MIDTERMS THE GOOD

LECTURE 8: • There is some ultimate good which is both

Science, Technology, and Society and the Human final and self-sufficient, and he defines this
Condition good as happiness.
• There must be one final end of all human
EUDAIMONIA actions.
– “good spirited” • All lesser goods, such as wealth, honor, fame,
– Coined by renowned Greek philosopher glory, pleasure, etc., are not desired for
Aristotle themselves but in order to attain happiness.
– Describe the pinnacle of happiness that is • The good life’ or doing well’ to be the same
attainable by humans things as being happy.
– Often translated into “human flourishing” in
literature HAPPINESS
– Likening humans to flowers achieving their full • The happiness of man can be defined by
bloom determining the function proper to man.
• It is particular to human beings.
NICOMACHEAN ETHICS • "the Good of man [happiness] is the active
– Nicomachean Ethics is a philosophical inquiry exercise of his soul's faculties in conformity
into the nature of the good life for a human with excellence or virtue”
being. • The highest happiness for a human being is a
– Aristotle begins the work by positing that life of contemplation, but secondary
there exists some ultimate good toward happiness is achieved through ethical virtue.
which, in the final analysis, all human actions
ultimately aim. ETHICAL VIRTUE
– The necessary characteristics of the ultimate – Ethical virtue "is a habit disposed toward
good are that it is complete, final, self- action by deliberate choice, being at the mean
sufficient and continuous. relative to us, and defined by reason as a
prudent man would define it.“
JUSTICE – Virtue is not simply an isolated action but a
• One of the peaks of virtue. habit of acting well.
• Being truly just requires having all the other – For an action to be virtuous a person must do
virtues. it deliberately, knowing what he is doing, and
• Justice unifies and orders the virtues. doing it because it is a noble action.
 Natural Justice – the same in all times – Only voluntary actions can be virtuous.
and places – When a person performs a virtuous action but
 Legal Justice – just according to law; it does it in opposition to his desires, he is
ought to be in accordance with continent but not virtuous.
natural justice – 11 virtues: courage, temperance, generosity,
magnificence, magnanimity, right ambition,
LAW good temper, friendliness, truthfulness, wit,
• All laws are in some sense just, since any law and justice.
is better than no law. – The four requirements for virtue are that the
• To be truly just, a law must be in accordance person:
with natural justice. – know what he is doing
• A problem with laws is that they need to – intend the action for its own sake
formulated in a universal way and thus are – take pleasure in it
not able to take into account the particulars of – do it with certainty and firmness
each situation.
• Law is also crucial for the moral education of HUMAN NATURE
citizens. – All human beings naturally desire the good,
• Laws are necessary in order to habituate which is happiness.
citizens in virtuous action. – The highest faculty of a human being is the
ability to reason.
– Through reason humans, can examine things
beyond the material and sensible level and
 can reach conclusions about the nature of effect allows them to partake in the greater
things. notion of what we call the Good.
– Human beings have the ability to choose their
actions freely.
– Human beings are also social by nature, as
shown by the natural desire for friendship and
by the ability of human beings to speak and
communicate with others.

WEALTH
– While some live as if wealth were the ultimate
aim of human life, they are incorrect in doing
so, for wealth is only an instrumental good
and is not an end in itself.
– For the highest happiness, moderate amount DISCREPANCY BETWEEN EASTERN AND WESTERN
of wealth sufficient to provide a person’s CONCEPTION REGARDING SOCIETY AND HUMAN
physical needs is better than superfluous FLOURISHING
wealth.
WESTERN CIVILIZATION
– A person should use his wealth liberally in the • More focused on individual
service of others and of good causes, but • Primary concern on human flourishing as an
should not spend beyond his means. end
• Aims for eudaimonia as the ultimate good
PRUDENCE o A person who has achieved such state
– The virtue which one must develop in order to would want to serve the community, but
attain moral virtue and to find the correct that is brought upon through deliberation
mean in all of one's actions is prudence. based on his values rather than his belief
– Prudence is an intellectual virtue, and is the that the state is greater than him, and
ability to deliberate well regarding human thus is only appropriate that he should
actions. recognize it as higher entity worthy of
– “without prudence virtues cannot exist," but, service.
