Unit 6

THE GOOD LIFE

In the previous module, you have learned how the idea of human flourishing can affect
the idea of how science can work against us rather than for us and create a conflict on the
search for the truth and for the good. In Ancient Greece, one must understand the self
and the good life in order to understand the world and the reality. Many philosophers have
attempted unlocking the old philosophical question, “What is the good life?”, “How should
one live well?”, “What does it take to live fruitfully?” In this module, these questions will
be answered as we understand and learn all about achieving the good life, what every
individual strives throughout their life.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

1. examine shared concerns that make up the good life;

2. creative innovative and creative solutions to contemporary solutions guided by ethical
standards;
3. identify how humans attempt to attain what is deemed to be a good life; and,
4. recognize possibilities available to human being to attain the good life.
ARISTOTLE AND HOW WE ALL ASPIRE FOR A GOOD LIFE

Aristotle is known as the first philosopher who approached the

problem of reality from a scientific point of view. He is also the first
thinker who looked into the concept of the goal of life and the pursuit
of happiness.
Compared to his teacher, Plato believed that change is so
perplexing that it can only make sense if there are two realities:

1. The World of Forms (things are changing)

2. The World of Matter (the entities are only copies of the ideal
and the models, and the forms are the only real entities) Plato

Plato recognized change as a process and as a phenomenon that

happens in the world. Change is constant. He also claimed that
despite the reality you remain to be you despite the changes that
happen to you.

Meanwhile, Aristotle claims that this world is all there is to it

and that this world is the only reality we can all access. He also
claimed that there is no reality over and above what the senses can
perceive. It is only by observation of the external world that one can
Aristotle
truly understand what reality is all about. Change is a process that
is inherent in things. Every human being moves according to sine end. Every action that
emanates from a human person is a function of the purpose (telos) that the person has.
Every human person aspires for an end. This end is happiness or human flourishing.
Happiness is the be all and end all of everything that we do. The end goal of everything
that we do is happiness. He claims that humans want to obtain human flourishing, a kind
of contentment I knowing that one is getting the best out of life. A kind of feeling that one
has maxed out his potentials in the world, that he has attained the crux of his humanity.

HAPPINESS AS THE GOAL OF A GOOD LIFE

I. Materialism

 The world is made up of and is controlled by

the tiny indivisible units in the world called
atomos or seeds.
 Atomos are indivisible particles, assembled by
chance and in a purely mechanical way.
 The founders and the first materialists were Democritus and Leucippus.
 For Democritus, the world, including human beings, is made up of matter. There is
no need to posit immaterial entities as sources of purpose.
 Atomos simply comes together randomly to form the things in the world. Only
material entities matter.
  This is when most people are clinging on to material wealth as the primary source
if the meaning of their existence.
 Materialists does not believe in the afterlife.
 This belief aims that comfort, pleasure, and wealth are the only highest goals.

II. Hedonism
 The hedonists see the end goal of life acquiring
pleasure. Pleasure is their priority.
 This school of thought is led by Epicurus. He
continued the theory of materialism, which does
not buy any notion of afterlife.
 Life is about obtaining and indulging in pleasure
because life is limited.
 Their mantra is, “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.” Or in modern terms,
YOLO.
 They strive to maximize their total pleasure the difference of pleasure and pain, and
if the pleasure was finally gained, happiness remains fixed.
 Hedonists does not believe in the afterlife.

III. Stoicism
 Stoicism is created for those who live their lives in the real world.
 It was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium. And this school of thought was led by
Epicurus.
 The stoics espoused the idea that to generate happiness, one must learn to distance
oneself and be apathetic.
 Apatheia means indifferent.
 It asserts that virtue is happiness and judgment should be based acts on behavior
rather than words. People do not have any control and must not rely on external
events, only for themselves and their responses. This philosophy, helps a person to
overcome destructive emotions and acts on what can be acted upon.
 For stoics, happiness can only be attained by a careful practice of apathy.
 We should adopt the fact that some
things are not within our control.
The sooner we realize this, the
happier we can become.
 Stoicism differs from other school
of thought with its purpose as a
practical application rather than
intellectual enterprise.

IV. Theism
 Most people find the meaning of their lives using God as a fulcrum of their existence.
 The ultimate basis of happiness for theists is the communion with God.
  They believe that they can find the meaning of their lives by using God as the creator
of their existence.
 Theism is a belief that one or more gods exist within the universe, and that gods are
often omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (all-
pervasive). This belief also incorporates monotheism 9belief in one god) and
Polytheism (belief in many gods).
 The world where we are in is only just a
temporary reality where we have to
maneuver around while waiting for the
ultimate return to the hands of God.
 The Abrahamic faiths such as Judaism,
Christianity, Islam, as well as Hinduism
are all theistic religions.

