The Human Person flourishing in terms of science and technology (Part II)

Objectives of this dicussion

1. Define human flourishing.

2.Reflect on the relationship of scientific and technological progress and human flourishing.

So in the previous week, the philosophical relationship of human person with technology was discussed.
So this week, the topic will focus on human flourishing . But before that , to give you a broad
perspective let’s first discuss the article of Jason Hickel about Forget ‘developing’ poor countries, it’s
time to ‘de-develop’ rich countries, so we will discuss about why societies, especially the rich countries,
need to cut out on growth.

Forget ‘developing’ poor countries, it’s time to ‘de-develop’ rich countries By Jason Hickel

 The idea is that the rich countries should slow down in their consumption so that poor
nations can "catch-up”.what does catch up means? Means the process of trying  to reach
the same standard or quality, para magkaroon ng pantay na kalidad na pag unlad.

So the idea is that kinakailangan na bawasan ng mga mayayamang bansa ang kanilang pagkonsumo
upang ang mga mahihirap na bansa ay makahabol sa pantay na kalidad ng pag-unlad.

 The de-development framework is about purposely stopping growth for the sake of improving
the state of living of developing countries.
So according to Hickel nga, how can rich countries de-develop? They can de-develop by
minimizing the economic growth and abuse that leads to inefficient way of utilizing the
resources.

According to hickel, how can rich countries de-develop ? Maaari silang umunlad sa pamamagitan ng
paglilimita sa paglago ng ekonomiya at pang-aabuso na humahantong sa hindi magandang paggamit ng
mapagkukunan. Just like for example Kinakailangan nito na bawasan yung bilang ng mga imprastraktura
and pati na rin ang paglobo ng populasyon . In a growing economy, the demand for more housing has
increased, meaning na kung mas mataas ang pangangailangan sa pabahay, nangangahulugang mas
mababa ang lupa sa agrikultura at ang mas kaunting lupa sa agrikultura ay nangangahulugang mas
kaunting seguridad sa pagkain. As a result yung mabilis na urbanisasyon ay nag-aambag sa global
warming. So global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other air pollutants collect in
the atmosphere and absorb sunlight and solar radiation that have bounced off the earth's
surface, and dahil dito sa kagagawan nga ng tao sa pamamagitan ng pagsusunog at
pagpuputol ng mga puno .

Moving forward,

 According to economist Peter Edward it is about time that the world

leaders "forget" developing poor countries and it is about time that rich
 and highly-urbanized countries are de-developed. What does this
mean?

Dahil maraming ngang mga bansa ang nananatiling mahirap, ang karamihan sa mga economist
ay naniniwala na higit na paglago ang kinakailangan natin upang mabawasan ang bilang ng mga
naghihikahos or naghihirap na bansa., However, hindi ito napatunayan sa mga nakaraang dekada. Ang
mga mas mayayamang bansa ay patuloy na nagtitipon ng yaman,at habang ang mga mahihirap na bansa
This then appear that perhaps developing and growing
naman ay nanatiling mahirap.
the poor countries is not the answer but rather to slow down the growth of
the richer countries.

 In other words, growth isn’t an option anymore – we’ve already grown too much. Scientists are
now telling us that we’re blowing past planetary boundaries at breakneck speed. And the hard
truth is that this global crisis is due almost entirely to overconsumption in rich countries.

Development is no longer a choice because we have already evolved so far. At ang nakakalungkot na
realidad habang may mga mayayamang mga bansa na mas yumayaman pa, may mga bansa pa ding
nananatiling mahirap. At ang nakakatakot na katotohanan ay ang pandaigdigang krisis or yung
tinatawag nating global crisis na halos buong bunga ng labis na pagkonsumo sa mga maunlad na bansa
na lubhang naapektuhan ang mga mahihirap na bansa .For example 'Kinukuha nila yung mga kontrol sa
kagubatan or yung mga lugar na pwedeng pagtayuan ng imprasktura dahilan para mawalan ng lugar
para sa pagkukunan ng pangangailangan. Aside from that may mga article na nagsasabi na ang paglobo
daw o yung paglaki ng populasyon sa mga mahihirap na bansa ay pumipinsala sa maraming mga lokal na
mapagkukunan sa kapaligiran like sa pagputol na lang ng mga puno dahil no choice nga para matugunan
lang yung mga pangangailangan nila, at ang resulta nito hindi magandang epekto sa ating environment.

