The engineer's job description has changed somewhat over the years. In ancient times, the ancestor of the modern-day engineer was a builder, mechanic, inventor and architect. They were responsible for shaping the land so that people could settle and live as comfortably as possible. Take a look at any of the major engineers who have left their mark in the history books and you will see that they have all invented a new way of organising and making best use of what nature has to offer. Imhotep is recognised as the first architect and engineer. He used his technical knowledge and mathematical skills to invent dressed stone (instead of dried bricks), boat transport for stone blocks and step pyramids. Archimedes, the father of static mechanics, is credited with the first pulling machines (pulleys, levers, etc.), the catapult and the cog. This was also the time when engineers began creating the first buildings and vessels. Some of the biggest names to have left an indelible impression on the Renaissance include Leonardo da Vinci with his various vehicle prototypes, Francesco di Giorgio with his water mills and windmills, and Denis Papin with his steam engine, while Vauban gained recognition during the Baroque period for his fortifications and waterways. The engineer's skill set grew as advances were made in mathematics, perspective representations and physics, including statics, buoyancy and interactions.
Even during his era, Plato referred to engineers as “special people”, meaning specialists, and criticised their overwhelming desire to interfere in the rules of community life. He explained that engineers were no longer content to focus their efforts on “objects”, but on “people” as well. Philosopher Hélène Vérin notes that there is a “separation between those who have the right to enact laws, since their activities in the city are part of the praxis, i.e. the action taken by a group of men, (…) and those who cannot, since their activities are part of the poiesis, i.e. the creative action that is performed on inanimate objects (…). So where should engineers be placed?” Plato was quite blunt on the matter, saying that engineers should “stay in their place”, i.e. they should stick to their field of expertise. The spate of wars that occurred between ancient times and the Middle Ages transformed engineers into machinery experts. Engineers became specialists in warcraft, artillery and fortifications. Their critical role in driving military innovation came to the fore during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) and the Italian Wars (1494- 1559). Historical fact: Leonardo da Vinci offered his services to the Duke of Milan by listing the advantages that all his inventions would bring in the event of war.
Although many engineers existed before modern times, it was not until the 18th century that the profession truly began gaining some semblance of structure. After its strategic value had been established in times of war, engineering knowledge was increasingly considered to be an intellectual discipline that deserved to be shared through teaching. The first schools began opening their doors, including France's ESTP. That school later became the prestigious École Polytechnique, which looks towards engineering as the driving force behind the industrial organisation model.
During the 19th century, industrial growth in France hit the fast lane, which brought engineers under greater pressure to develop solutions offering superior profitability. At the time, Henri de Saint-Simon called on the country to replace the “government of persons” with the “administration of things”, which was his way of saying that industry – and therefore engineering – was the pathway to social progress and happiness. Engineers gradually began diverting some of their focus away from the state and lending their support to the private industry by masterminding clever solutions to real-life problems. When the Second Industrial Revolution began sweeping the world in the early 20th century, the engineering community threw its support behind the concept of scientific management pioneered by Frederick Winslow Taylor.
Under the influence of the Social Union of Catholic Engineers, the profession began exploring ways of helping society. Alumni associations were set up to discuss their profession's role in society. Some engineers lent their support to philanthropic societies, while others trained in human and social sciences.