V. Humanism
 Humanism is the school of thought with the belief that human beings have the right
and responsibility to give meaning and shape their own lives.
 The man is free to carve his own destiny and to legislate his own laws, free from the
shackles of a God that monitors and controls.
 For humanists, man is literally the captain of his own
ship.
 Humanists see themselves not merely as stewards of the
creation but as individuals who are in control of
themselves and the world outside them.
 Most scientist dwell on this thought that the true world
is a place for discovery in seeking ways on how to
improve the lives of its inhabitants. And as a result,
scientists eventually turn to technology to ease the
difficulty of life, that is, to live comfortably.

WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF A GOOD LIFE?

Aristotle created the concept of eudaimonia (from daimon – true nature). He deemed
happiness to be a vulgar idea, stressing that not all desires are worth pursuing as, even
though some of them may yield pleasure, they would not produce wellness. He thought
that true happiness is found by leading a virtuous life and doing what is worth doing. He
argued that realizing human potential is the ultimate goal.
However, Boniwell emphasized that feeling good is not good enough for a good life.
Each person must realize his/her potentialities which would lead him/her to the greatest
fulfilment – daimon.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ACHIEVING GOOD LIFE?

Vergrart believed that technology will support and enhance a “good life” for all citizens
without compromising the earth’s ecosystem or the prospects of later generations.
According to Stutz, a good life requires essentially basic human needs are met and
aspirations for freedom, belonging, and self-realization are fulfilled as much as possible.
Vergrart noted that technological innovation in the context of the hood life and how it can
be supported or threatened, depending on the way technological innovations are
influenced and steered by human decisions and institutions.
However, technology allowed us to tamper time and space. Communication has been
a lot easier for people from different parts of the world. They can talk and see each other
in real time and send messages instantly without waiting for a letter mail to arrive.
Whether we use such technological advancements or not, these are all in the pursuit of
attaining a good life. It is the question of how we decide on what kinds of technology to
use or not to use as well as the balance between the good life, ethics, and technology has
to be achieved.

ACTIVITY 6
1. Define, in your own words, the meaning of a good life.
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2. Can technology lead us to good life? Explain your answer.
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3. What is the relationship between the good life and science? Explain your answer.
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REMEMBER!
Every man is currently in pursuit of their happiness in order to have a good life. Every
man has different perspective on how to achieve a good life. Throughout the years of
pursuit, man has discovered different ways and things to equate to having a good life.
Some believe that happiness can be attained by fulfilling what is good for the soul, that it
must attain a certain balance in order to have a good life. While others believe that
happiness can be gained by acquiring material things and satisfying one’s desire. Science
and technology attempts to aid man at finding this happiness. However, it is still up to
mankind if science does fulfill this path and gives a truthful fulfilling good life.
References
• Serafica, Pawilen, Caslib, Alata. “Science, Technology, and Society”. Rex Book Store,
Inc. Manila, Philippines. 2018
• Prieto, Vega, Felipe, Meneses. “Science, Technology, and Society”. Lorimar
Publishing Inc. Quezon City, Manila. 2019
• https://literariness.org/2019/04/25/the-philosophy-of-aristotle/
• https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/plato-257.php
• https://www.njlifehacks.com/materialism-happiness/
• https://ethicsunwrapped.utexas.edu/glossary/hedonism
• https://www.njlifehacks.com/what-is-stoicism-overview-definition-10-stoic-
principles/
• https://depositphotos.com/vector-images/theism.html
 Unit 7
WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND
HUMANITY CROSS
In this lesson, several technological devices will be properly introduced, the roles
they play in society and their effects, particularly to the lives of the people will be identified,
and the problems they face will be examined thoroughly.

