SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY & SOCIETY

Science, Technology & Society (Lecture)

1. Wisdom
2. Courage
STS and the Human Condition
3. Temperance
Human Flourishing: Based on Ancient 4. Justice
Greek Philosopher’s Perspective - For the virtue of wisdom, one must pursue
What is Human Flourishing? learning that is based on curiosity. This
❖ How to live a flourishing life? would lead to more efficacy and self-mastery
- Ancient Greek philosophers were some of the which are needed to have a fulfilling life.
first thinkers who tried to answer the question. - Courage is important in a just society because
- Two of the most important prominent ancient justice needs courageous individuals to stand
Greek philosophers were Plato and Aristotle. for what is right and to correct what is wrong.
➢ The Greek philosophers called a flourishing life ➔ Courage is also needed in order to face
eudaimonia. life’s challenges.
➢ Eudaimonia is usually equated with happiness. - Temperance or self-restraint is important in
➢ For Plato and Aristotle, happiness is the result of society because it prevents corruption and
eudaimonia or human flourishing. chaos.
Eudaimonia or Human Flourishing → Happiness ➔ A man without temperance will not
❖ Plato (428/427 - 348/347 B.C.) flourish because lack of self-restraint
- For Plato, all human beings naturally desire can lead to vices and violence.
eudaimonia or human flourishing. ❖ Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)
- Plato believed that in order to flourish, one - Aristotle argued that eudaimonia or human
must have moral thought and virtuous flourishing is the highest good of human
action. In this case, virtue is referred to as beings.
‘excellence’. - Human nature, according to Aristotle, has
- For Plato, the well-being of a human four aspects:physical, emotional, social, and
individual must NOT depend on external rational.
goods (such as fame, wealth and appearance). 1. Humans are physical beings.
To live just for the sake of fame, wealth, good - As physical beings, humans need air, water,
appearance and other external good will not food, rest, and exercise to keep the body
lead to flourishing. functioning.
● According to Plato, a human being can develop 2. Humans are emotional beings.
virtue by: - Like other animals, humans have urges, wants,
1. By examining things and thinking more desires and reactions. Humans have emotional
- Plato believed that a human being who does needs too.
not examine his or her life and surroundings will 3. Humans are social beings.
not flourish. - As social beings, it is inherent that humans
- He said that humans can reason and must use need friendship, cooperation, and a sense of
it to become wiser in order to flourish. belongingness in society.
2. By masterly using reason 4. Humans are rational beings.
- Plato believed that a human is good if he or she - Rationality is what differentiates humans from
used his or her reason over his desires. other animals.
- Limiting one’s reason may result in negative - Rationality allows humans to express, be
consequences. creative, or obey reason.
- Reasoning allows the control of one’s self. ● How does one come more virtuous?
- If a human is able to control one’s self through - For Aristotle, a virtue is a character trait that
reason and act for the common good, then he enables a person to flourish.
or she will flourish. - Aristotle, like Plato, believed that humans
3. By living the four cardinal virtues through reason seek knowledge about the
- Plato believed that there are four cardinal world.
virtues:

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 ➔ He believed that by gaining
knowledge, humans will flourish. He
called this “intellectual virtue”.
● Aristotle made an important distinction about
knowledge and human flourishing.
➢ There are two types of knowledge:
1. Theoretical knowledge or the knowledge
about the nature of principles.
2. Practical knowledge or the knowledge of 1. Flourishing is intrinsically worthwhile
applying these principles. -Flourishing is an intrinsic good, and that
- Theoretical knowledge allows us to manipulate flourishing is worth striving for.
nature, however, without practical knowledge, it cannot - Flourishing is intrinsically worthwhile.
be actually done. - This is different from the Greek Philosopher’s
- Thus, knowledge is important in life,but it is the point of view that human flourishing is a means
application of this knowledge that leads to to an end goal which is happiness.
flourishing. 2. The actualization of the human potential
❖ Aside from intellectual virtue, the other virtue in - Human flourishing is when an individual is
life is the virtue of character. Aristotle believed optimally using his or her potentials and
that in order to flourish, one must possess the 11 capabilities.
virtuous traits. - This is relative because every individual has
different potential and encounter different
possibilities.
Courage Magnificence Truthfulness Justice - Hence, different individuals’ level of flourishing
cannot be compared.
Temperance Magnanimity Wittiness Shame ➢ Criteria for Human Flourishing
a. Life as a whole
Liberality Patience Friendliness
- In considering an individual’s
flourishing, his or her whole life must
What is “Human Flourishing”? be considered.
- According to Aristotle, all virtues are - ‘Whole life’, in this case, means the
connected by phronesis or “practical totality of human life, not just some
wisdom”. It enables an individual to apply the parts.
appropriate virtue in a particular situation. b. Human flourishing is a dynamic state
➔ A virtuous life can be attained through - Human flourishing Is dynamic.
education and habit. - It requires an on-going developmental
● In summary, when an individual possesses process to actualize human potential.
intellectual virtues and virtues of character, - In other words, one must continuously
then, he will attain eudaimonia or human develop to become a flourishing human
flourishing. being.
Intellectual Virtues + Virtues of Character = c. Objective Goods
Eudaimonia or Human Flourishing - There are things that are good for
everybody, such as good social
Human Flourishing: A Modern World Concept relationships.
❖ What is ‘Human Flourishing’? - These good things or objective good, if
➢ Modern Concept of Human Flourishing developed will contribute to human
- In Psychology, happiness, life satisfaction, flourishing.
mental and physical health, meaning and
purpose, character and virtue close social The Human Person Flourishing in Terms of
relationships and financially materials to do it Science and Technology
are all components of Human Flourishing. ❖ Role of Science and Technology in Human
Flourishing
● Science
- Comparable to theoretical knowledge

