IV.

The Human Person

flourishing in terms of
Science and Technology
Lesson Objectives
• Identify different conceptions of human
flourishing;
• Determine the development of the scientific
method and validity of science; and
• Critic human flourishing vis-à-vis progress of
science and technology to be able to define
for themselves the meaning of a good life.
 What is
happiness?
• In psychology, happiness is a mental or
emotional state of well-being which can be
defined by, among others, positive or pleasant
emotions ranging from contentment to
intense joy.
• To behaviorists, happiness is a cocktail of
emotions we experience when we do
something good or positive.
• To neurologists, happiness is the experience
of a flood of hormones released in
the brain as a reward for behavior that
prolongs survival.
 Is happiness is a
destination or a journey?
• The hedonistic view of well-being is that happiness is
the polar opposite of suffering; the presence of
happiness indicates the absence of pain. Because of
this, hedonists believe that the purpose of life is to
maximize happiness, which minimizes misery.

• Eudaimonia, a term that combines the Greek words

for "good" and "spirit" to describe the ideology.
Eudaimonia defines happiness as the pursuit of
becoming a better person. Eudaimonists do this by
challenging themselves intellectually or by engaging
in activities that make them spiritually richer people.
EUDAIMONIA
 EUDAIMONIA
• “good spirited”
• Coined by Aristotle
• Describes the pinnacle of happiness that is
attainable by humans.
• “human flourishing”
• From Nicomachean Ethics
(philosophical inquiry into the nature of the good life for a human being.)

– human flourishing arises as a result of different

components such as
•Phronesis
•Friendship
•Wealth
•Power
• In ancient Greek society, they believe that
acquiring these will surely bring the seekers
happiness, which in effect allows them to
partake in the greater notion of what we call
the Good.
• As time changes, elements that comprise
human flourishing changed.

• People found means to live more comfortably,

explore more places, develop more products,
and make more money.
• Humans of today are expected to become
“man of the world”

• Supposed to situate himself in a global

neighborhood, working side by side among
institutions and the government to be able to
reach a common goal.
• Competition as a means of survival has
become passé.

• Coordination is the new trend.

 • Eastern vs Western conception
regarding society and human flourishing
EASTERN CONCEPTION
• focus is community-centric
• individual should sacrifice
himself for the sake of society
•Chinese Confucian system
• Japanese Bushido
•Encourage studies of
literature, sciences, and art for
a greater cause
WESTERN CONCEPTION
• more focused on the
individual
• human flourishing as an end
•Aristotelian view
•Aims for eudaimonia as the
ultimate good
 Science, Technology and Human
Flourishing
• Every discovery, innovation, and success
contributes to our pool of human knowledge.

• Human’s perpetual need to locate himself in

the world by finding proofs to trace evolution.

• Elicits our idea of self-importance

• Technology is a human activity we excel in as
a result of achieving science. (Heidegger)

• Good is inherently related to the truth

 Science as Methods and Results
• Science stems from objectivity brought upon
by a rigid method

• Claim to reason and empiricism

 Steps in Scientific Method
1. Observe
2. Determine the Problem
3. Formulate hypothesis
4. Conduct experiment
5. Gather and analyze
6. Formulate conclusion and provide
recommendation
 Verification Theory
• A discipline is science if it can be confirmed or
interpreted in the event of an alternative
hypothesis being accepted.

• Premium on empiricism

• Takes into account those results which are

measurable and experiments which are
repeatable.
• Vienna Circle
• group of scholars who believed that
 only those which can be observed should be
regarded as meaningful,
 Reject those which cannot be directly accessed as
meaningless.
Suppose, for instance, this girl, Lea has a
theory that her classmate Ian likes her.
Good, she thought, I like him too. But how
do I know that he likes me?
She began by observing him and his
interactions with her. Several gestures she
noted include his always exchanging
pleasantries with her whenever they bump
into each other, his big smile when he sees
her, and him going out of his way to greet
her even when riding a jeepney.
Through these observations, she was then
able to conclude that Ian does like her
because, she thought, why would anyone do
something like that for a person he does not
like?
As it turns out, however, Ian is just
generally happy to meet people he knew.
He had known Lea since they were in first
year and regards her as a generally okay
person. It is no surprise then that upon
learning that Ian basically does this to
everyone, Lea was crushed. She vowed to
herself that she would never assume
again.
 Falsification Theory
• As long as an ideology is not proven to be
false and can best explain a phenomenon over
alternative theories, we should accept the
said ideology.
• Allowed emergence of theories otherwise
rejected by the verification theory.
• Encourages research in order to determine
which among the theories can stand the test
of falsification.
• KARL POPPER
– aim at the production of new, falsifiable
predictions
– scientific practice is characterized by its continual
effort to test theories against experience and
make revisions based on the outcomes of these
tests
Ian is generally everybody’s friend. He
likes to be around people and generally
aspires to become everybody’s friend.
However, there is this one girl, Lea, who
seemed to not like him when he is around.
Every time he waves at her, she turns
away, and when they are in the same
room, she avoids his glances.
Through this he concluded that Lea does
not like him and does his best to show her
that he is not a threat.

He began greeting her whenever they

pass by each other at the corridor, even
going so far as calling her attention when
he was in the jeepney and saw her walking
past.
When they were able to talk to each
other, he found out that Lea is just really
shy and is not accustomed to people
greeting her. He then was able to
conclude that his initial impression of her
not liking him is wrong and thus said
proposition is rejected.
• There is no known rule as to the number of
instance that a theory is rejected or falsified in
order for it to be set aside.
• There is no assurance that observable event
or “evidences” are indeed manifestations of a
certain concept or “theories”.