UNIT 2

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

AND THE HUMAN CONDITION

ENGR. MINELYN P. COCHINGCO

 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND
SOCIETY
AND THE HUMAN CONDITION
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ENABLED HUMANITY TO
EVOLVE AND ADVANCE AS A SPECIES TO LENGTHS THAT
WERE ONCE UNIMAGINABLE. HUMANITY IS CURRENTLY
SURROUNDED BY ITS OWN TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
AND THE WORLD CONTINUES TO WITNESS SCIENTIFIC
ADVANCEMENTS THAT AFFECT ALMOST EVERY FACET OF
HUMAN LIFE AND SOCIETY.
CHAPTER 1
HUMAN FLOURISHING AND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

• The concept of human flourishing is best captured by the term eudaimonia. It comes from the Greek word eu meaning
“well”, and daimon or daemon meaning “spirit”. It is defined as a contented state of being happy, healthy, and
prosperous. It is also understood as the effort to attain self-discovery and fulfillment within the setting of society, each
with the right to pursue his or her own efforts o achieve a such state.
•
• In Philosophy, eudaimonism refers to pursuing the right actions that lead to one’s “well-being”. Ancient Greek
philosophers developed normative ethical theories called virtue ethics that emphasize the virtue of mind and character.
According to them, such virtues are linked to the concept of arete, meaning “excellence of any kind that is necessary in
order for one individual to flourish and attain the good life.”
•
• Eudaimonia is an objective state that characterizes a well-lived life as an individual’s ideal emotional state. It is
thought of as the highest human good that is good in itself.
HUMAN FLOURISHING AND SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY
• There are different philosophical theories that attempt to explain eudaimonia such as hedonism. According to
hedonism, pleasure is the most valuable pursuit of mankind and everything that one does is to gain pleasure.
This view can be traced back to Aristippus, a Greek philosopher who was convinced that life’s objective is to
experience maximum pleasure.
•
• Another approach to good is from the historical and philosophical teachings of Aristotle – the eudemonic well-
being. He assumed that happiness is a vague idea, emphasizing that not all desires are worth pursuing. Though
some may yield pleasure, they will not always produce lasting happiness.
•
• Epicurus and other notable hedonists agreed with Aristotle that eudaimonia is the highest good. However,
Epicurus associated this with the idea of “pleasure for pleasure’s sake,”.
THE HISTORY OF EUDAIMONIA

Human Flourishing According to Aristotle

• The term eudaimonia is explained by Aristotle in his Nicomachean Ethics that

dates back to 4th century BC. However, earlier thinkers such as Democritus,
Socrates, and Plato presented similar concepts. Socrates believed that virtue is a
sort of knowledge (the knowledge of good and evil) that is needed to achieve the
ultimate good all humans’ desire. On the other hand, Plato observed that even bad
people are capable of feeling guilty when they do something wrong. He claimed
that the mind must govern the spirit, emotions, and physical desires to attain
eudaimonia.
 HUMAN FLOURISHING ACCORDING TO ARISTOTLE
• Aristotle departed from the Socratic view that happiness is based on leading a life of virtue. He stated that such
happiness is conditional for it is dependent on other conditions. Any individual living a life of virtue will not be
happy if faced with an extreme predicament. An individual’s virtue cannot bring happiness if he or she is sick or
starving. In Aristotle’s point of view, the individual’s worldly conditions are important in his or her pursuit of
eudaimonia.
•
• Aristotle stated that eudaimonia is not an instrumental good but rather, the ultimate good for it is intrinsically
good or good in its own sake. For Aristotle, being part of a community is needed for an individual to flourish as
human being. He emphasized that friendship, a mutual admiration between two persons, is a contributing factor in
attaining eudaimonia.
•
• The Stoics perceived virtue based on morality. They believed that eudaimonia is the highest good and is achieved
by living in harmony with nature. However, perfect virtue is impossible to achieve. Moral virtues such as courage,
honesty, and justice are good while moral vices like envy, slander, and shame are bad. Health, honor, and wealth
are neutral.
 HUMAN FLOURISHING IN THE CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE

• From a Christian perspective, St. Augustine of Hippo and St. Thomas Aquinas
proposed that eudaimonia or human flourishing requires one to have knowledge of
God. On the other hand, John Locke, who derived the fundamental principles of his
philosophy from the Bible, stressed that happiness is pursued through prudence.
OLD TESTAMENT

