People’s definition of the good life may vary and differ in the particulars

NICOMACHEAN ETHICS AND MODERN CONCEPTS

Aristotle- an important ancient Greek philosopher whose work spans from natural philosophy to logic
and political theory, attempted to explain what the good is.

His definition may be useful in our pursuit of the truth.

In Nicomachean ethics, Aristotle stated:

All human activities aim at some good.

Every art and human inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and
for this reason the good has been rightly declared as that at which all things aim. (Nicomachean Ethics
2:2)

Everyone is moving towards the goods.

Thus, completing one’s studies, training for a sports, or taking a rest is a good.

The good is expressed and manifested in many various ways for different persons and circumstances.

The good life, however, is more than these countless expressions of what is good.

It is characterized by happiness that springs from living and doing well.

both the many and the cultivated call it happiness and suppose that living well and doing well are the
same as being happy (Nicomachean Ethics 1:4)

The ancient Greeks called this concept of “living well and doing well” as eudaimonia.

The word came from the Greek word eu meaning “good” and daimon meaning “spirit”.

Taken together, generally refers to the good life, which is marked by happiness and excellence.

It is a flourishing life filled with meaningful endeavors that empower the human person to be the best
version of him/herself.

If one student, then he/she acts to be the best version of a student by studying well and fulfilling the
demands of school

If one is an athlete, then he/she strives to be the best version of an athlete by training hard as well as
joining and winning in sports competitions.
Furthermore, according to Aristotle, happiness is the ultimate end of human action.

It is that which people pursue for its own sake.

Financial stability for one’s family, the power achieved from winning the elections, or the harmony and
the peace as a reward for taking care of the environment all these and more pursued for the sake of
happiness.

Now such thing as happiness above all else, is held to be; for this we choose always for itself and never
for the sake of something else, but honor, pleasure, reason, and every virtue we choose indeed for
themselves, but we choose them also for the sake of happiness, judging that by means of them we shall
be happy.

Happiness, on the other hand, no one chooses for anything other than itself (Nicomachean Ethics 2:7)

Happiness defines a good life.

The happiness, however, is not the kind that comes from sensate pleasures.

It is that which comes from living a life of virtue, a life of excellence, manifested from the personal to
the global scale.

For example, making sure that one avoids sugary and processed foods to keep healthy is an activity that
expresses virtue.

The resulting health adds to one’s well- being and happiness.

Another example is taking care of the environment through proper waste management which result in a
clean environment and adds to people’s well-being and happiness

The good life is marked by happiness brought by virtuous human actions and decision that effect the
individual self and the greater community.

It is characterized by a life of flourishing of one self and of other. The good life does not happen in a
bubble where only one person flourishing; others have to be in it, too.

Virtue place a significant role in the living and attainment of the good life.

It is the constant practice of the good no matter how difficult the circumstances may be.

Virtue is the excellence of character that empower one to do and be good.

Such virtue is cultivated with habit and discipline as it is not a onetime deed, but a constants and
consistent series of action.
Everyone has the capacity within himself/herself to be good, but he/she also has to be discipline to
make a habit of exercising the good.

Virtue, then, being of two kinds, of intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue in the main owes its birth
and growth to teaching (for which reason it requires experience and time), while moral virtue comes
about as a result of habit (Nicomachean Ethics 2:1)

The onward progress of science and technology is also the movement towards the good life.

Science and technology are one of the highest expressions of human faculties.

They allow us to thrive and flourish in life if we so desire it. Science and technology may also corrupt a
person, but grounding oneself in virtue will help him/her steer clear of danger.
The development of science and technology in the Philippines has already come a long way. Many
significant inventions and discoveries have been accomplished by or attributed to Filipinos.

This chapter tackles how the development of science and technology affect the development of the
Philippines as a nation

Scientific and technological development in the Philippines began in the pre-colonial period.

Even before the Spaniards came to the Philippine islands, early Filipino settlers were already using
certain plants and herbs as medicines.

System of farming and animal-raising were also implemented. Moreover, early Filipinos had also
developed different modes of transportation, whether terrestrial or maritime.

A complicated engineering feat was achieved by the natives of the Cordilleras when they built rice
terraces by hand.

Through these terraces, the people were able to cultivate crops on the mountainside in cold
temperatures.

They incorporated an irrigation system that uses water from the forests and mountain tops to achieve
an elaborate farming system.

The rice terraces of the Cordilleras, which are still functional, show the innovative and ingenious way of
the natives to survive in an otherwise unfriendly environment.

Colonization by the Spaniards provided the Philippines with modern means of construction.

