SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

THE HUMAN PERSON FLOURISHING IN TERMS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (PART I)

OVERVIEW:

This part of the module will discuss about the philosophy of technology. A reaction article is presented in
the activity for you to read. It discusses the salient points on an essay written by a renowned philosopher
on the essence of technology. In this topic, you will reflect on the philosophical views concerning
technology.

WHAT IS HUMAN FLOURISHING?

“Ability to live a good life”
Human flourishing is the ability to live a good life. Rooted in Aristotelian ethics, it values health
intrinsically and applies universally to all human lives.
- Human flourishing is important because it promotes the growth, development, and
holistic well-being of individuals and populations. It serves as a moral basis for what it
means to be a human being. If we desire individuals’ abilities to flourish, we will be
better equipped to analyze and shape health policy and public health. We can better
achieve health equity worldwide.
- Human flourishing is an effort to achieve self- actualization and fulfillment within the context of
a larger community of individuals each of the right to pursue his or her efforts. It involves the
rational use of one’s individual potentialities including talents, abilities and virtues in the pursuit
of his freely rationally chosen values and goals.
- People become civilized along with the development of science and technology being both as the
bearer and beneficiary of science and technology human flourishes and finds meaning in the
world that he builds, but unconsciously human acquire, consume, or destroy what the world has
to offer.
- To prevent these things to happen Science and Technology must be treated as part of human life
that needs reflective and meditative thinking.

As our discussion progresses, each of you will learn about the various philosophical perspectives
on technology.

SELECTED PHILOSOPHICAL VIEWS ON TECHNOLOGY

ARISTOTELIANISM (Aristotle)
According to Aristotle, technology is basically a means to an end. It is organizing techniques in
order to meet the demand that is being posed by humans. It is primarily concerned with the
product and will be judged as either good or bad based on the value given to the product which is
based on its use and effect to the society
- This viewpoint regards technology primarily as a means to an end. It may appear that
technology is only concerned with the product. Technology will be judged as good or bad
based on the value assigned to the product based on its application and impact on society.
ARISTOTLE’S FOUR CAUSES
• Causa Materialis or the Material Cause - the material by which it is made of
- Aristotle's material cause is the material of which a thing is made. One could ask why a
floor is stable but has a very slight bounce to it. A satisfactory answer may consist of an
explanation of the material cause of the floor, namely, wood. A floor made out of
concrete would not have the bounce, and a floor made out of cotton candy would not be
stable. The material cause is identified by investigating what a thing is made of,
independently of its shape. For instance, a floor could also be made of concrete, which
would then be the material cause.
• Causa Formalis or the Formal Cause - the form or shape of the material
- Aristotle's formal cause is the shape or blueprint that informs the material of a being.
One could ask why a wooden floor is so stable without being too heavy. A satisfactory
answer might consist of the explanation of the formal cause. More specifically, the floor
is not simply a paper-thin sheet of lumber or a heap of logs or a giant slab of wood.
Rather, the formal cause of the floor is the relatively thin layer of subfloor attached to a
series of joists. The formal cause consists of the entire arrangement and configuration of
all the materials that go into the thing. Identifying a thing's formal cause involves
recognizing its shape and configuration. One could very well take the wood that would
go into making a floor and instead make a wall or a bookshelf. In those cases, the wall or
bookshelf would be the formal cause.
• Causa Efficiens or the Efficient Cause - the agent that has caused for the material to
come about
- Aristotle's efficient cause is the process or activity by which a thing is set into motion or
brought to rest. If one were to ask why the floor exists, one route to answer that question
would be to explain the material cause. Such an answer would include the carpenter who
assembled the materials into their specific shape. Because the carpenter was responsible
for bringing all the pieces together and ensuring that they were stable enough to retain
their form, the carpenter is the efficient cause. The efficient cause can be somewhat hard
to identify because it does not necessarily remain with the being it caused. Nevertheless,
for objects made by people, the efficient cause can be made evident in some way. For
instance, the carpenter who made a house's floor might post a sign in the yard with the
company/carpenter name on it. To take another example, what is the efficient cause of the
last of a series of fallen dominoes? The efficient cause of the last domino's fall was the
prior domino falling on it. The other dominoes in the series would have similar efficient
causes, except for the first. The first fallen domino's efficient cause was the person, or
perhaps the cat, that pushed or bumped into it.

 Causa Finalis or the Final Cause - the purpose or the primary use of the material
- The purpose or the primary use
 1. Causa materialis or the material cause
- The material by which the silver chalice was made of:silver.
-
2. Causa Formalis or the formal cause
- The form of the shape that gave the silver chalice its image.
3. Causa Finalis or the final cause
- The purpose or the primary use by which the silver chalice was made for: to be used during
the Holy Communion as a vessel for the wine that represent the blood of Christ.
4. Causa Efficient or the Efficient Cause
- The agent that has caused for the silver chalice to come about: the silversmith.

