通过历史唯物史观的考察，指出工程是在人类生存、发展过程中的一项基本实践活动，工程在不同历史时期一直是直接生产力。工程活动是先于科学活动出现的。研究认为，有关自然的知识和活动应分为科学、技术、工程三元，科学活动的主要特征是“探索”、“发现”，技术活动的主要特征是“发明”、“创新”，工程活动的主要特征是“集成”、“构建”。从现代知识意义上看，“科学—技术—工程—产业”之间存在相关的知识链（知识网络），工程与产业的关系更直接、更紧密。工程是人类为了维持生存、繁衍和发展，为了建设家园及美好地生活而进行的实践活动，是人类智慧的凝聚和所追求理想的一种体现。从哲学视野看，工程活动的成果往往体现为构筑一个新的存在物，即在一定边界条件下优化构建起来的集成体。工程集成包涵了诸多技术要素的集成，也包括了技术要素与经济、社会、管理等方面的基本要素在一定条件下的优化—集成。在新世纪的背景条件下工程是创新活动的重要领域，也应是哲学思考的新领域，哲学的超越和工程的超越存在着诸多“交集”和“并集”，因而，工程需要哲学，哲学要面向工程，工程界与哲学界互动，是中国工程哲学兴起的特点。

Through a study on materialist conception of history, it is indicated that engineering is a basic practical activity during humanity existence and development, and always a direct productivity at different historical periods. The engineering activity appeared before science activity. It is also believed that the knowledge and activity which relates to nature should be divided into three components of science, technology and engineering.The main characters of the science activity are "exploration"  and "discovery" , the main characters of the technology activity are "invention"  and " innovation" , and the main characters of the engineering activity are "integration"  and " construction" . From a point of view of modern knowledge, a related knowledge chain (knowledge network) exists among science-technology-engineering-industry. The relationship between engineering and industry is more direct and closes.The engineering is a practical activity of humanity for maintaining existence, multiplication and development, and constructing "homeland"  and "living"  well, and is also an embodiment of human wisdom and seeked "ideal" . From a point of view of philosophy, the result of the engineering activity usually embodies in constructing a new existence, i.e. an integrator of optimized construction under a certain boundary condition. Engineering integration contains various technical element integration, and also contains optimization-integration of technical element and basic elements of economics, society and management under a certain condition.Under a condition of new century, engineering is an important field of innovation activity, should be a new field of philosophy consideration. The transcendence of philosophy and engineering exists various "intermingling"  and "merging" . Therefore, engineering needs philosophy, and philosophy needs to face engineering. An interaction of engineering and philosophy is a feature raising in the Chinese engineering philosophy.

殷瑞钰（1935－），男，江苏苏州人，中国工程院院士