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

1. identify different technology and give their pros and cons to the people;
2. examine some technological advancement and their ethical issues they cause; and,
3. discuss the interplay between technology and humanity.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNOLOGY

Technology came from the Greek words techne and logos which mean art and word
respectively. Taking the two together, technology means a discourse on arts (Buchanan,
2010). Technology first appeared in the 17th century.
Each person in the society is directly or indirectly affected by technology whether he
wills it or not. Technology also enjoys such fame and glory because of the many different
benefits it brings to mankind. Today, people will work very hard in order to save money
to buy these “necessities” while in the past, people only use their money for the things
that will help them survive like food, housing and clothing.
Technology keeps on progressing due to not only the changing times and
environment but also to the ever-progressing mind of mankind. However, it is also
important to note that anything too much is bad.
Inventions and innovations in the field of science and technology came about
because of people’s needs. Curiosity and talent with creativity and brilliance resulted to
inventions of different things with purposes in their respective field. In this topic, we will
list some of technologies invented way back many years ago up to this time.
Technology begins even before the beginning of our own species. Sharp flakes of
stone used as knives and larger unshaped stones used as hammers. These tools were
made 3.3 million years ago and thus were likely used by an ancestor such. During
Neolithic period, people also began to use clay for pottery and bricks. Clothing began to
be made out of woven fabrics. Clothes were likely made out of necessity by the people to
cover themselves from cold due to changing weather.
In 6000 BCE, first irrigation systems were used in the civilization of the Tigris-
Euphrates River Valley in Mesopotamia and Nile River. People also began to sail ships on
the Nile River. In 850 CE, Gunpowder was invented in China an alchemist. A product of
their research for life-extending elixirs. With the invention of such technology, it spread
throughout Europe and was used in several wars. Thanks to China for their creation.
As technology progressed, nearly 5,000 years after the first sailing ships, wind was
first used to operate a mill. More complex type of technology by this time was introduced.
First windmill was in Persia, created with horizontal windmills in which blades were set
on a vertical shaft. It was later used in Europe. First mechanical clock began to appear in
Europe toward the end of 13th century and were used in cathedrals.
In 1765, during the time of Industrial Revolution, the Steam Engine became one of
the most important inventions. In 1804, Steam engine by James Watt were used in
railways for transportations by Richard Trevithick. Years later, steam engine was used in
water for steamboat. In 1831, Reaper was introduced to people. Invention of mechanical
reaper lessen the work of the labor in harvesting. Later became well-known to the world.
In 1844, electric telegraph was used. Information is sent through a wire in the form
of dots and dashes. Then in 1876, Alexander Graham Bell made the first telephone call.
These are but some of those many mechanical devices created early in our history
by humans out of their curiosity and brilliance. Devices that are still present up to this
day though in different form, they were built differently in a more complex ways to do more
complex things.

TELEVISION SETS, MOBILE PHONES, COMPUTERS AND HUMANITY

TELEVISION SETS
• According to Kantar Media, one of the trusted television
audience measurement providers, in the Philippines, 92%
of urban homes and 70% of rural homes own at least 1
television set. The television is still the ultimate medium for
ads.
 • In 1800s, Paul Gottlieb Nipkow, a German student, was successful in his attempt
to send images through wires with the aid of a rotating metal disk called the “electric
telescope”. It had 18 lines of resolution.
• In 1907, Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton and Boris Rosing, created a new
system of television using cathode ray tube in addition to the mechanical scanner
systems. This gave rise to two types of television systems: mechanical and electronic
television.

MOBILE PHONES

• In 2010, Global Research Agency SYNOVATE conducted a

survey and declared 67% ownership in the country.
• Mobile phones are considered a must-have among young
people.
• April 3, 1973, Martin Cooper, a senior engineer at Motorola,
made the world 1st mobile phone call. He called their rival
telecommunications company and properly informed them
that he was making the call from a mobile phone.
• The mobile phone used by cooper weighed 1.1 kg. and
measured
228.6 x 127 x 44.4 mm. This kin d of device was capable of
30-min talk time but charging time was 10 hours.
• In 1983, Motorola made the 1st commercial mobile phone
available to the public.
• It was known as Motorola Dynatac 8000X.

COMPUTERS AND LAPTOPS

• While Filipino families own TV and mobile phones, not all families can afford to own
a computer due to its high cost.
• In fact, most of the profits gained by computer and laptop manufacturers come from
offices, businesses, or schools where such devices have become part of their
necessities.
• In line with the growing number of computer and laptop
sales, there has been a growing number of internet users
in the Philippines.
• Charles Babbage designed the 1st analytical engine
which was used as the basic framework of the computers
even until the present time.
• Computers are classified into three generations.
• The first true portable computer was released in April
1981.It was called the OSBORNE 1.
• The evolution of laptops continued until the present time
where various designs and models are already available.