“where there is prudence, all the others are
present“. EASTERN CIVILIZATION
– Prudence and ethical virtue are inseparable, • More community-centric
much like two sides of the same coin, "for • Community takes the highest regard that the
while virtue makes the end in view right, individual should sacrifice himself for the sake
prudence makes the means towards it right“. of the society
o Chinese Confucian System – focuses on the
FRIENDSHIP importance of personal ethics and morality
– Friendship is necessary for a happy life, o Japanese Bushido – code of behavior
because human beings are social beings. valuing honor above life
– There are three types of friendships: based on • Encourage studies of literature, sciences, and
useful, based on pleasure, and based on art – in service of a greater cause
virtue
– Only the third type of friendship is friendship – Such stereotypes cannot be said to be true
in the complete sense. given the current stance of globalization.
– Friendship requires that the friends wish the – Flourishing borders allowed people full
good for one another and share in some of access to cultures that as a result, very few
life's activities together. are able to maintain their original
– A friend is another self, and the love one has philosophies.
for a friend is analogous to proper self-love. – It is in this regard that we would tackle human
FRIEND = LOVE flourishing – in global perspective and as a
man of the world.
– Acquiring those mentioned qualities will
surely bring the seekers happiness, which in
 – Every discovery, innovation, and success
contributes to our pool of human knowledge.
– One of the most prevalent themes is human’s
perpetual need to locate himself in the world
by finding proofs to trace evolution.
– The business of uncovering the secrets of the
universe answers the question of our
existence and provides us something to look
forward to.
– Having a particular role, which is uniquely – The earliest criterion that distinguishes
ours, elicits the idea of self-importance. philosophy and science.
– A discipline is science if it can be confirmed or
SCIENCE AS METHOD RESULT interpreted in the event of an alternative
The Scientific Method hypothesis being accepted.
– Takes into account those results which are
1) OBSERVE measurable and experiments which are
• Determine if there are unexplained repeatable.
occurrences unfolding
2) DETERMINE THE PROBLEM The Vienna Circle
• Identify the factors involved – A group of philosophers and scientists drawn
3) FORMULATE HYPOTHESIS from the natural and social sciences, logic and
• Through past knowledge of similar instance. mathematics who met regularly from 1924 to
• The goal is to reject the null hypothesis and 1936 at the University of Vienna.
accept the alternative hypothesis for the study – They believed that only those which can be
o Alternative Hypothesis (H1) – the observed should be regarded as meaningful
hypothesis that we are interested in and reject those which cannot be directly
proving. accessed as meaningless.
o Null Hypothesis (Ho) – the commonly – “This apple is red.”
accepted fact
4) CONDUCT EXPERIMENT – American philosopher Thomas Kuhn warned
• Setting up dependent and independent us against bridging the gap between
variables evidence and theory by attempting to
• Trying to see how independent ones affect interpret it according to our own biases.
dependent ones o Example: Lea has a (not-so-scientific)
5) GATHER AND ANALYZE theory that her classmate Ian likes
• Results throughout and upon culmination of her. “Good”, she thought, “I like him
the experiment too. But how do I know that he likes
• Examine if the data gathered are significant me?”
enough to conclude results Observation:
6) FORMULATE CONCLUSION AND PROVIDE • His interactions with her
RECOMMENDATION • Gestures (exchange of jokes, big smile,
• In case others would want to broaden the study going out of his ways to greet her)
Conclusion:
SCIENCE VS. PSEUDOSCIENCE • Ian does like her. (“why would anyone
2 Distinct Features that give Science edge over do something like that for a person he
other schools of thoughts: does not like?”)
