LESSON 5

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY,
AND SOCIETY
STS and the Human Condition
(The Human Person flourishing in terms
of science and technology)
LESSON OBJECTIVES:
❏ discuss what technology reveals;
❏ examine modern technology and its role
in human flourishing; and
❏ explain the role of art in a technological
world
THE HUMAN
PERSON
 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.
 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.
Human Flourishing
The progress of human civilizations throughout history
mirrors the development of science and technology.
The human person, as both the bearer and the beneficiary of
science and technology, flourishes and finds meaning in the world
that he/she builds.
In the pursuit of the good life, humans may unconsciously acquire,
consume, or destroy what the world has to offer. It is thus necessary
to reflect on the things that truly matter.
What is our
role in the
world?
To be able to
appreciate the fruits
of science and
technology, they
must be examined
not only for their
function and
instrumentality but
also for their greater
impact on humanity
as a whole.
How do humans flourish
in science and
technology?
 Technology is a
double- edged
sword empowering
both our creative
and destructive
nature.
Technology as
a Mode of
Revealing
In his work, The
Question of
Technology, Martin
Heidegger urges us to
question technology
and see beyond
people's common
understanding of it.
The ancient doctrine defined technology as...
1. a means to an end
2. a human activity

According to Heidegger, this definition is

correct but not necessarily true.
The experience and understanding of
what is correct lead us to what is true.
Heidegger urged people to envision technology as
a mode of revealing as it shows so much more
about the human person and the world.
Technology is a way
of bringing forth or
making something.
By considering
technology as a mode
of revealing, then
truth is brought
forth.
Aletheia - unhiddenness or disclosure

Poiesis - bringing forth

Techne - (root word for technology)

means skill, art or craft; it is a means of
bringing forth something
 Technology is a
poiesis that
discloses or reveals
truth.
What is modern technology?
Does the idea that technology is poiesis
apply to modern technology?
Heidegger
characterizes
modern technology
as a challenging
forth since it is very
aggressive in its
activity.
Modern technology
challenges nature and
demands of it resources
that are, most of the
time, forcibly extracted
for human consumption
and storage. It brings
about a 'setting upon"
of the land.
 Bringing Challenging
forth forth
humans only give humans control the
form to what already productive process
exists without and, according to
disruption and Heidegger, reduce it to
control something else, often
inferior to its true
essence
ENFRAMING: Way of Revealing
in Modern Technology

Enframing, according to Heidegger, is akin in two ways:

1. Calculative thinking
2. Meditative thinking
 Calculative Meditative
Thinking Thinking
In calculative thinking, human
In meditative thinking, human lets
orders and puts a system to
nature reveal itself to him/her
nature so it can be understood
without forcing it.
better and controlled.

-To be practical
-To be aware
-Gathering information
-To observe
-Use for part (mankind)
-Use for the whole
Effects of Calculative Thinking
Human Person Swallowed by
Technology
What is the
essence of
technology?
Heidegger asserted that “the essence of
technology is nothing technological”
(1977). The essence of technology is not
found on the instrumentality and
function of the parts that constitute is
but the significance such technology
unfolds.
GROUP TASK

Look for a partner and pick a work of art

that you feel best reveals technology.
Reflect and discuss among yourselves how
the artwork describes and reveals
technology. Ground your discussion from
the concepts learned.