Asee peer logo

Rogue Engineering: Teaching Frankenstein as a Parable of (Un)ethical Engineering Practice

Download Paper |

Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Sociotechnical Thinking: Who, Why, and How?

Tagged Division

Liberal Education/Engineering & Society Division (LEES)

Tagged Topic

Diversity

Page Count

18

DOI

10.18260/1-2--44161

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/44161

Download Count

768

Paper Authors

biography

Benjamin J. Laugelli University of Virginia

visit author page

Dr. Laugelli is an Assistant Professor of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia. He teaches courses that analyze social and ethical aspects of engineering design and practice.

visit author page

Download Paper |

Abstract

Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein is widely regarded as a foundational work of early science fiction that cautions against misguided and unethical science and engineering. As such, the novel should be poised to help engineering undergraduates cultivate moral imagination and a commitment to socially responsible techno-science. However, despite recent critical editions of the novel that highlight its relevance for scientists and engineers, some instructors have faced difficulties successfully integrating the novel into an undergraduate engineering curriculum, and students have struggled to appreciate its value to their ethical formation as engineering professionals. Nevertheless, the novel’s potential to address ethical aspects of engineering practice calls for further attempts at integrating it into engineering education. In particular, the archetypal figure of Victor Frankenstein offers students a model of a negative “possible self” that cautions against rogue engineering practices. The paper analyzes themes from Shelley’s novel as they were used in courses in science, technology, and society (STS) to foster ethical reflection on the perils of practicing irresponsible, presumptuous, unaccountable, and biased techno-science.

Laugelli, B. J. (2023, June), Rogue Engineering: Teaching Frankenstein as a Parable of (Un)ethical Engineering Practice Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--44161

ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2023 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015