So next…

 We should look at societies where people live long and happy lives at relatively low levels of
income and consumption not as basket cases that need to be developed towards western
models, but as exemplars of efficient living.

To sum up this idea, meaning kailangan na ang mga tao ay dapat mabuhay sa isang mas mahusay na
pamamaraan. Hindi na kailangan para sa karagdagang pag-unlad. Mayroon na tayong lahat ng kailangan
natin; kailangan lamang nating maging mas mahusay sa paggamit ng mga mapagkukunang magagamit
natin. Happiness after all is not measured in terms of wealth but in contentment with what we already
have. Ang kaligayahan parin ay sinusukat hindi sa mga kayamanan or sa yaman , ngunit sa kasiyahan na
mayroon na tayo. That is why many poor countries are at the top, when asked whether the people are
happy or not.
So dito na pumapasok yung tinatawag nating human flourishing.

Moving forward, What is human flourishing?

 So first we will define Human flourishing, Human flourishing is defined as an effort to

achieve self-actualization and fulfilment within the context of a larger community of
individuals, each with the right to pursue his or her own such efforts.

So human flourishing or ang pag-unlad ng tao ay tinutukoy bilang isang pagsisikap upang makamit ang
self-aktwalisasyon at katuparan sa loob ng konteksto ng isang mas malaking pamayanan ng mga
indibidwal. So ano nga ba ang tinatawag nating self aktwalisayon?, self aktwatalisayon or ang pagnanais
ng isang tao na gamitin ang lahat ng kaniyang kakayahan upang makamit ang isang bagay and be
everything that they are capable of, when we say self actualization kasi it is the highest attainment
wherein you were able to help others because you are fully achieve your need, meaning when you are
self actualized meaning you are common thinking for the common goods of the people and you are
using your potentials, talents and abilities to help other people.

So sinasabi pa dito na

 Each with the right to pursue his or her own such efforts.
So lahat tayo, or Ang bawat tao or bawat isa sa atin sinasabi dito na may karapatang magpatuloy sa
kanyang sariling mga pagsisikap.

So lets proceed to the next

Humans, just like all organisms, have innate abilities and characteristics that let them sustain
their function and survive in a given environment. But in the very center of human being is an
unexplainable thirst for happiness, serenity,and fulfilment.

 Ang mga tao, tulad ng lahat ng iba pang mga organismo raw, ay may likas na kakayahan at
katangian that allow them to function and survive in a given or certain environment. Ngunit
bawat tao or bawat isa sa atin ay hindi maipaliwanag kung ano nga ba talaga yung mga desire
natin para sa tunay na kaligayahan, katahimikan, at katuparan or yung tinatawag nating
happiness, serenity and fullfilment.
So bakit nga ba ganito? Ano nga ba ang ating mga deepest desire in life?

What is our ultimate desire for living?

So kayo ba ang ano ba ang ultimate desire nyo sa buhay?
Anyone would like to share their answer.
So lets proceed….
  The Greek philosopher Aristotle suggested that each man’s life has a purpose, and the function
of one’s life is to attain that purpose.

Ayon nga kay Aristotle, ang buhay raw ng bawat tao ay may layunin or purpose, at ang function
ng buhay ng isang tao ay upang makamit ang hangaring layunin nito or yung purpose na sinasabi
dito.

And when we are talking about human flourishing lagi nating pinag uusapan dito what is
happiness?