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 - Explains the nature or principles behind an ● How do we generally think about technology?
object, event or phenomenon - Technology is a means to end (instrumental)
● Technology - Technology is a human activity
- Comparable to practical knowledge (anthropological)
- Applies the theoretical knowledge in order to These definitions are correct, however, it limits our
have an output understanding of our relationship with technology.
❖ Scientific and technological discoveries enable ● To understand fully what is meant by “technology
humanity to gain intellectual virtues, as means to an end”, Heidegger discussed
Ex: concept of causality.
➔ Through science, the antibiotic nature of There are four causes:
Penicillum notatum was discovered. 1. Causa materialis- refers to the materials used
➔ Through technology, the penicillin medicine to create the object, which is silver.
was developed and provided cure to many 2. Causa formalis- refers to the form or shape.
diseases. 3. Causa finalis- refers to the end.
❖ Progress in Science and Technology had many 4. Causa efficiens- refers to which brings about
positive impact to human life such as the the effect, which is the silversmith.
following:
- Made work easier, efficient or practical
- Made us happy or entertained
- Kept us healthy and safe
- Helped to address social issues and concerns
- Helped in the development of human talent and
abilities
Ex:
- The development of social media made it
easier to communicate with people. ● The Latin word ‘causa’ means “that which brings it
- Musical instruments helped in developing about”
musical talent and provided entertainment and - However, Heidegger prefers the Greek word,
happiness to many. aition which means “that which is responsible
- The development of medicines helped in for something else.”
combating diseases, hence in prolonging life. - Thus Heidegger used the terms hyle, eidos,
❖ However, science and technology can be exploited telos, and logos as replacement to the four
which can result to serious negative impact. causes.
- Technological developments made possible
industrialization.
- In some cases, industrialization made humans
become ‘machine-like’ workers, depriving them
of the full actualization of their potential.
● Technological developments also caused pollution.
Pollution in turn caused diseases that caused lives.
● Technologies such as nuclear weapons also
caused the extermination of humans.
Technology as a Way of Revealing - Heidegger asks us to imagine a chalice (a
❖ Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) technology) that is “on its way” to existence.
- Martin Heidegger is one of the most original Hyle, eidos, telos, and logos are now that
and important philosophers in the 20th century. four ”ways of being responsible” for the
- In the essay, “The Question Concerning existence of the chalice. They helped it “arrive.”
Technology”, he suggested how we can - Heidegger introduced the word ‘poeisis’, which
establish a “free relationship” with literally means “bringing forth”. It is basically the
technology. In this essay, Heidegger focused on way of making something that was not
our orientation to technology, not on the form present be present. Poeisis, in a way, is a kind
of function. of revealing.
The Question Concerning Technology

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 - Heidegger, also introduced the word: ‘aletheia’,
which literally means “unveiling” or
“revealing”. It is also the Greek word for
“truth”.
- Heidegger argued that technology is a kind of
poeisis, a way of bringing forth or revealing -
and, as such, is “the realm of truth”.
● The word “technology” was derived from the
Greek ‘technikon’, which is related to the word
techne. Heidegger makes two points about techne: - Because humans are responsible for
Techne refers to both manufacturing (the techniques technological advances, humans will never
of shoemakers and printers, for example) and to the completely become as ‘standing reserves’.
arts ( the techniques of poets and fashion designers, - In the same way, nature and nature’s mode
for example). Techne is part of poeisis. of revealing will never completely become
Techne is a kind of knowing. It may refer to under human control. Despite humans having
“expertise”, “know-how”. now the capacity to destroy nature, the natural
- So, if technology is derived from the concept world reveals itself to humans on its own terms.
of techne, then its essence lies not in the Example:
instrumental production of goods or Humans cannot directly control the formation of coal
manipulation of materials, but in “revealing.” deposits or the accumulation of nitrogen in the soil.
- Heidegger explained the difference between We can only control the way we orient ourselves,
older forms of technology and modern our thinking and our actions, in relation to such
technology. He said that modern technology resources.
has a different kind of ‘revealing’, it is - Humans tend to think of technology as an
‘challenging’. instrument, a means of getting things done.
➢ Old windmills draw energy from the This definition, however, misses the actual
wind but “does not extract and store that essence of technology, and tends to make us
energy” unlike modern technology think that by making the technology better, we
which challenges our nature. The term will master technology and solve the problems
‘challenges’ is synonymous to ‘exploits’ that accompany it.
and ‘exhausts’. - Heidegger suggested that human impulse is to
- Again, modern technology is revealing but in a enclose all experiences of the world within
different way. To understand this, Heidegger categories of understanding that are
introduced the idea of ‘standing reserve’. For controllable such as mathematical equations,
Heidegger, technology transforms the world physical laws, sets of classifications.
into “standing reserve”. - Heidegger introduced the concept of
- It can be said that for technology, nothing in enframing, which stems from the human
the world is “good in and of itself, but only drive for a “precise” and “scientifc”
“good for” something. knowledge of the world.
- The airplane, for example, has no “good” or - Enframing is the essence of technology. It
value in and of itself but it is “good for” may result to two possibilities:
humanity as a mode of transportation. If it is 1. It may set man on a destructive and
not ‘good for’ humanity anymore, then it can be self-destructive course.
disposed, leaving it with no value. So its 2. It may be a “saving power” by showing
disposal by humanity depends on its clearly the responsibility of human
‘goodness’. beings to the world. Enframing will help
us understand that we are a part of the
world, but the world “needs” us to care
for it.