General Semantics as an Educative Tool in the Electrical Curriculum

Because science and technology are changing more and more rapidly with time, the tempo of university curriculum modernization is increasing and the problem of engineering obsolescence is becoming more acute. This paper, written from the viewpoint of an engineer in the research and development segment of industry, introduces three central concepts from general semantics: 1) levels of abstraction, 2) multiordinality, and 3) semantic reactions. I feel that the student electrical engineer can benefit from considering explicitly the number of times he must remove himself mentally from the physical world in creating a model of reality, from discussing the gray area between Aristotelian yes-no abstractions, and from realizing the emotional content of verbal phrases in the lay as well as technical vocabulary. The body of the paper discusses, in a preliminary way, several areas in the electrical engineering curriculum where these concepts might be used to advantage in preparing the student to enter, with an increased awareness, upon his professional "career of change."