Walls, roads, bridges and other large infrastructures were built using some of the engineering skills and
tools brought by the Spaniards.

In addition, the Spanish government developed health and education systems that were enjoyed by
the principalia class.

The American occupation modernized almost all aspects of life in the Philippines.

They established a government agency, the Bureau of Science, for the sole purpose of nurturing
development in the field of science and technology.
POST-COLONIAL PERIOD

After achieving independence from the colonizers, the Philippines, under different administrations,
continued to pursue programs in science and technology.

Each leadership had its own science and technology agenda.

However, it is important to note that some Philippine presidents posted more developments in the field
than others.

One of the presidents who ushered in advancements in science and technology was former president
Ferdinand Marcos.

Under his term, many agencies in science and technology were established and strengthened, including
the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) in place
of the abolished Weather Bureau;

the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST); and reconstituted National Science and
Technology Authority (originally established in 1958 as the National Science and Development Board
and now the Department of Science and Technology)

Marcos saw the key to nation-building is the continued development of science and technology.

The progress in science and technology continued even after his dictatorial rule and the presidents after
him left their own legacy in the field.
Biotechnology

biotechnology - generally brings to mind genetic engineering

(Biotechnology) - Any use of biological organisms or processes in industrial, medical, agricultural and
environmental engineering.

 In this way, we can trace the history of biotechnology from the beginning of scientific agriculture and
fermentation at the end of the 19th century.

 Throughout the 20th century, there was both much hope for, and much disappointment in, the
development of biotechnology.

 By the last decades of the 20th century, biotech became a major component of the R&D of most
developed nations.

Zymotechnology- is the old term for the study of the processes of fermentation in yeast and bacteria in
the production of foods and beverages such as bread, cheese, tofu, beer, wine, sake, nato, etc.

go back to ancient times, however, in the 19th century, with the rise of big industries, particularly in
Britain and Germany, technoscientists began to isolate the microorganisms involved and to study
them.

19th century, it became possible to isolate pure strands of the various yeasts and molds involved in
these processes, so as to standardize the mass production of these products.

e end of the 19th century, various industrial and governmental labs, and teaching institutions were
established.

early part of the 20th century, technoscientists began to see zymotechnolgy as included in the applied
sciences, analogously to chemistry. They established institutions for collecting microorganisms.

The concept of zymotechnolgy -was broadened to a general concept of biological chemistry, involving
the use of biological molecules such as amino-acids, proteins and enzymes in industrial production.

The word ‘biotechnology’ was coined by Karl Ereky (1878–1952), in Hungary in 1919, to describe
general processes of converting raw materials into useful products, such as on industrial farms.

In Britain, Chaim Weizemann (1874–1952) developed bacterial fermentation processes for producing
organic chemicals such as acetone and cordite propellants. During WWII, he worked on synthetic
rubber and high-octane gas.
In the early part of the 20th century, technoscientists began to see zymotechnolgy as included in the
applied sciences, analogously to chemistry. They established institutions for collecting microorganisms.

Engineering nature

During the interwar period, philosophers, sociologists and public intellectuals began to reflect on the
growing link between biology and technology.

They put forward the idea that biotechnology could be used to change human nature, and by changing
human nature to change society.

The Austrian Raoul Francé (1874–1943), for example, claimed that we could regard life as a series of
technical problems, for which living organisms acted as optimal solutions.

In Britain, biotechnology was conceived of as a possible solution to the damages of the industrial
revolution.

Patrick Geddes (1854–1932), the Scottish biologist, divided the history of technology into three stages:
paleotechnic (1st industrial revolution), neotechnic (2nd industrial revolution) and biotechnic (future
industrial revolution).

Raoul France’s vision of a harmonious engineering:

R. Francé, Plants as Inventors,

1920: “It was my thesis that we can conquer not only by the destruction of disturbing influences, but by
compensation in harmony with the world. Only compensation and harmony can be the optimal
solutions; for that end the wheels of the world turn. To attain its aim, life: to overcome obstacles, the
organism — plant, animal, man, or unicellular body — shifts and changes. It swims, flies, defends itself
and invents a thousand new forms and apparatuses. If you follow my thought, you will see where I am
leading, what is the deepest meaning of the biotechnical tokens. It portends a deliverance from many
obstacles, a redemption, a straining for the solution of many problems in harmony with the forces of the
world.”

Institutionalizing the engineering of nature

After WWII, technoscientists began to institutionalize biology and biotechnology in various ways; that
is, to establish departments, institutes and ministries.

During the war, a number of countries had used biotechnological means to supplement their shortages.
These labs were now institutionalized.
Cybernetics and general systems theory began to explore the parallel structures of machines and
biological systems.