A typical household owns at least one or two of the following devices:

✓ Mobile phone (89%),
✓ Smartphone (53%),
✓ Tablet (14%),
✓ Desktop (39%),
✓ Laptop/Netbooks (37%); and
✓ Smart TV (4%).
Facts about Filipinos and their use of gadgets and the internet (Rappler, n.d)
✓ Mobile phone subscription is at 119 million.
✓ Filipinos spend approximately 3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2 hours on desktop
daily.
✓ Currently, the Philippines has one of the highest digital population
in the world.
✓ There are now 47 million active Facebook accounts in the Philippines.
✓ The Philippines is the fastest-growing application market in Southeast Asia.

ROLES PLAYED BY THESE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

• Televisions, mobile phones, computer and laptops all have different functions and
roles played in the lives of people.
• These roles became essential to Filipinos who developed a strong inclination toward
technology and its products.
• Television is mainly used as a platform for advertisements and information
dissemination. It also serves as a recreational activity and good stress reliever to
most families. Television also is a good platform for different propagandas and
advocacies. It can be a good way to bond with one’s family members.
• Mobile phones is used primarily for communication. Other services include
texting and calling. In the present, it is use to surf the internet. It is like an all-in-
one device which makes it very appealing to people.
• Personal computers and laptops also have useful
set of functions and roles. Contrary to mobile
phones, pc and laptops have wide screens and
separate keyboards. Another reason is the
availability of a mouse or a touchpad made these
devices easier to maneuver than mobile phones.
It allows people to play different computer games
with comfort and convenience.

ETHICAL DILEMMAS FACED BY THESE TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS

• While it is true that these technological devices are useful and beneficial, the fact
remains that there are several dilemmas faced by these “necessities.”
• First, most parents would argue that these devices make their children lazy
and unhealthy.
• They develop sickness due to the excessive use of technology.
• Technology also causes people to become reclusive, alienating themselves because
they no longer take time to get out of their houses and mingle with other people.
• Second is the moral dilemmas.
• Children who are not capable yet of rationally deciding for themselves what is right
or wrong, are freely exposed to different things on the technological devices.
• This makes them very vulnerable to character
change and greatly affect the way they view the
world and the things around them.
• Although some would argue that technology
brings people together, it can also be argued that
this is not always the case in the real world
because it may bring them virtually closer but
not physically or personally.
 • This is the reason why there are people who call for the establishment of ethics of
technology.
• This subcategory of ethics will in one way or another guide people on how technology
ought to be used in order to prevent abuse and other unfortunate results.
• It can be said that these reasons make such devices somewhat unethical because
they bring undesirable consequences to people.
• However, it can also be argued that it is not the fault of the technological devices
but the agents using them or the ones making them.
• Each person must indicate the priorities, values, norms, and principles that
constitute the grounds for one’s actions and define one’s contribution to the
scientific-technological event.
• The ethics of responsibility focuses on the positive rather than the negative.
• Instead of asking “What ought not to be allowed?” Ask “What ought to
be allowed?”
• To put in in another way, people who are part of the scientific development ought to
let the public know the good in their respective technological contribution/s.
• In this way, the people will have an idea how the devices ought to be used in order
to maximize their positive results.
• However, it is also important for the people in the scientific world to inform the
masses of the dangers of their contribution/s to the world of technology.
• In this way, the people will be sufficiently aware of what to do and what not to do.
• In addition to this, the agents using the devices should also be accountable to and
accountable for their use of their gadgets.
• So, who can we blame for these dilemmas?

ROBOTICS AND HUMANITY

• Another great product of the innovative minds of the people is the Robot.
• The INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF ROBOTS (IFR) and UNITED NATIONS
ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR EUROPE (UNECE) made it their task to formulate
a working definition for service robots.

A preliminary extract of the relevant definition is (IFR, 2012):

ROBOT
• An actuated mechanism programmable in two or more
axes with a degree of autonomy, moving within its
environment, to perform intended tasks.
• Autonomy in this context means the ability to perform
intended tasks based on current state and sensing
without human interventions.

SERVICE ROBOT
• A robot that performs useful tasks for humans or
equipment excluding industrial automation application.
• Note: A robot may be classified according to its
intended application as an industrial robot or a service
robot.

PERSONAL SERVICE ROBOT

• A service robot for personal use.
• It is used for a noncommercial task, usually by laypersons.
 • Examples are domestic servant robots, automated wheelchair, personal mobility
assist robot, and pet exercising robot.

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE ROBOT

• A service robot for professional use.
• It is used for commercial task, usually operated by a
properly trained operator.
• Examples are cleaning robot for public places, delivery
robot in offices or hospitals, fire-fighting robot,
rehabilitation robot, and surgery robot in hospitals.
• Germany was one of the first countries to develop
service robots.
• As part of the German Federal Ministry of Education
And Research’s “Service Robotics Innovation Lead Initiative,” it sponsored a
collaborative project called DESIRE (DEUTSCHE SERVICEROBOTIK INITIATIVE-
GERMANY SERVICE ROBOTICS INITIATIVE) which was launched on October 1,
2005.