• The concept of human flourishing in the Old Testament is best described by the word shalom, which,
according to theologians, means peace, harmony, and completeness. It is a sense of wholeness involving an
individual’s relationship with God and His creations.
• According to Dr. Neal Plantinga in his article Education for Shalom (2015), a more suitable definition of the
word shalom is the webbing together of God, humans, and all creation in justice, fulfillment, and delight.
• People commonly refer to it as peace, but its meaning goes beyond mere peace of mind or truce among
enemies. The Bible equates “shalom” to universal flourishing and delight – a rich state of affairs that inspires
wonder and joy for every creature on Earth reigned over by the Creator and Savior.
NEW TESTAMENT

• The concept of human flourishing is captured in the Bible’s New Testament through the Beatitudes. These are
the eight blessings preached by Jesus to his followers in Matthew 5:1 – 12. Each beatitude begins with the Greek
word Makarios (plural makarioi) meaning “blessed” or “happy”. The term beatitude comes from the Latin
beatus meaning “blissful,” “happy”, “fortunate”, or “flourishing”.
•
• The beatitudes begin with the phrase “Blessed are … “or Happy are …” for they impart which qualities and
attitudes one must have on Earth in order to flourish in the afterlife.
•
• In classical Greek, makar from Makarios refers to the state of living a life of happiness without struggles and
difficulties. Makarios is commonly used as a synonym for eudaimonia because both connote happiness, peace of
mind, joy, and the good life. According to the Bible, Jesus preached that human flourishing can be achieved by
placing God at the center of one’s life. Scot McKnight highlighted in his discussion of the Beatitudes that “the
entire philosophy of “the good life” and the late-modern theory of “happiness” is at work when Jesus says,
“Blessed are…” (2013)”.
HUMAN FLOURISHING IN THE SOCIO-PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

• Science and Technology clearly affect the human experience and human understanding of happiness.
Advancements in science and technology, having made life easier, greatly influence the way people view
what the good life is. Recent studies show that human understanding of human flourishing includes
mental and physical health, satisfaction in one’s life, meaning and purpose, and social relationship.
•
• Carol Ryff (1995), a psychology professor, studied different models and theories of happiness in different
subfields of psychology. She concluded that there are six components of well-being.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF HUMAN FLOURISHING

• In order to come up with technological innovations, humanity has taken control of the environment to take
advantage of its natural resources. It takes millions of years or a mountain to take shape but only a few years to
flatten it to make way for the development of roads, subdivisions, and other structures. Modernization advances
science, technology, and the human future at the cost of nature’s degradation.
•
• As the world continues to transform and develop in a pace beyond anyone’s expectations because of science and
technology, scientific and technological innovations now come with responsibilities. According to Gerd
Leonhard, there would be ‘an avalanche of technological changes that could reshape the very essence of
humanity and every aspect of life on our planet (2016, i).”
•
• Scientists Stephen Hawking, Stuart Rusell, Max Tegmark and Frank Wilczek published an open letter in The
Independent in May 2014 stating that the emergence of artificial intelligence poses a great danger to humanity.
They pointed out the possibility that such technology can outsmart humans in terms of business and research,
manipulate human leaders, and develop a dangerous and highly advanced weapon. They also noted that the
successful creation of artificial intelligence may and will be the biggest discovery in human history but would
also be undoubtedly the last. The impact of rapidly developing technologies such as artificial intelligence goes
beyond the present condition. It affects not only humans but also the environment.
UNIT 2
Chapter 2
Technology is a
Way of Revealing
Engr. Minelyn P. Cochingco
 Technology is a Way of Revealing

Technology can be defined as the advancement of scientific

knowledge to solve simple to complex problems or the
manner in which a task is finished using different technical
processes. However, these definitions were challenged by
German philosopher Martin Heidegger, a man acclaimed for
his works on metaphysics, phenomenology, and
existentialism. He is best known for his seminal essay The
Question Concerning Technology (1954), which criticizes
technology because its limiting nature prevents further
understanding of its true essence.
.

