An initial comparison of process engineering and philosophical engineering.

In the heat treating world of processing parts for aerospace companies, there is a standard that is required for all companies processing parts that go into a plane, that must be met. The importance of following the aerospace management system AS9100D, is not just about maintaining a certification, but a guideline for a way of doing effective business. There are two main components. The first is purpose, what are things of value you are working towards today and the second is strategic direction, how you are going to get there tomorrow. That is the world of process engineering.

The world of philosophical engineering is similar in that there is both a sense of purpose that we are working towards everyday in our lives and strategic decision making to get there tomorrow. The first is the set of values proposed by Richard Barrett that we can work towards each day across all levels of consciousness. Purpose as Maslow describes it, is a person’s “need” to become self-actualized. And the strategic direction of designing how you get there for tomorrow is by consciously establishing “design points” in our lives to keep us on the pathway up and down the mountain in life.