ROLES PLAYED BY ROBOTICS

• Robots play different roles not only in the lives of the people but also in the society
as a whole.
• They are primarily used to ease the workload of mankind.
• They were invented to make life more efficient and less stressful.
• They perform complicated activities which human beings are incapable of doing.
• They perform the simplest tasks at home so that their masters can perform the
complex ones without stressing themselves over the simple tasks.
• There are also robots which are made for pleasure.
• In addition, there are also some robots which were made to serve as toys.
• Just like people living in the society, robots also have their own set of rules and
characteristics that define what a good robot is.
• Isaac Asimov, in 1940s, formulated laws for robots when he was thinking of its
ethical consequences:

Law One:
• A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being
to come to harm.
Law Two:
• A robot must obey the orders the orders given it by human beings except where
such orders would conflict with the first law.

Law Three:
• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict
with the first or second law.

ETHICAL DILEMMAS/S FACED BY ROBOTICS

• Just like any other technological advancements, robotics also faces different
problems and dilemmas.
• One of the dilemmas faced by robots is safety.
 • Who should be held accountable if someone’s safety is compromised
by a robot? Who should be blamed, the robot, the agent using the robot, or the
maker/inventor of the robot?
• Another ethical dilemma faced by robots is the emotional component.
• What if robots become sentient? Should they be granted
robot rights? Should they have their own set of rights to be upheld, respected, and
protected by humans?
• In the field of robotics, there are the so-called partial autonomy and full autonomy.

Partial autonomy
• Includes active human-robot interaction

Full autonomy
• Excludes active human-robot interaction.
• It can perform actions and activities even without a master telling it what should be
done or what should be performed next.
• Using Asimov’s laws for robotics, it can be concluded that robots are ethical but
only if they strictly follow the laws specified.
• They are ethical mostly because the laws formulated by Asimov ensure the safety of
not only the users of the technology but also the people around him.
• However, if the agent using the technology misuses the robot to achieve personal
agendas, then without a doubt, the agent should be held accountable for any
consequences it may bring.
• If the problems arise when the robot deviates from the laws specified, then the maker
or the inventor of the machine should be blameworthy.
• Other problems may arise when the machine develops the ability to think for itself.
• For the second dilemma, it is just right for the robots to be given their own set of
rights should they develop the ability to feel different kinds of emotion.

ACTIVITY 7
1. Now that the world is battling a global crisis which is the COVID-19 and students are
at home, what are the ethical dilemmas brought by technological advancements to
them? As a student, does it also affect your life? How?
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2. How do you reconcile the ‘need’ for technology and the dilemma/s it faces?
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3. As some would argue, technology has become a necessity for people and it is now
impossible for technology and humanity not to cross paths. If you agree with this, do
you think there should be an ethics of technology?
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REMEMBER!

In modern times, there are different technological advancement in all forms and sizes
may it be inside the home, the workplace, the learning place, or simply on the streets. It
is now very accessible to almost everyone in the world. It is not completely impossible to
say that each person in the world owns at least one technological device. Besides,
technology is not enclosed to expensive and high-end devices. Simple types of machines
that can perform simple task regularly can already be considered a form of technology.
However, despite its usefulness and beneficial characteristics, there are still some
problems faced by the different technological advancements. To be more specific, these
problems are ethical in nature that involve not only the machine but also mankind. It is
now impossible for technology and humanity not to cross paths because as some would
argue, technology has become a necessity for people. At the end of the day, ethics
should be still enforced in the field of technology so as to ensure the safety and
morality of these devices to people.

References

• Cnbc.(2019). “smartphones: mobile usage statistics”. Accessed October

• Is Google Making Us Stupid? 2008. Nicholas Carr
• Serafica, Pawilen, Caslib, Alata. “Science, Technology and Society”. 2018. RBS. pp.
63-74
• Statista. (2020). “ Philippines: consumer TV usage”. Accessed October 17,2020.
www.statista.com
• The ethical dilemmas of robotics
• United Naitons Human Rights. (2019). “New Digital technologies produce
unprecented levels of child abuse material online”. Study. Accessed October
17,2020. https://ww.ohchr.org
• www.builtin.com
• www.Researchgate.net
• www.Shuttershock.com

Always take care of yourself.