1) Experimentation Verification:
2) Empiricism – states that knowledge • Ian is just generally happy to meet
comes only or primarily from sensory people he knew
experience (five senses) • Ian known Lea since they were in 1st
PSEUDOSCIENCE – refers to beliefs and practices year
that claim to be scientific but lack the true • “I will never assume again.”
method and essence of science. (objects scientific
procedure)
VERIFICATION THEORY FALSIFICATION THEORY
 – Sciences cease to belong solely to gown-
– Current prevalent methodology in science. wearing, bespectacled scientists at
– Asserts that as long as ideology is not proven laboratories.
to be false and can best explain a – The new view perpetuates a dimension which
phenomenon over alternative theories, we generally benefits the society.
should accept the said ideology. o Far-off places in South America where
– This theory allowed emergence of theories many tribes remain uncontacted, do
rejected by verification theory. not regard western science as their
– A way of determining science from non- science. Whatever their science is, it
science. can be ascertained that it is in no way
– It suggests that for a theory to be considered inferior to that of globalized people’s
scientific it must be able to be tested and science.
possibly proven false.
o For example, the hypothesis that "all SCIENCE AND RESULTS
swans are white," can be falsified by – People who do not understand science are
observing a black swan. won over when the discipline is able to
produce results.
KARL POPPER – Science is not the only discipline which is able
• Proponent of falsification theory to produce results – religion, luck, and human
• He states that up-and-coming theories of the randomness are some of its contemporaries in
time, such as Marx’s Theory of Social History the field.
and Sigmund Freud’s Psychoanalysis Theory, – For some communities without access to
are not testable and thus not falsifiable, and science, they can turn divination and
questioning their status as scientific. superstition and still get the same results.
• For Popper, science should attempt to – Science is not entirely foolproof.
disprove a theory, rather than attempt to o Weather reports, illustrate fallibility
continually support theoretical hypotheses. and limitations of their scope, as well
• There is no known rule as to the number of as their inability to predict disasters.
instance that a theory is rejected or falsified in o The best that can be done during an
order for it to be set aside. upcoming disaster is to reinforce
• There is no assurance that observable event materials to be more calamity proof
or “evidences” are indeed manifestations of and restore area upon impact.
certain concept or “theories”.
• Falsification method is more accepted, but SCIENCE AS EDUCATION
scientists are still not convinced that it should – There is no such thing as a singular scientific
be regarded as what makes a discipline method, offering instead a variety of
scientific. procedures that scientist can experiment with
to get results and call them science.
VERIFICATION VS. FALSIFICATION – If one is really in pursuit of human flourishing,
– “Verification” refers to statements that are it would make sense for them to pursue it
shown to be true. (“Ian likes me.” – Leah) holistically.
– “Falsification” is to be understood as the – Mastering science and technology would be
rejection of statements. (“Lea doesn’t like inadequate if we are socialize with people or
me.” – Ian) ruminate on our inner self.
– The goal of science is to create knowledge by – Aristotle’s eudaimonic person is required to be
identifying true statements as true (verified) knowledgeable about science, among other
and false statements as false (falsified). things of equal importance.
– Popper showed that hypothesis cannot be – They are supposed to possess intellectual
empirically verified but only falsified. virtues that will enable them to determine
truth from falsehood or good reasoning from
SCIENCE AS A SOCIAL ENDEAVOR poor reasoning.
– The inclusiveness of the methodologies – A true eudaemon recognizes that flourishing
previously cited, a new school of thought on requires one to excel in various dimensions
the proper demarcation criterion of science (linguistic, kinetic, artistic, socio-civic).
emerged.
 – One should understand that one should not
focus on one aspect alone. THE HUMAN CONDITION BEFORE COMMON ERA

HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH? Homo erectus

– Economists believe that growth is the primary • Use fire to cook through chipping one flint over
indicator of development, and has put forth the other to produce a spark without realizing the
their resources in trying to achieve such. laws of friction and heat.
– Technology has been a primary instrument in
enabling them to pursue goals, utilizing Homo sapiens
resources, machineries, and labor. • Tools from stone and flints marked the era of
– The world’s resources can only provide so Stone Age.
much, it cannot be expected to stretch out for • Humans began to sharpen stones as a knife –
everybody’s consumption over a long period wedge.
of time.
– Growth is not infinite.  It then proves that there is little capacity for our
– The capacity of nature to accommodate us. ancestors to contemplate and perceive things
– According to Jason Hickel, developed outside themselves in a more reflective manner.
countries should not push forth more growth
but instead adopt “de-development” policies •“Venus Figurine”
(reducing consumption) or else, everybody ▪A miniature statues prevalent during the Paleolithic
loses. period.
