“SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, & SOCIETY” • In Philosophy, techne resembles the term episteme that
refers to the human ability to make or perform. It encompasses
LESSON 1: TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF
REVEALING
AT A GLANCE: WHO IS MARTIN HEIDEGGER?
“The essence of technology is by no means anything
technological”
– Martin Heidegger (1977)
• Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) is widely acknowledged as
one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century.
• His work focused on ontology or the study of ‘being’ or
dasein in German.
THE ESSENCE OF TECHNOLOGY
• According to traditional philosophy, we can ask the question
of essence by asking "what" something is. The essence of
technology can be captured in its definition. In his writings,
“The Questions Concerning Technology”, Martin Heidegger
explains two widely embraced definition of technology:
1. Instrumental Definition
– Technology is a means to an end.
– Technology is an instrument aimed at getting things
done
2. Anthropological Definition
– Technology is a human activity.
– The production or invention of technological
equipment, tools and machines, and the products and
inventions and the purpose and functions they serve
are what define technology.
REVEALING (a mode of being)
• Means that technological things have their own novel kind of
presence, endurance, and connections among parts and
wholes. They have their own way of presenting themselves
and the world in which they operate.
1. TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING
• Heidegger stressed that the true can only be pursued through
the correct. Simply, what is correct leads to what is true.
• Heidegger envisioned technology as a way of revealing – a
mode of bringing forth
• Bringing forth – Can be understood through the Ancient
Greek philosophical concept “Poiesis” which refers to act of
bringing something into unconcealment.
• Aletheia – Ancient Greek word which means
“Unconcealment” or disclosure or truth.
• Technology is a form of poiesis – a way of revealing that
unconceals aletheia (truth).
knowledge and understanding.
• In Art, techne refers to tangible and intangible aspects of
life. The Greeks understood techne in the way that it
encompasses not only craft but other acts of mind, and poetry.
EVERY BRINGING FORTH IS GROUNDED IN
REVEALING
• Thus, Heidegger here makes clear that technology is "no
mere means" but a mode or revealing, that is, of bringing forth
into unconcealment – aletheia.
• In this sense, techne is something poietic.
• And as Heidegger emphasizes techne is also a kind of
knowing or episteme.
CONTROLLING TECHNOLOGY
We seek to master technology.
 I.e., as Heidegger says, we seek to "get" technology
spiritually in hand. The will to mastery becomes all
the more urgent, the more technology threatens to
slip from human control.
 This is problematic in the event (and Heidegger will
defend this point) that technology might be
something other than a "mere means”.
2. TECHNOLOGY AS POIESIS
The essence of modern technology.
 Not a bringing forth.
 Instead, it is what Heidegger calls a challenging forth
into revealing.
Poiesis
 The activity in which a person brings something into
being that did not exist before
 Is etymologically derived from an ancient Greek term
which means to make.
MODERN TECHNOLOGY
• Both primitive crafts and modern technology are revealing.
• But the revealing of modern technology is not a bringing
forth, but a challenging-forth.
• It challenges nature, by extracting something from it and
transforming it, storing up, distributing it, etc.
SETTING UPON
• The setting upon characteristic of modern technology
challenges forth the energy of nature as an expediting in two
ways.
• Unlocks and exposes (Physics sets nature up).
1
• And the economic: Maximum yield, minimum expense
demands stockpiling.
• The result Heidegger calls Bestand: standing reserve which
is far more than simply reserves that one happiness to have on
hand.
• In simple terms: it is as if nature is put in a box or in a frame
so that it can be better understood and controlled according to
people's desires.
• "All that has come to presence in the world has been
enframed".

• Bestand – means "stock", "holdings", "assets", or the term Example:

Heidegger uses often, "standing reserve".
Steel is produced to be used in such things as the
Examples of Setting Upon: production of automobiles, and although steel is not the
automobile, it is, nevertheless affected by the "coming
 Hydroelectric power plant into" of the automobile itself.
 Strip mining
 Windmill GESTELL
 Süleyman’s Bridge at Mostar, first built in 1566
• Means literally framing.
 Heidegger’s Reference point
• Technology does not come to an end but rather a mode of
THE STANDING-RESERVE
human existence.
• Modern technology takes all of nature to stand in reserve for
its exploitation. • Describes what lies behind or beneath modern technology.

