Systems engineering and society's problems

Abstract

It has been suggested that systems engineering offers a new and effective route to the solution of societal problems, and it has been accordingly proposed∗ that IEEE and others should therefore advocate the use of systems engineering as a social tool — perhaps even present it as a social breakthrough. There is no doubt that systems engineering has something to contribute to a variety of social-technological dilemmas such as we now face. Yet I believe it is misleading to elevate the systems concept to the status of a social breakthrough.