That is, they began to explore the general theoretical similarities between biological and technological
systems. At MIT there was already a department of biological engineering (1936). The first department
of biotechnology was founded at UCLA in 1944, and, in the 1950s-60s, became widely respected for its
work on man-machine interfaces.

The promise of a green technology

In the early Cold War period, biotechnology was considered as an alternative to a list of earth-
destroying technologies developed by the “military-industrial complex.”

It was hoped that it might solve major social problems, such as energy and food shortages.

 Imitation rhizobia: There were projects to try to develop bacterial fertilizers that could convert
nitrogen to ammonia like the rhizobia bacteria in beans.

 Biogas and gasohol: In rural countries like China and India, there were projects to convert biomass
into fuel. In 1974, Brazil began a massive project to convert sugar cane to gas.

 Single-cell protein: During WWII, the Germans grew single-cell (fungal) protein for animal fodder. In
the 1950s, the oil companies developed processes for growing bacteria on oil. In 1968, the Japanese
produced 110 tones of single-cell protein bacteria.

Early biotech policy: Japan

Japan’s long history of the use of fermentation processes gave Japanese technoscientists a broad
conception of biotechnology.

 In the 1970s, Japan became a world leader in biotech policy.

o By the end of the 1960s there were serious pollution problems and this lead to the idea that
biotechnology could be used to make environmentally sound technologies.

 In the 1970s, the Ministry of International Trade and Industry put special emphasis on life sciences
and biotechnology.

o White Paper on S&T, 1977: “Life Science, in particular, is for the study of phenomena of life and
biological functions that will be made useful; for industrial, medical, agricultural and environmental
purposes, and so this area of science is expected to set the pace for the next round of technical
progress.”

Early biotech policy: Germany and Britain

 In the 1960s the Germans also became concerned with environmental protection (Umweltschutz)
and began to put emphasis on a new mode of development.

o Symposium of Industrial Microbiology, 1969: “A future aim should therefore be to close the gaps by
suitable training, to rise above classical fermentation technology, and to build up a modern science of
biochemical-microbiological engineering.”

 In Britain, chemical engineering, the antibiotics industry and applied microbiology developed as
rapidly as in the U.S.

 In 1979, a government report outlined the country’s policy on biotechnology, which it defined as “the
application of biological organisms, systems of processes to manufacturing and service industries.”

o The British generally followed the Japanese and German policies, however, they put more emphasis
on genetic engineering.

Contrary to its name, biotechnology is not a single technology.

Rather it is a group of technologies that share two (common) characteristics -- working with living cells
and their molecules and having a wide range of practice uses that can improve our lives.

Biotechnology can be broadly defined as "using organisms or their products for commercial purposes."

As such, (traditional) biotechnology has been practices since he beginning of records history. (It has
been used to:) bake bread, brew alcoholic beverages, and breed food crops or domestic animals (2).

But recent developments in molecular biology have given biotechnology new meaning, new
prominence, and new potential. It is (modern) biotechnology that has captured the attention of the
public.

Modern biotechnology can have a dramatic effect on the world economy and society (3). One example
of modern biotechnology is genetic engineering.

Genetic engineering is the process of transferring individual genes between organisms or modifying
the genes in an organism to remove or add a desired trait or characteristic.

Examples of genetic engineering are described later in this document. Through genetic engineering,
genetically modified crops or organisms are formed. These GM crops or GMOs are used to produce
biotech-derived foods. It is this specific type of modern biotechnology, genetic engineering,

that seems to generate the most attention and concern by consumers and consumer groups. What is
interesting is that modern biotechnology is far more precise than traditional forms of biotechnology and
so is viewed by some as being far safer.)

Biotechnology for the 21st century Experts in United States anticipate the world’s population in 2050
to be approximately 8.7 billion persons.

The world’s population is growing, but its surface area is not. Compounding the effects of population
growth is the fact that most of the earth’s ideal farming land is already being utilized. To avoid damaging
environmentally sensitive areas, such as rain forests, we need to increase crop yields for land currently
in use.

By increasing crop yields, through the use of biotechnology the constant need to clear more land for
growing food is reduced. Countries in Asia, Africa, and elsewhere are grappling with how to continue
feeding a growing population.

They are also trying to benefit more from their existing resources. Biotechnology holds the key to
increasing the yield of staple crops by allowing farmers to reap bigger harvests from currently cultivated
land, while preserving the land’s ability to support continued farming.

Malnutrition in underdeveloped countries is also being combated with biotechnology.