– The rapid pace of technological growth allows ▪Depicts a rudimentary carving of a voluptuous
no room for nature to recuperate, resulting in woman out of ivory or stone.
exploitation and irreversible damages to ▪ The reason behind this is still unknown to
nature. archeologists and anthropologists; they only infer that
the humans of yesterday have a certain fixation on the
LECTURE 9: TECHNOLOGY AS WAY OF REVEALING female anatomy.
▪ Lack of conclusive evidence hinders us from
GENERATION GAP – changes brought by technology proceeding any further.
 Soon enough, people discovered minerals and
began forging metalwork.
 They realized that these substances are more
durable, malleable, and have more luster than the
previous material.

 There are some indicators that humans in the past

share the same concerns and interests that persist
through multitudes of generation.
•Clothing
◦ Generation gap is not something to be worried about •Garments
and make technology a villain. •Accessories
◦ It is a challenge for people in the field of science and
technology to make these technological •Fur clothing and animal skin are primarily used for
advancements more accessible and less confusing for comfort against harsh winds.
people who are not as young anymore. •They are able to draw the connection between their
◦ This is also a challenge for the younger generation to being naked and vulnerable due to some lack of fur or
take the older generation to an exciting journey in protective covering which would allow them to
science and technology. withstand extreme weather condition.
◦People who lived in the past and people who are •Added several more to their garments suggesting
living in the present have different views of what it that they have been deeply engaged in the concept of
means to flourish due to the kind of environment and beauty.
the period one is in. •They had taken a liking to a certain shiny stone, or a
◦The environment needs to be assessed in order to perfectly shaped bone, and wanted to wear it as
know the possibility of human flourishing and to what trophy.
extent it is possible.
  Excavations on the latter half of the Stone Age  Earliest case of man-made extinction occurred
include several figures thought to be over 12,000 years ago, possibly brought upon
ceremonial. by hunting and territorial disputes.
 People of the time had also painstakingly  HOLOCENE EXTINCTION – also called the sixth
wrought and hewed said figures in honor of extinction or more aptly Anthropocene
some deity. extinction, occurred from as early as between
 Often people’s resort to make sense of events 100,00 to 200,000 years up to the present.
happening outside their control. ◦It pertains to the ongoing extinction of
 The initial roster of primitive gods includes several species – both flora and fauna – due to
objects they encounter through their day-to- human activity.
day lives.  Growing population also necessitated finding
 Different tribes may have different gods. additional resources, leading to overhunting
 Those who might have lived alongside and overfishing.
majestic creatures (elephants, mammoths)  Hunting, coupled with a changing terrain that
might have been awed by their size and the humans began cultivating when
worshipped them as the owner of the land, agriculture emerged some 9,000 years ago,
asking for blessings in their hunting ground. caused several species to lose competition in
 In windy places near mountains, they might territory and food resources.
have had a mountain god to explain wind  Formation of communities caused humans to
currents and ask for provisions. expand more in territory and more people to
 On the other hand, those who were near feed.
coastal areas or bodies of water might have  Large, separate communities hailing from the
had water gods the preferred to when asking same ancestors and residing in the same large
for a good catch. community paved way for civilization.
 It might also be the case that people of prior  Even as community, the people realized that
civilizations shared several generic god, such though they were at most self-sufficient, they
as the sun. were in constant need of resources.
 It can be positively inferred that like the  Waging wars with other tribes seemed to be
people of today, our ancestors also found the the early solution, they were able to find out
need to explain things in a way that make some 5,000 years ago that engaging in a
sense to them. peaceful negotiation was also possible and
 They quickly realized that there are events less bloody method.
outside their control and attempted to justify  They realized that they could get hold of
things as being a work of supernatural being. things not present in their towns by offering
 Throughout the course of history, religion something of same value present in theirs.
remains to be the strongest contender to  It is the process that trade emerged.
science due to its being the most easily  As more products were exchanged and the
grasped. initial needs extended to wants.