 Happiness is the highest desire and ambition of all human beings. To achieve it, one must
cultivate the highest virtues within one’s self.
Also, according to Aristotle ,ang kaligayahan raw ay ang pinakamataas na hangarin at desire ng
lahat ng tao at upang maachieve ito, one must cultivate the highest virtues within one’s self.

So next
 Aristotle believed that human beings have a natural desire and capacity to know and understand
the truth, to pursue moral excellence, and to instantiate their ideals in the world through action.
These actions are geared towards one’s proper and desired end - flourishing, happiness, or
“eudaimonia”.

So, Naniniwala si Aristotle na ang mga tao raw ay may likas na pagnanasa or desire at kakayahang
malaman at maunawaan ang katotohanan upang maisakatuparan natin ang paggawa ng tama at pag-
iwas sa mali, at upang maitaguyod ang mga ideyal sa mundo sa pamamagitan ng pagkilos. Ang mga
pagkilos na ito ay naglalayong makamit ang wasto at nais na wakas na resulta, tulad ng flourishing,
happiness, or "eudaimonia”

 Eudaimonia means - a Greek word which refers to a state of having a good indwelling spirit, or
being in a contented state of being healthy, happy and prosperous, or the condition of human
flourishing or of living well. kalagayan ng maayos na pamumuhay ng isang tao through
happiness.

So to sum up, according to aristotle nga HAPPINESS is our ultimate desire for living. So someone yung
iba nagsasabi happiness is something that is material diba yung may bagong cellphone, bagong tablet,
bagong laptop, bagong gadget masaya na sila, samantalang yung iba makita lang nila yung family,
complete yung family, nakapag graduate, nakakapag aral, may trabaho yun ang sinasabi nilang
happiness because we have different kinds or different perspective in terms of happiness.

Moving forward for the last part of this discussion.

 We live in a world where science and technology are the forefront of ever-changing
society. Advances and continuous technological growth are the results of intensified application
 of scientific knowledge to deliver progress in the society. Indeed, progress is inevitable or
unavoidable, so is the desire of human to flourish. As scientific and technological development
increasingly play significant roles in human life, eudemonistic orientation of happiness never
ends.

So yun nga nabuhay tayo sa panahon kung saan ang science and technology ay nangunguna sa isang
mabilis na pagbabago ng lipunan. Ang patuloy na pag develop o paglago ng teknolohiya ay resulta ng
isang mas masinsinang aplikasyon ng kaalamang pang-agham upang makamit ang pag-unlad ng lipunan.
Sa katunayan, ang pag-unlad ay hindi maiiwasan it is inevitable or unavoidable, tulad ng pagnanais ng
tao na umunlad. Tulad ng pag-unlad ng pang-agham at teknolohikal, ito ay naging mas mahalaga sa
buhay ng tao, so yung eudemonistic orientation ng kaligayahan ay hindi nagtatapos. Wherein fact,
humans have evidently flourished when science and technology came, and made technologies that
would make our everyday lives easier, from sa mga bagay na ginagamit natin dati, advancement have
developed through times, and humans have developed a lot of things para mabawasan yung mga
manual na trabaho na katulad na lamang ngayon may mga machines na ginagamit ng mga tao para mas
mapadali ang trabaho. And one of the example nga dito is when science and technology made a big
impact on the flourishing of human education which is relevant to our society, like for example from the
visual aids na ginagamit dati nung face to face like paggamit ng manila paper, charts and dati nga sa
blackboard lang nagsusulat yung mga teachers para magturo pero ngayon malaking development or
advancement ang nangyari, hindi na tayo gaanong gumagamit ng mga manila papers puro laptops,
projectors, at may mga tv or monitors na ginagamit para dun na lang iflash yung powerpoint or any
presentation para makapagturo yung mga guro so dahil dito mas napadali yung trabaho nila.

And that’s it for the discussion of The Human Person flourishing

in terms of science and technology (Part II)