• Man is challenged to do this, and as such he becomes a part 5. ART AS A WAY OF ENFRAMING
of the standing reserve. • Enframing as the mode of revealing in modern technology,
tends to block poiesis.
• Man becomes the instrument of technology, to be exploited
in the ordering of nature. • The poetry that is found in nature can no longer be easily
appreciated when nature is enframed.
• "the world has been framed as well as the standing reserve".
• Earth has become a gas station for us, then we have become
• is active in the case of a river once it generates electricity or
enframed as well.
the earth if revealed as a coal mining district or the soil as a
mineral deposit. CAUSALITY – the idea that something can cause another
thing to happen or exist
3. QUESTIONING AS A PIETY OF THOUGHT
• Technology brings about change causally!
• It is when we start questioning that we submit ourselves to
our thoughts. • The cause is what is responsible for the effect and the effect
is indebted to the cause.
• This kind of questioning leads one to search for his/her place
in the universe and in the grand scale of things. • The unifying notion is that of starting something on its way
to arrival.
• It is through this process that one builds a way towards
knowing the truth of who he/she is as a being in this world. • Being responsible is an inducing to go forward.
4. ENFRAMING: WAY OF REVEALING IN MODERN The Four Causes (Aristotle's exploration of the
TECHNOLOGY fourfold nature of causality):
• It is not man that orders nature through technology, but more 1. Material Cause – causa materialis
basic process of revealing. 2. Formal Cause – causa formalis
• The challenge of this revealing is called, "enframing". 3. Final Cause – causa finalis
4. Efficient Cause – causa efficiens
• In enframing, the actual is revealed as a standing-reserve.
CAISA EFFICIENS
• This is "historically" prior to the development of science.
• For us today this is the exclusive meaning of causality.
• Enframing is the essence of technology.
• Heidegger explores this in terms of language (our English
ENFRAMING word is indebted to the Latin.

• Means that way of revealing that holds sway in the essence • German: Ursache, Latin, Causa, Greek aition.
of modern technology and that it is itself not technological.
THE CRAFTSMAN – SILVERSMITH
2

HUMAN PERSON SWALLOWED BY TECHNOLOGY
• Though it is true that the individual takes part in the
revealing of nature, limits must still be recognized.
• If we constantly plugged online and no longer have the
capacity for authentic personal encounters, then we are truly
swallowed by technology.
• If we cannot let go of the inconveniences and profits brought
about by processes and industries that pollute the environment
and cause climate change, then technology has consumed our
humanity.
THE SAVING POWER
“But where danger is, grows the saving power also.”
– Friedrich Hölderlin
• One must raise a further question, beyond questioning after
technology to raise the question of what Heidegger, who
thinks danger together with the notion of Ge-Stell, might mean
by speaking of Hölderlin’s saving power.
• The poet Hölderlin writes that the saving power grows where
danger is.
• The saving would allow a bringing-forth that is not a
challenging-forth (things would reveal themselves not just as
standing-reserve).
• Both technology and bringing-forth grow out of “granting,”
which allows revealing.
“The essence of technology is nothing technological.”
– Heidegger
• The essence of technology is not found in the instrumentality
and function of machines constructed, but in the significance
such technology unfolds. The various problems brought about
by human’s dependence on technology cannot be simply
resolved by refusing technology altogether.
LESSON 2: ARISTOTLE’S VIEW ON HUMAN
FLOURISHING
HAPPINESS DEFINED
• According to the dictionary: Contentment, felicity imply
an active or passive state of pleasure or pleasurable
satisfaction.
• According to 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.
• According to Behaviorists: Happiness is a cocktail of
emotions we experience when we do something good or
positive.
• According 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.
• Aristotle believed that human flourishing requires a life with
other people. Aristotle taught people acquire virtues through
practice and that a set of concrete virtues could lead a person
toward his natural excellence and happiness.
• Accoding to Aristotle, there is an end of all the actions that
we perform which we desire for itself. This is what us known
as eudamonia, flourishing, or happiness, which is desired for
its own sake with all other things being desired on its account.
• Eudamonia is a property of one's life when considered as a
whole. Flourishing is the highest good of human endeavors
and that toward which all actions aim. It is success as a human
being. The best life is one of excellent human activity.
EUDAIMONIA
• A term that combines the Greek words for "good" and
"spirit" to describe the ideology. Eudaimonia defines
happiness as the pursuit of becoming a better person.
Eudaimonists do this by challenging themselves intellectually
or by engaging in activities that make them spiritually richer
people.
ARISTOTLE’S EUDAIMONIA
• “Good spirited”
• Coined by Aristotle,
• Describes the pinnacle of happiness that is attainable by
humans.
• “Human flourishing”
3
 • Universal Purpose of Goods – the Earth's resources serve
every person's needs, regardless of who "owns" them.