 Once people stop connecting the dots  People then had a new objective – gather as
between cause and effect, they turn to much products as possible.
something that could possibly explain their  They have turned to wealth as one of their
inadequacies in making sense of the world. goals as humans and ultimately civilizations.
 The people of yesterday appeared to have  They perceived that those who have many,
acknowledged early on that they could only live comfortably and thus are generally
do and understand as much, that perhaps happier than those who do not have sufficient
other powers at play also existed alongside wealth.
them.  They began to hunt, farm, and produce things
 They were way behind several larger, more with prospect of profit.
powerful forces in nature.  A self-sufficient community has to
accommodate their growing population with
THE HUMAN CONDITION IN THE COMMON ERA depleting resources, leading them to be
 For a long time, humans were content with reliant to other communities’ products which
their relationship with nature. keeps them surviving.
  In turn, these communities have to make use  Proper maternal care ensures that mothers can
of their current resources twice as much to fully recover and remain empowered.
provide for other communities’ needs.
 Products of every kind were exchanged, AVERAGE LIFESPAN
ranging from necessary ones, up to metals,  Science is able to prolong lives by enhancing living
accessories, weapons, spices, literature, and status and discovering different remedies to most
entertainment. diseases.
 When they could not sell products, they used  Distribution of medicines is also made easier and
their skills and got compensated for it – faster.
bringing forth a specialized group of artisans.
 Humanity became more complex. LITERACY RATE
 Primary goal: not merely to survive, but to live  Access to education provided to more individuals
the good life. generally creates a more informed public that
 Technology has been instrumental in could determine a more just society.
searching for the good life.
 People were able to come up with creations GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT (GDP)
that would make life easier, more  Often used to determine the value of the
comfortable, and more enriching. country’s goods and services produced within the
 The early people perceive death as unpleasant territory given a certain time period.
and construct potions to ward evil off from  Higher country income is brought upon by high
their relatives, often appealing to their gods productivity, often an indicator of presence of
for blessing. technology.
 Medicine was invented, although it would
take a considerably long time before it part THE ESSENCE OF TECHNOLOGY
ways with potion. ◦It said that we are more “developed” than we were
 They became fixated with gold and were before.
adamant in procuring more. ◦We have come to take as species, and there are no
 They try to use incantations with mixtures of signs of stopping.
substances to turn lead into one. ◦Modern humans are reliant on technology in their
 This ultimately paved way for the emergence search for the good life.
of chemistry. ◦We see ways and means from nature to utilize and
 Due to differing races, belief, or abundance of achieve growth – a goal that we believe would bring
resources and territory, wars were always forth betterment.
being waged.
 Communities allocate resources to the ◦Martin Heidegger – philosopher
military. •Argued that its essence, purpose, and being are
 Early leaders portrayed exceptional strength different from each other.
among their group – this condition carried on •He identify technology as:
for generations. 1) Mean to achieve man’s end
2) Constitutes human activity – paints technology in
THE HUMANS OF TODAY ARE MUCH BETTER OFF such a way that each period reveals a particular
COMPARED TO HUMANS SEVERAL CENTURIES AGO. character regarding man’s being.

Advancements in medicine, technology, health, and  Trough technology, a myriad of new questions
education ushered in humanity’s best, and show no begins to mount.
sign of stopping.  Rather than thinking that humans have clear idea
of what to expect in a good life, it can be stated
Notable comparisons then and now: that technology allows humans to confront the
MORTALITY RATE unknown and see how they would react.
 Due to technology, lesser women and children die  Technological revelation is but one of the many
during birth, assuring robust population and ways to perceive the world.
strong workforce.  As long as humans are invested in growth and
 Medical care for premature infants allows them to development, we cannot distance ourselves from
survive and develop normally. this perspective.
