When Technology and

Humanity Cross
The ever-growing society has made people see
technology as some form of necessity. Tracing back
its origins, the word “technology” came from the
Greek words techne and logos which mean art and
word, respectively. Taking the two words together,
technology means a discourse on arts (Buchanan,
2010).
The roles played by technology these days are very
crucial not only to a few but also to everyone. In one
way or another, each person in the society is directly
or indirectly affected by technology whether he wills
it or not. In fact, most people survive their everyday
lives with great reliance to the different
technological advancements already available to the
masses.
It is with great effort that people were able to
achieve such great inventions. It makes life so
much easier and more convenient than ever
before. It can clearly be seen from the simplest
task at home to the most complicated ones
inside the office or laboratory.
In general, technology keeps on progressing due to
not only the changing times and environment but
also to the ever-progressing mind of mankind. It
would not be possible for all these technological
advancements to exist if it were not for the
brilliance, creativeness, and power of the mind.
 Television Sets, Mobile Phones,
Computers, and Humanity

A number of technological devices can be easily

found inside the home, the most accessible place to
anyone. Having said that, it can also be easily
inferred that these technological devices are some
of the most popular and most commonly used
types of devices across all age groups.
 Television Sets, Mobile Phones,
Computers, and Humanity

First, according to Kantar Media, one of

the most trusted television audience
measurement providers, in the Philippines,
92 percent of urban homes and 70 percent
of rural homes own at least one television
set.
 Television Sets, Mobile Phones,
Computers, and Humanity

Paul Gottlieb Nipkow – a German student,

in the late 1800s was successful in his
attempt to send images through wires with
the aid of a rotating metal disk.
 Television Sets, Mobile Phones,
Computers, and Humanity

Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton and

Boris Rosing – created a new system of
television by using the cathode ray tube
in addition to the mechanical scanner
system.
 Television Sets, Mobile Phones,
Computers, and Humanity

Secondly, Filipinos love to use their mobile phones

anywhere, anytime. They use it for different purposes
other than for communication. More than half of the
Filipino population own at least one mobile phone
regardless of type. In 2010, global research agency
Synovate conducted a survey and declared 67 percent
product ownership in the country.
 Television Sets, Mobile Phones,
Computers, and Humanity

Martin Cooper – made the world’s first 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 kilograms and measured 228.6 x 44.4 mm.
This kind of device was capable of a 30-minute talk
time.
Television Sets, Mobile Phones,
Computers, and Humanity

Lastly, computers and laptops have also

become part of many of the Filipino
households. There are some Filipino families
who own more than one computer or laptop
while some own at least one computer or
laptop.
 Television Sets, Mobile Phones,
Computers, and Humanity

Charles Babbage – a 19th century English

Mathematics professor who designed the Analytical
Engine which was used as the basic framework of
the computers even until the present time.
 Roles Played by These Technological
Advancements

Television sets, mobile phones, and computers or

laptops all have different functions and roles played in
the lives of the people, although some may be a little
similar. These roles have become so essential that
people, more specifically Filipinos, developed a strong
inclination toward technology and its product.
 Roles Played by These Technological
Advancements

For instance, television is mainly used as a

platform for advertisements and information
dissemination. In fact, television remains to
the most used avenue by different advertising
companies not only in the Philippines but
also all over the world.
 Roles Played by These Technological
Advancements
Mobile phones, on the other hand, also have their
own roles in the lives of the people. They are
primarily used for communication. Mobile phones
offer services like texting and calling.
In the past, these were the only functions of the
mobile phone but as technology progressed, there
have been many additional features included on the
mobile phones.
Roles Played by These Technological
Advancements

Personal computers and laptops also have useful

set of functions and roles. Although most of
the functions found in these technological
devices are now also available in mobile phones,
they still offer their own unique features that
make them attractive.
Ethical Dilemma Faced by these
Technological Advancements

1.Most parents would argue that these

devices make their children lazy and
unhealthy.
2.Moral dilemma.
 Robotics and Humanity

Another great product of the innovative minds of

the people is the robot. The International
Federation of Robotics (IFR) and United 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):
 Robotics and Humanity
✓ a robot is an actuated mechanism programmable in two or more
axes with a degree of autonomy, moving within its environment,
to perform indicated tasks. Autonomy in this context means the
ability to perform intended tasks based on current state and
sensing without human intervention.
✓ a service robot is 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 service robot
 Robotics and Humanity

