The Internet is able to embody the ancient dream of the mankind which is primeval wandering. The way is said to make a man. All great prophets were wanderers, and a man himself is the world’s wanderer too. He finds a chance for self-fulfillment of his real essence within the Internet virtual space. The wish to immediately find himself where he wants to becomes the immediate reality here.

Further on the Internet should be considered the organized and structured knowledge space /7/, the peculiar technical prototype of the noosphere of V. I. Vernadsky /4,5/.

Here is the brief classification of the possibilities the technical virtual reality has:

The first one: every person has a chance to introduce the results of his activity to many other people all over the world which can be considered self-expression through the creation of the personal Internet page or Internet project (e. g. The Museums of Russia: http://www. museum. ru/, The Golden Philosophy - http://philosophy. /) or аny other socially significant virtual forms such as the Network Channel of Roerich’s news Roerich-NWC etc. The second one: because of the real distance deletion there is a chance to take part at different social movements, “round tables” (through the Internet forums and news groups), create numerous virtual communities for the love of psychology, medicine, religion, vegetarianism, philosophical poetry etc. The third one: the quick exchange of the information takes place, different problems are discussed by E-mail, virtual room –chat -, Internet pager –ICQ. The fourth one: the works of many authors have a chance not to be shelved. It is a well known fact that any author expects to have the social opinion on his work, and the thought that other people will never see his works is unbearable for him. This list will be continued below though it won’t be complete as the global network is in motion and constantly developed and expanded.

The main thing is that the network gives the individual broad opportunities to act. This is very important to the people with the limited physical abilities.

The virtual collection of signatures against unpopular and harmful undertakings such as deforesting within the Amazon delta or construction of the trunk road through the forbidden and sacred places in Altai, or wars is the obvious case of such social activity. To take part in the act it is enough to mention the person’s name and passport number and send the message. Thus, it is the real mechanism of social correction of many government programmes in different countries.

It is a historical fact that a European university is established at the place where the library is. The university is the place where people can get universal knowledge. There are a lot of virtual libraries ( e. g. lib. ru or ). Each serious publishing house or journal has its own site (e. g. http://www. /journal/). So, there is a chance to get the so-called noosphere education : a person can enrich himself with the world’s wisdom (or at least with its part) in accordance with his skills and diligence.

The current epoch presents some interest as, in accordance with the esoteric source, it’s high time to reveal the Oriental Secret Doctrine ( e. g. The Secrete Doctrine after E. P. Blavatskaya). The access to the knowledge is possible now due to the Internet which is the technical prototype of the intellect sphere ( “sphere” as it covers the globe, and “intellect” as it keeps the mankind mental creativity products).

Thus, the globalization discovered by the Internet epoch is to be the combination of all forces which work for the sake of the evolution. Only in this case they have the right to exist. In its turn it is possible only under the critical self-approach and discussion and support of a number of socially significant projects. Some of them can be found at http:///conference. htm . Here the law described in the Living Ethics works : like likes like. The network social aspects are described by the authors in /8/. Even the primeval problem on the life sense can be solved within the engineering philosophy frames /6/.

Conclusions: the engineering philosophy, which is the new trend of the globalization epoch, should be developed. It should be based not only on the Western philosophy but mainly on the Oriental one, and esoteric science which should be introduced into the science turnover. It’s the Earth planet’s future and is to be supported. At present the mankind is being taken the maturity exam. A lot has been achieved but a number of crisis show that everything is far from all right. The understanding of the objective reality from the context of the engineering philosophy ( which, by the highest standards, is to be created) will help to overcome any crisis and pass this difficult maturity exam.

Coming back to the paper’s epigraph I should say that now it is topical as never before. The youth are the main Network’s users. Besides, passing of the best which was accumulated to the youth is one of the primeval problems. It is the inextinguishable icon-lamp that should be passed timidly and not being put out. The future will be determined by the ideas found by the youth within the Network as well. I’m sure everybody wants the future to be Bright.

Reference:

1.  I. P. Navka. V. I. Vernadsky. The Science Social Role/ Proceedings of the International Science Conference The Vernadsky’s Creative Heritage and the Present.- Donetsk: Donbass, 2001.-p. 11-16.

2.  Ilya Navka, Sergey Dzhura. The Synergetyc Model of Virtual Communities / Proceedings of International Conference in Bucharest Polytechnical University "Tehnologii Colitate Masini Materiale - CITAF 2001" . - Bucharest, 2001. - 316-317 p.

3.  S. G. Dzhura. To the Human Being’s Ecology through the Ecology of Spirit and Thinking Culture/ Ecology Problems, #1. Donetsk: DonSTU, 1998.-p. 59-62.

4.  S. G. Dzhura. Noosphere through the Internet/ Proceedings of the International Science Conference The Vernadsky’s Creative Heritage and the Present.- Donetsk: Donbass, 2001.-p. 156-159.

5.  S. G. Dzhura. The Internet Evolutional Content / Proceedings of the Conference Living Ethics and the Future Science.- Yaroslavl, 2001.-p. 154-165.

6.  S. G. Dzura. The Life Sense Search: the Natural Science and the Humanities Synthesis Aspects: http://www. /aipe/russian/path. htm

7.  M. A. Basin, I. I. Shilovich. Synergy and the Internet ( the way to the Synergonet). SPb.; Nauka. 1999.-71 p.

8.  S. G. Dzhura. Social Aspects of the Virtual Reality// A Person in the Social World: problems, Research, Perspectives. Science and Practical News-letter. Issue 2002/2 (#9).- Tula NII MP RAEN. –p. 78-80.