 In the name of growth, we view the world as a  Theoretical sciences (aim: “truth”) – logic, biology,
field of resources, vent in attributing monetary physics, metaphysics, among others
value on seemingly priceless entities.  Practical sciences (aim: “good”) - ethics and
 We begin to categorize nature as renewable and politics
nonrenewable instead as seeing it as it is.  One must find the truth about what the good is
 Humans are reduced into the amount of before one can even try to locate that which is
productivity they are able to render during their good.
lifetime, and our current mindset is geared toward
which would utilize our own skills. ARISTOTLE
 A good life is one which is practical in essence; a  The first philosopher who approached the
life which makes use of our labor and which we problem of reality from a “scientific” lens.
get compensated fairly upon.  The first thinker who dabbled into the complex
 Since humans appear not to really know what problematization of the end goal of life:
they are seeking for, the search continues. happiness
 It is a looming fear that the path we are treading
will not take us to the right direction, leading us in PLATO
endless circles in our pursuits of the good life.  Aristotle’s teacher and predecessor.
 This is the danger presented by too much reliance  Thought things in this world are not real and are
on technology. only copies of the real in the world of forms.
 Humans lose track of things that matter, reducing  Change is so perplexing that it can only make
their surroundings to their economic value. sense if there are two realities:
 The world of forms
 The world of matter
 Plato recognized change as a process and as a
Lecture 10: THE GOOD LIFE phenomenon that happens in the world, that in
fact, it is constant.
The Concept of Being Good  Plato also claims that despite the reality of
The term “good” is commonly used interchangeably change, things remain and they retain their
with the term “right”. They are related in meaning but ultimate “whatness”.
are not synonyms.  You remain to be you despite the pimple that now
sits atop your nose.
Taking the right action means correctly applying a  Plato was convinced that reality is full of these
norm, premise, presupposition, rule, standard or law. seemingly contrasting manifestations of change
This explains that the term “right reasons” are being and permanence.
used to justify the principle and its application.  This can only explained by postulating two aspects
of reality:
Being good involves having the character and personal  The world of forms and the world of matter
qualities that were justified by reasons as having
moral worth.  In the world of matter:
 Things are changing and impermanent
IN THE ANCIENT GREECE  Imperfect
Long before the word “science” has been coined, the  In the world of forms:
need to understand the world and reality was bound  The entities are only copies of the ideal and the
with the need to understand the self and the good life. models.
 The forms are the only real entities.
FOR PLATO  Things are red in this world because they
The task of understanding the things in the world runs participate in what it means to be red in the world
parallel with the job of truly getting into what will of forms.
make the soul flourish. In attempt to understand
reality and the external world, man seek to ARISTOTLE
understand himself, too.  Embarked on a different approach in figuring out
reality.
FOR ARISTOTLE  Aristotle, for his part, disagreed with his teacher’s
 Gave a definitive distinction between the position and forwarded the idea that there is no
theoretical and practical sciences.
 reality over and above what the senses can
perceive. MATERIALISM DEMOCRITUS & LEUCIPPUS
 It is only by observation of the external world that  First materialists, atomists
one can truly understand what reality is all about.  Led a school whose primary belief is that the
 Change is a process that is inherent in things. world is made up of and is controlled by Atomos.
 We, along with all other entities in the world, start  Atomos (seed) – tiny invisible units in the world.
as potentialities and move toward actualities.  Democritus and his disciples believe that the
 Consider a seed that eventually germinates and world, including human beings, is made up of
grows into plant… The seed that turned to matter.
become the plant underwent change – from  There is no need to posit immaterial entities as
potential plant (seed) to its full actuality (plant). sources of purpose.
 Aristotle declares that even human beings are  Atomos simply come together randomly to form
potentialities who aspire for their actuality. the things in the world.
 Every human being moves according to some end.  Only material entities matter!
 Every action that emanates from a human person  In terms of human flourishing, matter is what
is a function of the purpose that the person has. makes us attain happiness
 Every human person, according to Aristotle,
aspires for an end. HEDONISM
 This end, is happiness or human flourishing! EPICURUS
 Aristotle claims that happiness is the be all and  The Hedonists see the end goal of life in acquiring
end all of everything we do. pleasure.
 We may not realize it but the end goal of  Pleasure should be pursued, and pain should be
everything that we do is happiness! avoided.