✓ a personal service robot or a service robot for personal use is a

service robot used for a non-commercial task, usually by
laypersons. Examples are domestic servant robot, automated
wheelchair, personal mobility assist robot, and pet exercising
robot.
✓A professional service robot or a service robot for professional
use is a service robot used for a commercial task, usually
operated by a properly trained operator.
 Robotics and Humanity

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 given 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 Dilemma/s Faced by
Robotics

▪Safety
▪Emotional Component
The Information
Age
Highly modernized, automated, data-driven, and
technologically advanced – these best describe our
society nowadays, as evidenced by how information
could be transferred or shared quickly.
The different areas of society have been influenced
tremendously such as communication, economics,
industry, health, and the environment.
Life is accompanied by endless transmission of
information that takes place within and outside
the human body. According to Webster’s
Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary,
information is “knowledge communicated or
obtained concerning a specific fact or
circumstance”
The Information Age

The Information Age is defined as a “period starting

in the last quarter of the 20th century when
information became effortlessly accessible through
publications and through the management of
information by computers and computer networks”
As man evolved, information and its
dissemination has also evolved in many ways.
eventually, we no longer kept them to
ourselves; instead, we share them and manage
them in different means. Information got ahead
of us. It started to grow at a rate we were
unprepared to handle.
Truths of Information Age by Robert
Harris
1. Information must compete. There is a need for information to
stand out and be recognized in the increasing clutter.
2. Newer is equated with truer. We forgot the truth that any fact or
value can endure.
3. Selection is a viewpoint. Choose multiple sources for your
information if you want to receive a more balanced view of reality.
Truths of Information Age by Robert
Harris
4. The media sells what the culture buys. In other words, information
is driven by cultural priorities.
5. The early word gets the perm. The first media channel to expose an
issue often defines the context, terms, and attitudes surrounding it.
6. You are what you eat and so is your brain. Do not draw conclusions
unless all ideas and information are presented to you.
Truths of Information Age by Robert
Harris
7. Anything in great demand will be counterfeited.
8. Ideas are seen as controversial. It is almost certainly impossible to
make any assertion that will not find some supporters and
detractors.
9. Undead information walks ever on. Rumors, lies, disinformation,
and gossips never truly die down. They persist and continue to
circulate.
Truths of Information Age by Robert
Harris
10. Media presence creates the story. People behave much differently
from the way they would if being filmed when the media are
present, especially film news or tv media.
11. The medium selects the message. Television is mainly pictorial,
partially aural, and slightly textual, so visual stories are emphasized.
12. The whole truth is a pursuit.
Computers
Computers are among the most important
contributions of advances in the Information
Age to society. A computer is an electronic
device that stores and processes data
(information).
 Types of
Computers
Personal Computer (PC)

It is a single-user instrument. PCs were first

known as microcomputers since they were a
complete computer but built on a smaller scale
than the enormous systems operated by most
businesses.
Desktop Computer

It is described as a PC that is not designed for portability.

The assumption with a desktop is that it will be set up in a
permanent spot. A workstation is simply a desktop
computer that has a more powerful processor, additional
memory, and enhanced capabilities for performing special
group of tasks.
Laptops

These are portable computers that integrate the

essentials of a desktop computer in a battery-
powered package, which are somewhat larger than a
typical hardcover book.
Personal Digital Assistants

These are tightly integrated computers that

usually have no keyboards but rely on a touch
screen for user input.
Server

It refers to a computer that has been improved to

provide network services to other computers.
Servers usually boast powerful processors, tons of
memory, and large hard drives
Mainframes

These are huge computer systems that can fill an

entire room. They are used especially by large firms
to describe the large, expensive machines that
process millions of transactions every day.
Wearable Computers

They involve materials that are usually

integrated into cell phones, watches, and other
small objects or places.
The World Wide
Web (Internet)
Several historians trace the origin of the Internet to
Claude E. Shannon, an American mathematician
who was considered as the “Father of Information
Theory”. He worked at Bella Laboratories and at the
age of 32, he published a paper proposing that
information can be quantitatively encoded as a
sequence of ones and zeroes.
The Internet is a worldwide system of
interconnected networks that facilitate data
transmission among innumerable computers. It was
developed during the 1970s by the Department of
Defense.
One early problems faced by the Internet users was
speed. Phone lines could only transmit information
at a limited rate. The development of fiber-optic
cables allowed billions of bits of information to be
received every minute.
Sergey Brin and Larry Page, directors of a Stanford
research project, built a search engine that listed
results to reflect page popularity when they
determined that the most popular result would
frequently be the most usable.
Critics charged that the Internet created a technological
divide that increased the gap between the members of
the higher class and lower class of society. Those who
could not afford a computer or a monthly access fee
were denied these possibilities. Many decried the
impersonal nature of electronic communication
compared to a telephone call or a handwritten letter.
 Applications of
Computers in Science
and Research
Bioinformatics

Bioinformatics is the application of information

technology to store, organize, and analyse vast amount of
biological data which is available in the form of sequences
and structures of proteins – the building blocks of
organisms and nucleic acids – the information carrier.
How to Check the
Reliability of Web
Sources
The Internet contains a vast collection of
highly valuable information but it may also
contain unreliable, biased information that
mislead people.
Who is the author of the article/site?

