The document discusses the role of Catholic teaching in engineering education. It outlines that Catholic teaching provides a rich body of knowledge that can inform the roles of engineers as problem solvers, agents of technology, and agents of technological change. It presents ideas from Catholic social teaching on work, the common good, and human dignity. The document argues that educating Catholic engineers requires considering the whole person and preparing students to work with both competence and moral character for the betterment of humanity.

1. Deus Machinator
Stephen T. Frezza, PhD, CSDP
Software Engineering
Michael J. Caulfield, PhD
Mathematics
Gannon University

2. Engineering Disciplines

Rooted in Scientific Knowledge


Apply and create technology


Also contribute to engineering knowledge
Responsible to outside authority (civil, business,
customers, etc.)
Balance the known, and the unknown

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Manage both objective and subjective truth
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3. Who Engineers Say They Are…

Creative Problem Solvers –


Trained in Process –


moral values embedded in the design process
Agents of Technology and Change –


Create things to improve and to enhance the convenience
and beauty of our everyday lives
Create and apply technology
Hard Workers –

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Character and Competence Matter
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4. Roles of Engineers




Problem Solvers
Agents of Technology
Workers with Character and Competence
Agents of Technological Change
Catholic Teaching
Informs These Roles
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5. Catholic Problem Solver
 Work is subordinate
 Potential of
“An imbalance arisesalways oriented
The common goodto recent years shows
is between a concern
“…the experience of
persons, not vice versa.
technology:
for practicality and efficiency, body of
towards theall the considerable oppresstheorder
and
that unless progress of persons: “The
 to
demands mustpotential at man’s disposal
ofRecognizing moral subordinate to the orderis
 things of moral conscience.”
 to enhance living
resources and be
ofconscience aand notunderstanding and Spes #8
persons, moral the other way around.”
Gaudium et by an
guided by over
efficiency and practicality
CCC1912 the
orientation towards the true good of(GS #26)
human race, it easily turns against man to
oppress him.”
John Paul II: Solicitudo rei socialis #28
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6. Catholic Agent of Technology
Technology must labors  Extending mastery
be at wisdom more than
“Our era needs
“Spiritual values are and native
“…Through hissuch ignored, forgotten,
the service of persons
over nature

or
endowments to
bygone whileman progress of good
denied, persons if thehas ceaselessly striven to
 Not ages the discoveries made by
 Is science,
technology
 is of
man are to be Today, however, especially
technology, and economics Partpursued for
better his life. further humanized.our call the
For
 Spiritualhelp world stands in technology, he
Wiser men unless
future of the must
its own valuesas thoughand peril and women
with thesake, of science material well-being
needed
promotedbe-allforthcoming.” life.” the
wiser men
were the are and end-all of to further
has extended his mastery  Need nearly
over
 not be ignored, forgotten
humanize et so.
wholedenied John XXIII: Mater et to do spes #15
Gaudium technology
or of nature and continues magistra #176
Gaudium et Spes #33
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7. Catholic Character and
“For the greater man’s power becomes, the
Competence
farther his individual and community
 Strive for excellence
responsibility citizens in toAll world,clearathat
“Through as extends. Hence it man is
“… actinglabor offered the workers have
God, is whether
serious duty to work
men are notwith socially, the Christian ofthe
deterred by they will keep
associated
individually or the redemptive work
with both character and
message fromwho conferred an and labor to
the world,
Jesus Christ, each discipline, eminent
laws proper tobuilding upcompetence or
impelled tolabor when a genuine expertise
dignity on neglect the welfare of He
equip themselves with at Nazareththeir
fellows, various fields.” rather more
worked but that own hands. From this
in their with Histhey are
stringently bound every man the dutyspes #15
there follows for to do these very et of
Gaudium things.”
Gaudium et Spes #34
working faithfully…”
Gaudium et Spes #67
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9. Catholic Character and
Competence

Strive for excellence

Responsible to others
and the community


All workers have a
serious duty to work
with both character and
competence
More relied upon, more
responsible to others
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10. Catholic Agent of Technological
Let them blend new sciences and theories
Change
and the understanding of the most morality.
 Responsibility to
 Mindful of recent
“Technical progress, and inventive spirit, an
discoveries with Christian morality and the
promote development
New developments
eagernessof Christian doctrine, so that their
expand
within to create
teachingtheir areas of and to must always accord
expertise
with may human
enterprises, the application of genuinekeep pace
religious culture and morality methods of
progress.
production, andknowledge andefforts of all
with scientific the strenuous with the
who engage in production – in a word, all
constantly progressing technology. Thus
the elements able to interpret and evaluate –
they will be making for such development
must be promoted.” Christian spirit.
all things in a truly
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Gaudium et Spes #34
Gaudium10 Spes #62
et

11. Deus Machinator
“God the Engineer”
Identifies problems and constructs solutions
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12. “The word1 God’s revelation is
Genesis of
profoundly marked by  fundamental
the
 God identifies a
God alwaysheavens
works for
“God that man, created created thethe earth
“In the beginning God in the image of God,
them saying: ‘…fill
truth blessedconstructs
problem and
the good and calls us to
and subdue it. work earth was without form
and theby his Havein the participate ofthe fish
the solution
shares earth. The dominion over that work
activity in the
of the sea, the birds of the air, and all the
and void…” that, within the limits of his
Creator and
 Improving, mastering
livinghuman capabilities, man in a sense
Genesis
own things that move on the earth.” 1:1-2a
the forces of nature are
Genesis
continues to develop that activity and 1:28
part of our task
perfects it….”
Laborem exercens #25
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13. Implications for Engineering Education


Catholic Teaching: Rich & Untapped
Excellence at a Catholic University
more daunting and difficult

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Wider body of knowledge
Higher expectations for the ‘character’
of person
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14. The Catholic Engineering Student

Prepared to work with character and competence


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Grows in knowledge and wisdom

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Applies moral understanding to their work
Balances the concern for practicality and demands of
moral conscience
Understanding of truth, beauty and goodness
Knows the common good
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Willing to place their talents at the service of the common
good
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15. The Catholic Engineering Student:

Uses technology to solve human problems


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Knows the innate value of the human person
Lives respect for the dignity of labor
Worldview not limited to just the seeable,
measurable world

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Armed with revealed truth; not just scientific & subjective
Prepared as citizens of the earth and citizens of heaven
Develop their faith, not just their reason
Understand vocation, not just avocation
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16. Educating the Catholic Engineer
Topics
Catholic Response
 Holistic view of
 Dignity of the human
mankind: who we are
person
 Role of work and
 Religion as not just
moral decision making
another value
 Social context of work  Promotion of ethical
dimensions of progress
 Relationship of science
 Search for ulterior truth
and knowledge to
creation.
and the meaning of life
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