The Rockefeller Foundation is sponsoring research on “golden rice”, a crop designed to improve
nutrition in the developing world.

Rice breeders are using biotechnology to build Vitamin A into the rice.

Vitamin A deficiency is a common problem in poor countries.

A second phase of the project will increase the iron content in rice to combat anemia, which is
widespread problem among women and children in underdeveloped countries.

Golden rice, expected to be for sale in Asia in less than five years, will offer dramatic improvements in
nutrition and health for millions of people, with little additional costs to consumers. Similar initiatives
using genetic manipulation are aimed at making crops more productive by reducing their dependence
on pesticides, fertilizers and irrigation, or by increasing their resistance to plant diseases (14). Increased
crop yield, greater flexibility in growing environments, less use of chemical pesticides and improved
nutritional content make agricultural biotechnology, quite literally, the future of the world’s food supply.

Industrial Biotechnology

Industrial biotechnology applies the techniques of modern molecular biology to improve the
efficiency and reduce the environmental impacts of industrial processes like textile, paper and pulp,
and chemical manufacturing.

For example, industrial biotechnology companies develop biocatalysts, such as enzymes, to synthesize
chemicals.

Enzymes are proteins produced by all organisms.

Using biotechnology, the desired enzyme can be manufactured in commercial quantities.

Commodity chemicals (e.g., polymer-grade acrylamide) and specialty chemicals can be produced using
biotech applications.

Traditional chemical synthesis involves large amounts of energy and often-undesirable products, such
as HCl.

Using biocatalysts, the same chemicals can be produced more economically and more environmentally
friendly.
An example would be the substitution of protease in detergents for other cleaning compounds.
Detergent proteases, which remove protein impurities, are essential components of modern
detergents.

They are used to break down protein, starch, and fatty acids present on items being washed.

Protease production results in a biomass that in turn yields a useful byproduct- an organic fertilizer.

Biotechnology is also used in the textile industry for the finishing of fabrics and garments.
Biotechnology also produces biotech-derived cotton that is warmer, stronger, has improved dye
uptake and retention, enhanced absorbency, and wrinkle- and shrink-resistance.

Some agricultural crops, such as corn, can be used in place of petroleum to produce chemicals.

The crop’s sugar can be fermented to acid, which can be then used as an intermediate to produce other
chemical feedstocks for various products.

It has been projected that 30% of the world’s chemical and fuel needs could be supplied by such
renewable resources in the first half of the next century.

It has been demonstrated, at test scale, that biopulping reduces the electrical energy required for
wood pulping process by 30% (11).

Environmental Biotechnology

Environmental biotechnology is the used in waste treatment and pollution prevention.

Environmental biotechnology can more efficiently clean up many wastes than conventional methods
and greatly reduce our dependence on methods for land-based disposal.

Every organism ingests nutrients to live and produces by-products as a result. Different organisms need
different types of nutrients. Some bacteria thrive on the chemical components of waste products.

Environmental engineers use bioremediation, the broadest application of environmental

biotechnology, in two basic ways.

They introduce nutrients to stimulate the activity of bacteria already present in the soil at a waste site,
or add new bacteria to the soil.

The 5 bacteria digest the waste at the site and turn it into harmless byproducts. After the bacteria
consume the waste materials, they die off or return to their normal population levels in the
environment.

Bioremediation, is an area of increasing interest. Through application of biotechnical methods, enzyme

bioreactors are being developed that will pretreat some industrial waste and food waste components
and allow their removal through the sewage system rather than through solid waste disposal
mechanisms.

Waste can also be converted to biofuel to run generators.

Microbes can be induced to produce enzymes needed to convert plant and vegetable materials into
building blocks for biodegradable plastics (7).
In some cases, the byproducts of the pollution-fighting microorganisms are themselves useful. For
example, methane can be derived from a form of bacteria that degrades sulfur liquor, a waste product
of paper manufacturing. This methane can then be used as a fuel or in other industrial processes.

Biocolonialism

Biocolonialism is, to put it most simply, “the commandeering of knowledge and biological resources
from an indigenous people without compensation.“

Laurie Ann Whitt explained it as “if colonialism encompasses the interlocking array of policies and
practices (economic, social, political and legal) that

a dominant culture can draw on to maintain and extend its control over other peoples and lands, then
biocolonialism emphasizes the role of science policy…. …where valued genetic resources and
information are actively sought, ‘discovered’, and removed to the microworlds of biotechnoscience.
There they are legally transformed into the private intellectual property of corporations, universities and
individuals, rendered as commodities, and placed for sale in genetic marketplaces such as the American
Type Culture Collection.