Look for a “About” or “More About the Author”

link at the top, bottom, or sidebar of the webpage.
Some pages will have a corporate author rather than
a single person as an author.
Who published the site?

Look for the domain name of the website that will

tell you who is hosting the site. For instance,
http://www.ched.gov.ph. The domain name is
“gov.ph”. This tells you that the website is hosted by
CHED.
• What is the main purpose of the site? Why
did the author write it and why did the
publisher post it?
• Who is the intended audience?

• What is the quality of information

provided in the website?
Information
Society
Humans are surrounded on all sides by technology
claiming to supply information, smart phone and
internet among others. However do they all provide
information or just noise? More voice are trying to
get our attention but how can we be sure that they
share knowledge and truth?
The Role of Language

Language is more than a means of communication. It is used all over the

world and every single minute. Not only when we talk, read, and write
even when we socialize, we drive, we trade everywhere we use language
in one form or other. Every aspect of our life involves language.
By definition, language is, "a body of words, symbols, signs, sounds,
gestures, and the systems for their use common to people who are of the
same community, nation or same cultural tradition"
The Role of Language

The language also plays an important role in the

development of a person personality, because
communication is the one which drives our lives and makes
ourselves better. Basically, language distinguishes humans
from other animal species.
Importance of Language in the Society

Since the time of Adam, the evolution of language

starts. As soon as the new born comes into the
world, the neediest thing for him is the language to
communicate. He feels the need to connect himself
with the kind of people of his own.
Importance of Language in the Society

Language is the most effective source of

communication in our life. In the evolution of
human culture and civilization it has played a good
role. During conversation we communicate and go
into the process of it. And when we get it in written
form, its scope enhances.
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Comparing the lives of the people before and

now will make anyone realize the changes
that happened in society not just in terms of
culture, language, or rights but more
importantly, changes in people’s way of life
due to the existence of science and
technology.
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The term “generation gap” is attributed mainly

to the changes brought about by technology.
Although the original idea is for technology to
help everyone, it cannot be denied that until
today, not everyone is comfortable in using the
different kinds of technologies.
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THE to
Click HUMAN CONDITION
edit Master title style BEFORE COMMON ERA

Our early ancestors’ primal need to survive

paved way for the invention of several
developments. Gifted with brains more
advanced than other creatures, humans are
able to utilize abundant materials for their
own ease and comfort.
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THE to
Click HUMAN CONDITION
edit Master title style BEFORE COMMON ERA

This particular period proved to be difficult for

our ancestors, but in a remarkably distinct
way. There is little to no written accounts
except for several cave drawings and
unearthed artifacts from various parts of the
world that narrate how their culture came to
be.
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THE to
Click HUMAN CONDITION
edit Master title style IN THE COMMON ERA

For a long time, humans were content

with their relationship with nature.
Earliest case of man-made extinction
occurred over 12,000 years ago,
possibly brought about by hunting and
territorial disputes.
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NOTABLE
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1. Mortality Rate. Due to technology, lesser

women and children die during birth, assuring
robust population and strong workforce.
Medical care for premature infants allows
them to survive and develop normally, while
proper maternal care ensures that mothers
can fully recover and remain empowered.
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NOTABLE
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2. Average Lifespan. Aside from the reason that

people engage less in combat and are less
likely to die in treatable diseases now as
opposed to then, science is able to prolong
lives by enhancing living status and discovering
different remedies to most diseases.
Distribution of medicines is also made easier
and faster.
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NOTABLE
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3.Literacy Rate. Access to education

provided to more individuals generally
creates a more informed public that
could determine a more just society.