 When Aristotle claims that we want to be happy,  For them, life is about obtaining and indulging in
he does not necessarily mean the everyday pleasure because life is limited.
happiness that we obtain when we win a  Mantra of the School: “Eat, drink, and be merry
competition or we eat our favorite dish in a for tomorrow we die.”
restaurant.  This school of thought does not buy any notion of
 What Aristotle actually means is human afterlife just like the materialists.
flourishing, a kind of contentment in knowing that
one is getting the best out of life. STOICISM
 A kind of feeling that one has maxed out his EPIRICUS
potentials in the world, that he has attained the  The Stoics espoused the idea that to generate
crux of his humanity… happiness, one must learn to distance oneself
and be apathetic.
HAPPINESS AS THE GOAL OF LIFE  APATHEIA – to be indifferent
 For the Stoics, happiness can only be attained by
GREATEST HAPPINESS PRINCIPLE careful practice of apathy.
 Declared by John Stuart Mill  We should, in this worldview, adopt the fact that
 States that “an action is right as far as it some things are not within our control.
maximizes the attainment of happiness for the  The sooner we realize this, the happier we can
greatest number of people”. become.
 Mill said that individual happiness of each
individual should be prioritized and collectively THEISM
dictates the kind of action that should be  Most people find the meaning of their lives using
endorsed. God as a fulcrum of their existence.
 The Philippines, as predominantly Catholic
The ethical is meant to lead us to the good and happy country, is witnessed to how people base their life
life. Through the ages, man has constantly struggled goals on beliefs that hinged on some form of
with the external world in order to reach human supernatural reality called heaven.
flourishing.  The ultimate happiness of theists is the
communion with God.
History has given birth to different schools of thought,  The world where we are in is only just a
all of which aim for the good and happy life. temporary reality where we have to maneuver
SCHOOL OF THOUGHTS
 around while waiting for the ultimate return to  Hormones may also be injected in order to alter
the hands of God. the sexual chemicals in the body.

HUMANISM Whether or not we agree with these technological

 Espouses the freedom of man carve his own advancements, these are all undertaken in the hopes
destiny and to legislate his own laws, free from of attaining the good life.
the shackles of a God that monitors and controls.
 For Humanists, man is literally the captain of his The balance between the good life, ethics, and
own ship. technology has to be attained.
 Humanists see themselves not merely as stewards
of the creation but as individuals who are in
control of themselves and the world outside Lecture 11: WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY
them. CROSS
 This is the spirit of most scientists who thought
that the world is a place and space and seek for ORIGIN OF TECHNOLOGY
ways on how to improve the lives of its  “Technology” came from the Greek words
inhabitants. technè and logos which mean art and word.
 Taking the two words together, technology
SCHOOL OF THOUGHTS means a discourse on arts.
 MATERIALISM –wealth can lead to more satisfying  First appeared in the 17th century.
life  The concept was only used to talk about the arts
 HEDONISM –constant quest for pleasure and (applied arts).
satisfaction  As technology progressed, the concept also
 STOICISM –your mind determines your perception started to have a wider range of meaning.
 THEISM –belief in the existence of God  Art is no longer the only topic
 HUMANISM –creates their own set of ethics  Machine and tools were attached to the word
“technology”
Humanism, and Science & Technology
 As a result of the motivation of the humanist, ROLES PLAYED BY TECHNOLOGY
scientist eventually turned to technology in order  Each person in the society is directly or
to ease the difficulty of life. indirectly affected by technology.
 Scientist of today meanwhile are ready to confront  Most people survive their everyday lives with
more sophisticated attempts at altering the world great reliance to the different technological
for the benefit of humanity. advancements.
 Some people now are willing to tamper with time  Technology is already an inevitable part of
and space in the name of technology. the society.
 Social media has been so far a very effective way  Technology these days enjoys such fame and
of employing technology in purging time and glory because of the many different benefits
space. it brings to mankind.
 Long time ago, communication between two  Makes life easier/more convenient
people from two continents in the planet will  Brings pleasure and happiness
involve months of waiting for a mail to arrive.
