Electrical Engineering and the Process of Abstraction

Engineering education is based on a concept that is not consistent with reality. The emphasis on mathematics and the neglect of the practical creates the irrational situation described by Moore [1] inwhichanexpert onenergyconversion couldfreeze todeath in a lumberyard because he doesn't know how to light a fire. The paper uses a concept known to Aristotle to describe what we have been doing and to show why it is no longer effective. The paper establishes a new model and shows that it is consistent with reality. Using the June, 1968, issue of this TRANSACTIONS as an example, the paper shows the value of the model as a point of reference in judging the validity of proposed changes in the electrical engineering curriculum.