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 Technology is a Way of Revealing
• Heidegger does not problematize the existence of technology or its many forms but the way
people orient themselves around technology. His criticisms are rooted in the idea that solving
problems caused by technology cannot be solved by simply improving technology. This is
because technology is not purely technological. From a technical standpoint, technology can
be understood based on its two functions: instrumental and anthropological. Technology is
instrumental because it is a means to an end and anthropological because it is human
activity. This definition is not wrong; however, it limits the understanding of technology as
simply a tool for getting things done.
• Heidegger sees reality as a result of causes or means. He places Aristotle’s four (4) causes in
parallel to his own perspective. According to Aristotle, the first cause is material cause
(causa materials) or the materials out of which an object is made. The second is a formal
cause (causa formalis) or the shape or form of the object as it was produced. The third is a
final cause (causa finalis) or the purpose or function of the object. The fourth is efficient
cause (causa efficiens), which causes a change in an object.
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 Technology is a Way of Revealing
To elaborate on the concept of the four causes, Heidegger uses a silver chalice as an example.
According to him, silver is the chalice’s material cause. The shape that the chalice takes when it is
formed embodies the formal cause. The use of the chalice in the context of religious ceremonies is
the embodiment of its final cause. Lastly, responsible manipulating the silver to create an actual
chalice is the efficient cause. Given the chalice as an example, Heidegger reconceives Aristotle’s
causes into the four ways of being responsible. According to Heidegger, responsibility does not
refer to accountability or creation; rather it is what helps an object reach its full potential as a
functional object.

Heidegger does not consider the effective cause to be similar to the three other causes but as an
essential idea to understand the other causes as well as itself. The four causes are taken into account
by another concept he calls the bringing forth or the taking of each of the causes with meticulous
consideration to create the final product.

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 Technology is a Way of Revealing
According to Heidegger, bringing-forth falls under two categories, namely poiesis, and physis. Poiesis is
the bringer forth of an object into existence from creation or art, practiced by craftsmen and poets. Physis,
on the other hand, is the bringing forth of an object from nature, which is a self-producing process of
coming into existence. He states that technology comes from the Greek term Technikon, related to the
Greek term techne. Techne, as in technique, is both a skill of manufacture (carpenters, shoemakers, etc.)
and art (poets, painters, etc.). furthermore, Heidegger states how Plato linked the term techne to episteme
from which the word “epistemology” stems from. In this sense, techne means “know-how” or is defined, in
the widest sense, as one’s expertise in a particular field.

According to Heidegger, the act of bringing forth is grounded in the act of uncovering. In addition, he
clarifies that technology is not a mere means but rather, a mode of revealing. Thus, the bringing forth of
technology brings what Greeks refer to as Aletheia meaning unconcealment or truth. From here, Heidegger
says that technology is very distant from modern technology, as modern technology is disjointed from the
idea of aletheia.

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Given Heidegger’s chalice example, the silversmith, by virtue of his or her techne,
brings together form, matter, and function encompassing the idea of what a chalice
is. He or she can uncover or reveal an actual chalice from the silver that is “on its”
way to existence. This is the essence of technology – a revealing of the truth.

This is where modern technology comes into objection. Heidegger compares a

windmill, a familiar and older form of technology, to a hydroelectric dam, a newer
form of technology. The windmill draws energy from the wind whereas
hydroelectric dam exploits and store energy. In this sense, modern technology
challenges the resources of the planet, a concept embodied in Heidegger’s term of
“challenging forth.” Modern technology challenges nature in providing the energy
that it needs. Heidegger uses the Rhine River in Germany as an example. For an
artist, the river is a source of poetic and philosophical inspiration. But once an
engineer builds a dam on the river, the river’s purpose changes, and from that point
onwards: it becomes a source of energy.
While modern technology also employs aspects of unconcealment and
revealing, it does so differently, compared to older forms. Modern
technology turns the world into a “standing reserve,” a concept that
means that the world’s resources are not “good” on their own but are
only “good for” something else. Modern technology is focused on
“setting-upon”, which challenges nature in providing the energy that it
needs that delays nature’s potential to be “revealed”.
There are two different ways modern technology challenges nature to
provide energy. The first is how modern technology unlocks the energy
from natural resources and exposes the object for whatever purpose it
may hold. The other is in how modern technology is able to maximize
the use of a given object while using the bare minimum expenditure.
From here, what is gathered from setting-upon is unlocked and
transformed through the process of ‘ordering.” The transformed energy
from “ordering” is stored and distributed as seen fit.

