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A BROAD VIEW ON THE EXISTENTIAL DELIGHTS OF ENGINEERING There is a fringe benefit that comes along with our familiarity with science; and with the technological applications of science (engineering); and this is that it helps make us feel at home in the world; because of the optimism of the engineers and their control over the environment; to the extent that the forces of nature have been comprehended, and the structure of the universe revealed. Engineers share in the understanding and this gives them some measure of contentment. This comfort; this inner peace- to my best of view is a basic ingredient of the existential pleasure/delight that is usually seen in an engineer. Even in the midst of harsh conditions, the public still looks up to engineers to proffer solutions. As Florman said, the typical engineer in this context- is the one who works hard; committed to real scientific facts and values; the one that is independent and committed to social order, and already has a foreknowledge of the forces that prevails in the physical universe. Thus recognizes a need for solution and therefore willingly accepts responsibility and “risk failure”. He/ she does this with seriousness and a passion for creativity, because engineers are members of the public, whatever affects the public also affects them; therefore, proffering this solution earns the engineer a prestige among members of the public. Hence awareness dawns on the engineer; an awareness of real self and personal control over the problem of the public- an instance of an infinitely broad view on the existential delights of engineering.

THE DELIGHTS OF PROFESSIONALISM Engineering is one out of many professions. We must also agree with Samuel Florman’s idea that a professional engineer is different from a mechanic or technician. According to him, engineering is the art and science of making practical applications of knowledge of pure sciences. In other words, engineers are not scientists, but the engineer uses the logic of science to achieve practical results that the scientist cannot achieve at all times. This shows a clear cut line between the professions. Consequently, I do not agree with Florman’s opinion of not making the first two years in the engineering school consist of Calculus, Physics and Chemistry so as not to scare away creative students that are not good at these subjects. This would reduce engineering education to a technically based learning schedule, hence the engineer’s professionalism would be in doubt; as clearly pointed out by Florman himself, the existentialism of engineering as a profession is the theoretical and technical know how of engineers. REALISM AND EXISTENTIALISM. According to Florman, “when engineering started to develop as a profession, it became a delight for the engineers as they began thinking of themselves as saviors of mankind”. With inventions and developments, man became relieved from drudgery and burdensome labor. Once the common man is released from drudgery, he inevitably becomes educated, cultured and ennobled; these improvements in human activities would be a credit to the engineering profession and in real scene would also call for complexity; because every new thing in technology is the beginning of another. These complexities makes the engineer feel smarter, hence derives existentialism. Paradoxically, Florman went ahead to ask that “ if engineers could solve problems by being open- minded and free from preconceptions and prejudices- by applying scientific methods- could not all men learn to think in this mode, and then would not ignorance, superstition and bigotry vanish?” No! It would not still vanish, because people whose minds have not been trained or who lack the ability to understand complex engineering principles and ethics still exist. As pointed out earlier, it is the complexity of the physical aspect of life (matter) that pushes engineers to work; thus, their delight lies there. I also criticize Florman’s use of “if”, because the decent engineer is open- minded and free of preconceptions. Engineers work based on scientific facts. Scientific facts are universal facts, they stand everywhere; since engineers have chosen to understand and work with these unchangeable facts; they have chosen realism. But an ignorant person that is still concerned with the authenticity of the fact is in a world of his own thoughts (unrealistic thought). And that is why I understood Florman’s irritation of the business community, dominating engineering activity. The facts that engineers work with generates their working ethics. The facts cannot always agree with the socialistic facts, since it is glaring that these facts are more realistic and firm. Hence the realism in the engineering profession should be a thing of engineering delight. ARE YE NOT gods? This subtitle is gotten from a quote in the bible. The bible from the beginning likens men to God. “…now let’s make man in our image…” Genesis 1 verse 26. According to Florman, questions such as those poised by the arts and humanities to engineering can be checked. Questions like “if people are entranced with trinkets, how can they plumb the depth of their spirit? If they are absorbed in analyzing systems and designing physical objects, how can they remain open for an encounter with Being? If they seek comfort, how can they expect to find truth?” I hereby put a check on these questions by referring to the bible. In Genesis, God blessed man to replenish the earth, having been created in His image. According to theologians, the scripture that says “ye are gods”, gives man the ability to invent and create like God; but what happens when everyone can’t do the God like activity of creation? In Exodus, we saw a God who would not perform magic to build the temple, but rather, He blessed the craftsmen (engineers), in person of Bezalel and Aholihab with wisdom to build. We could infer that the God delights in engineering. And as pointed out by Florman, this gives the engineer the feeling of being a god, priest as well as savior of mankind. THE MISCONCEPTION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT As pointed out by Florman, in the New Testament part of the bible, the story changed. He pointed out that “the Christian attitude toward work is somewhat ambivalent. Man is instructed not to labor toward material goals, yet the Benedictines teaches that idleness is the enemy of the soul”. Personally, I think Florman got it wrong at this point because of his failure to reflect fully on the Christian faith, which I might not blame him for. It’s the reflection on the Christian faith that is man’s theology, but even with that, we should also avoid ambiguity. Man is not perfect. Even the engineer doesn’t always feel good about the fact that the public expects his work to be perfect. According to Florman, the engineering view entails each successive engineering work tending to perfection. The new testaments, addressed the fact that there is something good and evil about every human, this is also the view of the public towards engineering. So, the theologians feel that the recognition of providence divine puts a check on human activities. The New Testament in its context tries to address engineers on the issue of putting business before ethics. According to Florman, the problem in engineering is not about ethics but maturity. This I agree with because, what made the public to spite on engineers was on basis of morality. I categorically state that the broad view of the New Testament is that, putting ethics before business/profit is maturity. THE GOLDEN AGE HAS JUST BEGUN Although Florman would find this sub-topic arguable, but with all he has written down in “The Existential Pleasures of Engineering”, he’ll still have to consider taking side with it. In spite of the many ugly and tasteless structures that mar our cities and landscapes, public enthusiasm for building has survived relatively unscathed through the recent years of disenchantment with technology. The engineer has kept alive the public faith in the potentiality for beauty, majesty and spirituality in construction. What else is more delightsome than this, for the engineer in love with his deeds? Similarly, the engineer still understands that the public wants 100% efficiency and perfectionism. But he also knows that this is not possible, because it is a fact; bearing in mind this fact, he delights in every progress that he makes towards making a project perfect. Thus, any comment made by the public that undermines the engineer’s potential is due to ignorance on the path of the public. This makes the engineer feel that he is smarter because of his faith in the facts that support his work. Hence the engineer achieves an inner delight due to constant fulfillment. CONCLUSION

The Beatitudes
‘THE BEATITUDES ‘ According to D.Bonhoeffer, the aim of the beatitudes is to bring all those who hear it to full repentance. Part of the work that the beatitudes fulfilled, through the listeners, most especially the disciples, who will take the gospel to all nations, was to lay a theological foundation for the church through the words of Jesus himself. This, Jesus needed to carry out so that his disciples would have an anchor to hold onto in fulfilling the great commission. One of the quotes was that their being poor in spirit would give them the kingdom of God. He said these to them in order to make them know their present conditions, because people would hate them for their believes and so many things, he called them blessed still to make them know that  no matter the situation, they have a place in the kingdom of the father, that consists of all things. Secondly, the writer challenges of that as Jesus declared that the mournful shall be comforted, we should as Christians not be comfortable with some ungodly situations that we see in our environment, but in love, we should always show concerns. By so doing, then people will see that we are of the house old of faith, thus, the disciple-community becomes strengthened through the comfort by sharing our problems and grieve. And what is the propellant to mourn for situations around? It is the power of the death of Christ; also in his rising, we have this comfort. The experience of the cross that caused comfort and morning also taught meekness of the Lamb who took away the sins of the world. He was led as a sheep to be slaughtered, yet he said no word. Jesus made sure he made mention to the people that the meek would inherit the earth. According to Bonhoeffer, this categorically has a symbolic representation with the cross, in that if we as disciples exhibit the character as Jesus did on his way to the cross, we’ll inherit the earth as Jesus did through his rising from the death as a sign. In addition, Bonhoeffer points out that our righteousness is as a filthy rag before the holy God. But Jesus came as a sinless sacrifice so that our righteousness would be his, because he knew no sin. This points out that if we forsake our righteousness and our traditional law to make sure we impress ourselves or religion (like the scribes); and hunger after the true righteousness of the sinless savior, we’ll be filled- this Jesus pointed out clearly. We’ll see that from the writer’s point of view, the beatitudes are interwoven, such that the man that is poor in heart, meek and seeking after God’s kind of righteousness would be a merciful man, because he’ll be helpless and would need mercy, but because of the poverty of his spirit and his meekness in showing others mercy, he’ll also receive mercy from God. Recall that what has made such a man helpless is his allegiance to Christ, therefore Jesus admonishes the people on the mount that a pure heart that has surrendered totally to his will would see God like Adam did. This is because that pure heart believes in the new covenant made by Jesus to reconcile us with God. Lastly, those persecuted for their allegiances to Christ are called blessed for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. In order words, Bonhoeffer is pointing out that the beatitudes give full details about how Jesus expects his followers to live on earth, and not be carried away by the worldly pleasures, but should always turn their eyes upon Jesus himself and the kingdom of God.