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NOTABLE
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4.Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Although not an indicator of an average
person’s lifestyle in a certain country, it is
often used to determine the value of the
country’s goods and services produced
within the territory given a certain time
period.
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In Ancient Greece, long before the word

“science” has been coined, the need to
understand the world and reality was bound with
the need to understand the self and the good
life. For Plato, the task of understanding the
things in the world runs parallel with the job of
truly getting into what will make the soul flourish.
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Aristotle (384 BC – 322 BC) was a Greek

philosopher, a student of Plato, and teacher of
Alexander the Great. His wrote on: physics,
metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic,
rhetoric, linguistics, politics, ethics, biology, and
zoology. His thought in multiple fields was
considered definitive for millennia, and his work
in ethics and politics is still widely influential
today. He is one of the greatest thinkers in the
history of western philosophy.

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Aristotle’s views on living well begin with a consideration of

ends and means. Suppose I want a car—the car is my end or
goal. I can earn or borrow,—these are my means. The means I
choose depends on which is easier, quicker, likelier to
succeed, etc. Thinking about the goal we are aiming at, and
the means we will employ to reach that goal is practical
thinking. But such thinking bears no fruit until it results in
purposeful action, which is acting with some end, goal, or
purpose in mind.

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Now suppose I get my car? That is itself a

means to another end, say of getting to school
or work. And of course, getting to school or work
is the means to another end, getting to class or a
job. And these are the means of making money,
which is itself a means of buying food, clothing,
and shelter, which are the means of staying
alive.
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Aristotle argued that as we mature, we act less

aimlessly and more purposefully. We try to develop a
plan for living that unites all our various purposes.
Without a plan for living, we don’t know what we are
trying to do or why we’re trying to do it. Moreover, not
just any plan will do—we need the right plan, which is
one that aims at the final or ultimate end. But what is
the final end of human life, the end that all of us ought
to aim at?
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For Aristotle, the final end of human life is to

flourish, to live well, to have a good life. All
actions should aim at this end. Of course, in
order to live at all we need food, clothing, and
shelter, but living is itself the means to the end of
living well. And what is living well a means to?
Aristotle says that living well is the final end for
humans; it is not a means to anything else.
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But now another question arises: don’t different

people have different ideas about what a good life is?
For some it may consist of accumulating wealth; for
others, it is having power or being famous or
experiencing pleasure. And if people construe the
good life differently, if they have different desires, how
can there be one right plan for living well? How can
there be one final end that we all ought to seek?
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✓Acquired desires – differ between

individuals

✓Natural desires – which are same for

everyone
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With these considerations in mind,

Aristotle states that the good life
consists in the possession, over the
course of a lifetime, of all those
things that are really good for us.

2020
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Bodily Goods

✓ health
✓ vitality
✓ vigor
✓ pleasure

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External
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✓ food
✓ drink
✓ shelter
✓ clothing
✓ sleep

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Goods
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title style

✓ knowledge
✓ skill
✓ love
✓ friendship
✓ aesthetic
✓ enjoyment
✓ self-esteem
✓ honor
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Happiness as the Goal
Click to edit Master title style of a Good Life

In the 18 th
century, John Stuart Mill
declared the Greatest Happiness
Principle by saying that an action is right
as far as it maximizes the attainment of
happiness for the greatest number of
people.
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MATERIALISM
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The first materialists were the atomists in Ancient

Greece. Democritus and Leucippus led a school
whose primary belief is that the world is made up of an
is controlled by the tiny indivisible units in the world
called atomos or seeds. For Democritus and his
disciples, the world, including human beings, is made
up of matter.

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MATERIALISM
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There is no need to posit immaterial

entities as source of purpose. Atomos
simply comes together randomly to form
the things in the world. As such only
material entities matter.

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HEDONISM
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The hedonists, for their part, see the end goal of life in
acquiring pleasure. Pleasure always has been the
priority for hedonists. For them, life is about obtaining
and indulging in pleasure because life is limited. The
mantra of this school of thought is the famous, “Eat,
drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.”

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STOICISM
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Led by Epiricus, the stoics espoused the idea that to

generate happiness, one must learn to distance
oneself and be apathetic. The original term, apatheia,
precisely means to be indifferent. For the stoics,
happiness can only be attained by a careful practice of
apathy. We should, in this worldview, adopt the fact,
that some things are not within our control.

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THEISM
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Most people find the meaning of their lives using

God as a fulcrum of their existence. The
Philippines, as a predominantly Catholic country,
is witness to how people base their life goals on
beliefs that hinged on some form of supernatural
reality called heaven.

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HUMANISM
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Humanism as another school of thought espouses the

freedom of man to carve his own destiny and to
legislate his own laws, free from the shackles of God
that monitors and controls. For humanists, man is
literally the captain of his own ship. Inspired by the
enlightenment in 17th century, humanists see
themselves not merely as stewards of creation but as
individuals who are in control of themselves.
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