 The four causes are all deemed responsible for the bringing forth of the silver chalice. This
bringing forth of something is termed as poiesis and this is characterized by an external force. It
is bringing something concealed to uncealment which then makes technology as not only means
to an end but also a mode of revealing.
 The silver chalice was bought forth by the silver, by its form, for its purpose,by the silversmith.
External factors have caused for the silver chalice to be brought forth. On the other hand,
something that came about without any external forced, like a flower blooming in the field or a
tree bearing its fruit is termed physics. The flower blossomed and the tree bore fruit even
without external help.

TECHNOLOGICAL PEMISSIMISM
This views is extremely supported by French philosopher Jacques Ellul (1912-1994).
Ellul believes that technology has become a way of life. The said techniques have become a
framework which humans cannot escape. He has several pessimistic arguments, such as
technology progress having a price to pay, it creates more problems, damaging effects, and as
well as unpredictable devastating effects.
- Technolological Pessimism holds that technology is progressive and beneficial in many
ways, it is also doubtful in many ways. It is said that technology is a means to and end
but this views, technology has become a way of life. Technique has become a framework
which human cannot escape. It has introduced ways on how to make things easy. Ellul's
pessimistic arguments are (1) Technological progress has a price,(2) technological
progress creates more problems, (3) technological progress creates damaging effects,
and (4) technological progress creates unpredictable devastating effects.
TECHNOLOGICAL OPTIMISM
If there is a pessimist side, then there is also the optimist side. This philosophy believes that
technology can alleviate all the difficulties and provide solutions for problems that may come.
Technological problems may rise but technology will still be the solution. Technology is the
supreme authority on everything.
 - This view is strongly supported by technologist an engineer and also by ordinary people
who believe that technology can alleviate all the difficulties and provide solutions for
problems that may come. It holds that even though technological problems may arise,
technology will still be the solutions to it. The extreme version of this philosophy is
technocratism which holds technology as the supreme authority on everything.
EXISTENTIALISM (Martin Heidegger)
This view basically investigates on the meaning of existence or being and is always faced with
the selection one must make with which the existent will commit himself to. It believes that the
real essence of technology lies in “ENFRAMING” - the gathering of the setting which
challenges man to bring the unconcealed to unconcealment. In other words, technology is a way
of revealing.
- The main concern of this view is the existence or the mode of being of someone or
something which is governed by the norm of authenticity. This view basically investigate
the meaning of existence or being and is always faced with the selection must make with
which the existence will commit himself to.
- To Heidegger, the real essence of technology lies in “ENFRAMING”, the gathering of
the setting upon which challenges man to bring the unconcealed to un-concealment and
this is a continuous revealing. The next section will further discuss the view of Heidegger
that technology is a way of revealing.

MARTIN HEIDEGGER ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Martin Heidegger
Heidegger was one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. Technology was an
important element in his work: for Heidegger, technology was the key to understanding our
current time.
- Martin Heidegger (1889-1996), a well-known German philosopher, examined the two
usual definitions of technology; means to an end and a human activity, because he
believed that this kind of confusing there is question to it that we easily overlook. These
two definitions cannot be separated from each other. He called it the instrumental and
anthropological definition of technology or simply means by which the human ends are
realized. To Heidegger, this may not be a false definition but it is a misleading one
because this limits our thinking.
To Heidegger, the real essence of technology lies in “enframing”, the gathering of the setting
upon which challenges man to bring the unconcealed to un-concealment and this is a continuous
revealing.
 - Matin Heidegger pointed out a different view of technology as a mode of revealing. He
said and I quote “the essence od technology is not anything technological.
- Martin Heidegger strongly opposes the view that technology is a means of to an end or a
human activity. This approaches which he calls respectively the instrumental and
anthropological definition are indeed correct but do not go deep enough as it says they
are not yet true
- Heidegger points out technological objects are means for ends and are built and operated
by human beings but the essence of technology is something is else entirely. Try this as
an example since the essence of a tree is not itself a tree, He points out so the essence of
technology is not anything technological.
- So, what’s then is technology if it’s neither a means to an end nor a human activity?
Technology according Heidegger must be understood as a way of revealing which means
to uncover what was covered over. This means that technology is not just tool for us and
use and consume but a way of revealing and exploring the reality.

