Engineering, ethics, and creativity: N’er the twain shall meet?

Abstract

Since Guilford (1950) first suggested divergent thinking as a component of human cognition, creativity has been associated with positive qualities, characteristics, and outcomes. On the one hand, Bruner (1962) saw creativity as a defining characteristic of human intelligence, distinguishing it from impersonal, cold, machine intelligence. A. J. Cropley drew together these positive views, which he suggested see creativity as” a principle of nature and that it is, by définition, a universal bénéficiai force fostering growth and rebuilding in all organic systems” (2010a, p. 2). In parallel with this view, creativity also has long been seen as good for the individual, and it is associated with many positive personal properties, such as courage, openness to experience, and flexibility, as well as offering bénéficiai effects for mental health (Cropley, 1990). Adding to these positive perspectives, creativity is understood to be vital culturally and organizationally” for shaping… future orientations and actualizing reforms in political, economic and cultural areas” (Oral, 2006, p. 65) and economically” as the key to meeting challenges… arising from technological advances, social change, globalization, and now the global financial crisis” (Cropley, 2010a, p. 3). In fact, whether creativity is defined and studied in relation to the person, the process, the product, or the press (environment)-namely, the 4Ps (Rhodes, 1961)-a great deal of attention is paid to the positive aspects of creativity.