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• Heidegger questions the position of humanity in the process of challenging nature. He asks how
humanity is involved in the revealing process and to what extent it can be done. This is answered
with the idea that the standing reserve comes from the potential energy produced and is reserved for
purposes that either humans or technology may change and manipulate for future use.
•
• Heidegger reiterates that modern technology, as a revealing, is no more human doing. Modern
technology challenges humanity to do something with nature – to manipulate nature by ordering and
directing it to transform it from being a standing reserve into a revealing. He uses an example of
how mountains unfold into mountain ranges and how their gathering is called gebirg (mountain
chain), as they too are ordered.
•
• This challenge gathers humanity into revealing the standing reserve in what Heidegger calls gestell
or enframing. The idea of enframing stems from what Heidegger refers to as the “frame of mind”
that drives humans to precise scientific knowledge and renewed perception of the world. Another
way to describe enframing is the gathering of what humanity is setting upon and revealing that the
essence of modern technology is not technological. The parts that make up technological devices
such as the batteries and processors of machines belong to the technological. The assembly falls
under the sphere of technological activity. This activity responds to the challenges of enframing but
never makes up what enframing truly is.
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UNIT 2 Chapter 4
Technology and the
Future of Humanity

ENGR. MINELYN P. COCHINGCO

 When technology and Humanity Cross
Science and technology can lead humanity to either prosperity or degradation.
Because of some helpful inventions, a widespread misconception of
technological optimism arises. Technological optimism is the view that
technological improvements will sustain life as the human population continues
to increase. Holding this view obviously has its limits for it discredits the
unsustainable aspect of technology. While it is not wrong to be hopeful in terms
of technological advancements, it is important to be aware of the negative effects
that some innovations come with. It is expected that through new technological
breakthroughs, pressing social issues would be addressed, thus improving the
future conditions of society.
The mushroom cloud of the atomic bomb dropped
on Nagasaki, Japan on August 9, 1945
In the book The Year 2000, published in 1967, Herman Kahn and Anthony Wiener listed 100 technological
innovations that are likely to occur in the last quarter of the 20th century. Examples of the listed innovations include
new medical technologies that may detect hereditary and congenital diseases, the use of cyborg techniques that may
substitute human organs or limbs, new biological or chemical methods to improve memory and learning, and more.

A number of the predicted innovations such as multimedia systems, advanced military, and commercial airborne
vehicles, and the internet now exist. Other predictions such as genetic testing to efficiently detect hereditary and
congenital diseases are already being developed.

The study of genetics poses a threat to ethics. The scientists who launched the Human Genome Project believed in the
power of genetic information to transform health care – to allow early detection of fatal diseases and create powerful
medicines based on the genetic “constitution” of an individual (pharmacogenetics). Pharmacogenetics, however, has
also become controversial in terms of its ethical use. It raises several questions regarding its necessity, methodologies,
and accessibility. In the future, doctors will be capable of providing patients with genetic report cards that will spell
out each patient’s risks of developing a variety of diseases. As such, the social and ethical implications come into
question, including how it will affect lives, families, and the entire society.
Advanced DNA testing also poses both advantages and disadvantages, as the practice may be misused or
abused by authorities. A recent technology that is used in police investigations surfaces, which potentially
quickens the acquisition of results of evidence for the efficient conviction of criminals. However, some
police personnel may misuse the technology and use it without the knowledge of the suspect, or even
manipulate data to incriminate someone else.

Presently, the public is concerned about whether the technology available is ready to be handled by
authorities or not. Since the technology is highly advanced, great responsibility lies within those who
maneuver it.

The growth of science and technology challenges society’s ability to understand and control its effects on
everyday life. Its implementation is carried out so rapidly that adverse effects are unavoidable. People
continue to use diesel-powered automobiles and coal-powered energy plants that release toxic fumes and
greenhouse gases that are detrimental to human and environmental health.
Dams are constructed for irrigation, flood control, and power production; however, they also disrupt the
natural ecosystem and displace local communities. Take the case of the Chico River Dam Project in
Cordillera as an example, which was first drawn up in 1965 and was deemed achievable to construct in
1973 only to be suspended in the 1980s. The local tribes opposed the construction of the dam because it
would displace local communities. At the forefront of the opposition against the dam was tribal leader
Macli-ing Dulag who was murdered by unidentified assailants to silence him, which caused a large public
outcry on both national and international scales that terminated the project. Similarly, and more recently,
the Kaliwa Low Dam Project in Rizal proposed in 2012 not only threatened the displacement of local
tribes and the grabbing of ancestral lands but also posed severe environmental destruction. Initially
approved under the administration of former Pre. Aquino, the project was canceled only to be revamped
by a bigger Chinese-funded project under the Pres. Duterte. The ancestral lands of the Dumagats and
Remontados are currently under threat due to the continuance of this project, which would inevitably
displace 10,000 members of the Dumagat tribe. Various wildlife habitats situated in the Sierra Madre
mountain range are also threatened to be destroyed. The project was formulated in response to the
alleviation of sourcing demands from Angat Dam, which would greatly help nearby communities with
water supply. Ironically, these projects also threaten the lives of minorities and wildlife habitats, exhibiting
the conflict between progress and ethical and environmental consequences.
Agent Orange is an invention that illustrates how technology can be purposively used to inflict damage on others. It is a
herbicide and defoliant chemical – a mixture of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid.
It was used during the Vietnam War by the US military in order to destroy plant-based ecosystems in Vietnam’s territory,
disrupting their agricultural food production. Laboratory tests had shown that Agent Orange also damaged the genes of
humans exposed to it, resulting in genetic deformities developed by the offspring of the exposed victims. The chemical
also made the regeneration of forests difficult and almost impossible