THE INSTRUMENTAL DEFINITION OF TECHNOLOGY

• According to Heidegger, the instrumental definition of technology encourages us to view
technology from different periods of time as not having fundamental differences. But he
claimed that this does not show the true essence of technology.
- He explained that while technology is geared towards meeting a human needs, still there
is a difference between older handicraft technologies with modern technology.
• Heidegger also argued that " technology is by no means technological" and should not be
seen as merely neutral.
- The problem begins when humans see it only as a means to an end and disregard the fact
that there is a good technology and a bad technology.
• Another problem Heidegger saw in the instrumental definition of technology is that it
only invites man to a continual desire to master it which unconsciously may be making
technology go out of hand. (NAWAWALANG NG KONTROL ANG TAO DAHIL
MAS TINITIGNAN NA LAMANG NATIN ANG NAIBIBIGAY AT NAITUTULONG
NITO AT HINDI NA NATIN TINITIGNAN ANG IBANG MGA IMPORTANTENG
BAGAY LALO NA ANG LIMITASYON)
- Heidegger said," Everything depends on our manipulating technology in the proper
manner as a means. We will, as we say, 'get' technology 'spiritually in hand'. We will
master it. The will to mastery becomes the more urgent the more technology threatens to
slip from human control." With this they argued that the problem does not fall on making
technology better but on how man sets upon technology, his thoughts that makes him
blind to the real essence of technology.
THE ESSENCE OF TECHNOLOGY
For Heidegger, the real essence of technology is found in enframing. It is the continuous
bringing forth of the concealed to unconcealment - a non-stop revealing. It continues to demand
for something to be brought out into the open. The concealed is calling out for someone to set
upon and act upon to unconceal the concealed.
- Heidegger saw technology as a way of revealing and continues to demand for something
to be bought out into the open. This bringing forth into the open is a two-way
relationship: the concealed is calling out for someone to set upon it and bring it to
unconcealment and the one who receives the call sets upon and acts upon to unconceal
the concealed.
- How can technology be a way of revealing the answer is everything we perceive or think
of or interact with emerges out of concealment into unconcealment by entering into a
particular relation with reality. Reality is revealed in a specific way. Technology is a way
of revealing that characterizes our time and it embodies specific way of revealing the
world, a revealing in which humans take power over reality.

THE DANGER OF THE NONSTOP REVEALING

• However, there are also dangers in non-stop revealing. Revealing opens up a relationship
between man and the world, but an opening up of something means a closing down of
something, which means as something is revealed another is concealed.
- An example given by Heidegger on this is the closing off of a cause-effect understanding of
reality when an understanding of God as something mysterious and holy opens; but God is
reduced to ‘the god of the philosophers.’

• Another danger is when man falls into a misinterpretation of that which is presented into
him. That is, when he sees himself in the object before him rather that seeing the object
itself.
- There is also the tendency for man to be fully engrossed with the enframing that he fails
to weigh the results and consequences of his setting upon an object which may be
destructive not only to himself but even to the surroundings and other people. This
happens when he starts to believe that everything in the human condition can be
answered by technology and that even man's happiness is dependent on the continuous
modernization of technology.

THE SOCIETY IN THE FACE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• There seems to be no contentment as every time a new product is released, man finds
another need that can only be answered by a new product.
 - When one looks around him now, he will see that man tends to find his happiness in the
works of modern technology. Smart phones,tablets, laptops that come in different shapes
and sizes with distinct features seem to be the measure of man's value. Social media has
also affected the life on many. Face to face social interactions is being lessened and
people keep working hard to update their gadgets.
- These new products also tend to replace man in the society as the demand for manual
labor is becoming less and less because of the availability of machineries.
• The human condition is not of without hope. Heidegger argued that this can be prevented
if man will not allow himself to be overwhelmed with the enframing that he was set
upon, but he pause for a while and reflect on the value of what is presented before him.
- A balance has to be struck between technology being instrumental and anthropological.
One has to understand that technology does not only concern the means but also the end
as one proverb goes, "The end does not justify the means" For Heidegger, the solution for
this is that man would not be controlling and manipulative of what he was set upon but to
also allow nature to reveal itself to him. With this, according to Heidegger , man will
have free relationship with technology.
- Even though there are so many advantages, it’s important to understand what impact
technology can have on different areas of our lives, such as social connections,
productivity and emotional health. Establishing and maintaining a healthy relationship
with our devices and the internet gives us the opportunity to only be affected in positive
ways, eliminating the disadvantages and dangers it brings.

Synthesis
- When one looks around now, s/he will see that people tend to find their happiness in the works of
modern technology. Smart phones, tablets, laptops, etc. that come in different shapes and sizes
with distinct features seem to be the measure of a person’s value. Social media has also affected
the lives of many. Face-to-face social interactions are being lessened and people keep working
hard to update their gadgets. There seems to be no contentment as every time a new product is
released. People find another need that can only be answered by a new product. These new
products also tend to replace people in the society as the demand for manual labors is becoming
less and less because of the availability of machineries.
- It’s incredibly important to establish a healthy relationship with technology in order to
improve leadership skills, lead teams efficiently and be successful professionally as well
as personally. I find that being able to disconnect from the phone or computer supports
not only better focus, decision making and resilience, but also overall well-being and
groundedness.