# What Western Philosophers of Technology Might Learn from Li Bocong’s Philosophy of Engineering

## TL;DR

This essay highlights how Li Bocong's philosophy of engineering can enrich Western philosophical perspectives on technology.

## Contribution

The paper introduces Li Bocong's underappreciated ideas on engineering as a broader, socially and ethically engaged practice.

## Key findings

- Engineering involves more than just design, according to Li Bocong.
- The sociology of engineering is crucial for understanding technological development.
- Engineering ethics should extend beyond professional standards to broader societal concerns.

## Abstract

This essay aims to rectify a failure on the part of Western philosophers of technology to attend to the creative philosophical work of Li Bocong at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing. After a brief account of Li Bocong’s personal contacts with the West and some remarks on his relationship to Marxism, we take up three aspects of his philosophy that can contribute to enlarging Western philosophical thinking about engineering and technology: (1) Li’s analysis of engineering as more than design, (2) his argument for the relevance of the sociology of engineering, and (3) his conceptualization of engineering ethics as more than professional ethics.