 Now, communication between two people TECHNOLOGY AS A NECESSITY
wherever they are, is not just possible but easy.  Almost all activities that humans perform
 The internet and smart phones made real time already require the assistance of technology.
communication possible not just between two  Technology become a necessity and no longer
people, but even with multiple people a want.
simultaneously.  In the past, people only used their money for
 Technology allowed us to tinker with our sexuality. the things that would help them survive.
 Biologically male individuals can now undergo  Food
medical operation if they wish for sexual  Clothing
reassignment.  Housing
 Breast implants are now available and can be
done with relative convenience if anyone wishes THE PROGRESS OF TECHNOLOGY
to have one.  Technology keeps on progressing due to:
  Changing times  ALAN ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL-SWINTON
 Environmental changes (English) and BORIS ROSING (Russian)
 Ever-progressing mind of mankind  Created a new system of television in
(It would not be possible for all these 1907, using the cathode ray tube and
technological advancements to exist if it mechanical scanner system.
were not for the brilliance, creativeness,
 This success story gave rise to two types of
and power of the mind.)
television systems: mechanical and
electronic television
PROBLEM FACED BY TECHNOLOGY
 Anything too much is bad.  Inspired other scientists to improve the
 Technology is helpful to people but still not previous inventions leading to the modern
immune to criticisms and backlash. television people now have.
 Various ethical dilemmas were identified  Several scientists and several experiments
involving the use of different technological were performed first before achieving the
devices and it effect to humanity. modern television at present.
 Different problems arise when either the
technological device available is misused. MOBILE PHONES
 It was invented to produce bad results.  Filipinos love to use their mobile phones.
 People who are aware of the possible dangers  They use it for different purposes other than
of the use or misuse of technology lay these communication.
dilemmas for the public to see and realize what  More than half of the Filipino population own
they are in for. at least one mobile phone regardless of type.

Television Sets, Mobile Phones, Computers, and MOBILE PHONES AS A NECESSITY

Humanity  Mobile phones are considered a must-have
among young Filipinos (ABS-CBN News, 2010),
TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES INSIDE HOMES  One in every three Filipinos cannot live
 Most popular and most commonly used types without a mobile phone (Ipsos Media Atlast
of devices across all age groups. Philippines Nationwide Urban, 2011-2012).
 “celebrities” in the field of technology:  30 percent of the Philippine urban population
 Television sets nationwide said that mobile phones are
 Mobile phones necessities in life (Roa, 2012).
 Computers
HISTORY OF MOBILE PHONES
TELEVISION  MARTIN COOPER
 92 percent (92%) of urban homes and seventy  A senior engineer at Motorola.
percent (70%) of rural homes own at least one  Made the world’s first mobile phone
television set. (Kantar Media) call on April 3, 1973.
 Television remains to be the ultimate medium  He called their rival
for advertisement placements (The Manila telecommunications company and
Times, 2014) informed them that he was making
 In the Philippines, the current count for the call from a mobile phone.
households with television set already
reached 15.135 million (Noda, 2012).  The mobile phone used by Cooper weighed
1.1 kg and measured 228.6 x 127 x 44.4 mm.
TELEVISION A PRODUCT OF DIFFERENT  This device was capable of a 30-minute talk
EXPERIMENTS BY VARIOUS PEOPLE time and took 10 hours to charge.
 PAUL GOTTLIEB NIPKOW
 A German student.  Motorola made their first commercial mobile
 Successful in his attempt to send images phone available to the public.
through wires with the aid of a rotating  It was known as the Motorola DynaTAC
metal disk in 1800s. 8000X (Goodwin, 2016).
 This invention was then called the
“electric telescope” that had 18 lines of
resolution. COMPUTERS AND LAPTOPS
  There are some Filipino who own more than
one computer or laptop while some own at
least one computer or laptop.
 The number of computers or laptops sold per
year may not be as high as the number of
mobile phones and television sets.
 Computers and laptops have relatively higher
cost.
 It is not possible for all Filipino families to own
at least one computer or laptop.

HISTORY OF COMPUTERS
 CHARLES BABBAGE
 A 19th century English Mathematics
professor.
 Designed the Analytical Engine which
was used as the basic framework of
the computers even until the present
time.
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