Chico River
US Army Huey helicopter spraying Agent Orange over agricultural land during the Vietnam
War
Computer and electronic surveillance systems provide personal, institutional, and homeland security but can also pose
threats to human privacy. Personal correspondence that allows the exchange of sensitive information can be put under
surveillance by high-tech systems. As businesses and organizations around the world depend on computers and the
internet to exchange data, they become more vulnerable to cyberattacks. The infamous ILOVEYOU virus infected
millions of computers worldwide – including systems of the Pentagon and the British Parliament. This computer
virus, reportedly created by Filipino IT students, destroyed files, stole passwords and compromised confidential data
from government agencies and private companies. In another instance, hackers illegally accessed the network portal
of the Central Bank of Bangladesh in February 2016. Eighty-one million dollars ($81M) was stolen, sent to the
Philippines, and funneled into a leading commercial bank’s foreign currency accounts and three major casinos.

While science and technology provide society with higher standards of living, these are accompanied by adverse
effects such as the depletion of resources and biological and environmental hazards. Humanity’s ability to survive as a
species will be determined by how rapidly it can adapt to these technological changes.

Consequently, these technological innovations will affect future generations and their outlook toward the fast-paced
development of machines.
 WHY DOES THE FUTURE NOT NEED US?

In the novel Brave New World (1931), the author Aldous Huxley created a dystopian world 600 years into
the future in which humans are engineered through artificial wombs and indoctrinated into predetermined
classes that dictate how they should act and be perceived in society. Huxley re-examined the narrative he
crafted in the 1946 edition of the novel in light of scientific and technological advancements during that
era. He stated that his envisioned reality is coming faster than he had originally foreseen and that “the
horror might be upon us within a single century.”

In 2000, Bill Joy, chief scientist for Sun Microsystems, wrote an article for Wired Magazine entitled Why
the Future Doesn’t Need Us. Joy stated that “our most powerful 21st-century technologies – robotics,
genetic engineering, and nanotechnology – are threatening to make humans an endangered species.” He
voiced his concern about the increasing development of technological capabilities such as continuous
innovations in artificial intelligence (AI). It is expected that in the near future, computers will have the
capacity to lead a so-called robot rebellion. Genetic engineering is capable of creating new crops and
potentially new species.
Nanotechnology may be used in developing more efficient medicine and water treatment; however, it may also be hazardous to
one’s health.

Bill Joy’s fears with regard to new technology seem to be justified. Government militaries are developing autonomous weapons
possibly capable of making military decisions. Computers are practically driving society from stock trading to personal
entrainment. The term robot is becoming a household name in factories, refineries, and warehouses, which displaces millions of
skilled workers. Many technologies are continually produced without any consideration of their potential negative side effect.

As history bears all the narratives that surround the ever-evolving technological development, society should pay attention to
the old adage: “History repeats itself.” Many have suffered from the ill effects of excessive and abusive technology and
scientific manipulation as more and more innovations are being made today. Those who control high-technology devices and
essential top-secret information hold the future of humanity. As technology is nothing but a mere tool for human intention and
political agenda, society should always be informed of the capabilities of machines and the reason for their invention. As history
keeps repeating itself, many good-intentioned discoveries turn sour when left unchecked by the public. The big question
remains: should technology be allowed to do all the work and make decisions for society or should humans maintain control
over these new technologies? The latter choice still poses the question of how technology can be effectively controlled and
directed. The challenges of addressing these issues are not only reserved for scientists. Everyone has a stake in making sure
humanity will benefit from these new technologies while keeping everyone safe.