• Stewardship of Creation – duty to care for Earth as (God-

given) gift is a personal responsibility for the common good

• Promotion of Peace – everyone has the duty to respect and

collaborate in personal relationships and at national and global
levels.

• Participation – everyone has the right and the duty to take

part in the life of a society (economic, political, cultural,
religious)
From Nicomachean Ethics:
• Global Solidarity – recognition that we are all
• (philosophical inquiry into the nature of the good life for a interconnected, part of one human family.
human being.)
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN EAST AND WEST
• human flourishing arises as a result of different components
EASTERN CONCEPTION:
such as:
 Focus is community-centric
 Phronesis
 Individual should sacrifice himself for the sake of
 Friendship
society
 Wealth
 Chinese Confucian system
 Power
 Japanese Bushido
• In ancient Greek society, they believe that acquiring these  Encourage studies of literature, sciences, and art for a
will surely bring the seekers happiness, which in effect allows greater cause.
them to partake in the greater notion of what we call the Good.
WESTERN CONCEPTION:
• As time changes, elements that comprise human flourishing
 More focused on the individual.
changed.
 Human flourishing as an end.
• People found means to live more comfortably, explore more  Aristotelian view.
places, develop more products, and make more money.  Aims for eudaimonia as the ultimate good.

• Humans of today are expected to become “man of the world”

• Supposed to situate himself in a global neighborhood,

working side by side among institutions and the government to
be able to reach a common goal.

• Competition as a means of survival has become passé.

• Coordination is the new trend.

PRINCIPLE OF HUMAN FLOURISHING

• Dignity of the Human person – innate personal values or
rights which demands respect for all people regardless of race,
social class, wealth, etc.

• Common Good – sacrificing self-interest to provide for the
basic human needs of everyone makes the whole community
flourish.
• Preferential Option for the Poor – when decisions are
made by first considering the poor.
• Subsidiarity – when all those affected by decision are
involve in making it.
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN
FLOURISHING
• Every discovery, innovation, and success contributes to our
pool of human knowledge.
• Human’s perpetual need to locate himself in the world by
finding proofs to trace evolution.
• Elicits our idea of self-importance.

4
• Technology is a human activity we excel in as a result of year and regards her as a generally okay person. It is no
achieving science. (Heidegger). surprise then that upon learning that Ian basically does this to
everyone, Lea was crushed. She vowed to herself that she
• Good is inherently related to the truth. would never assume again.
SCIENCE AS METHODS AND RESULTS FALSIFICATION THEORY
• Science stems from objectivity brought upon by a rigid • As long as an ideology is not proven to be false and can best
method. explain a phenomenon over alternative theories, we should
• Claim to reason and empiricism. accept the said ideology.

SCIENCE AS METHODS AND RESULTS • Allowed emergence of theories otherwise rejected by the
verification theory.
• Science stems from objectivity brought upon by a rigid
method • Encourages research in order to determine which among the
theories can stand the test of falsification.
• Claim to reason and empiricism
• Karl Popper – aims at the production of new, falsifiable
STEPS IN SCIENTIFIC METHOD predictions – scientific practice is characterized by its
continual effort to test theories against experience and make
1. Observe.
revisions based on the outcomes of these tests.
2. Determine the Problem.
3. Formulate hypothesis. ILLUSTRATION:
4. Conduct experiment.
5. Gather and analyze. • Ian is generally everybody’s friend. He likes to be around
6. Formulate conclusion and provide recommendation. people and generally aspires to become everybody’s friend.
However, there is this one girl, Lea, who seemed to not like
VERIFICATION THEORY him when he is around. Every time he waves at her, she turns
• A discipline is science if it can be confirmed or interpreted in away, and when they are in the same room, she avoids his
the event of an alternative hypothesis being accepted. glances.

• Premium on empiricism
• Takes into account those results which are measurable and
experiments which are repeatable.
VIENNA CIRCLE
• Group of scholars who believed that;
 Only those which can be observed should be
regarded as meaningful,
 Reject those which cannot be directly accessed as
meaningless.
ILLUSTRATION:
• Suppose, for instance, this girl, Lea has a theory that her
classmate Ian likes her. Good, she thought, I like him too. But
how do I know that he likes me? She began by observing him
and his interactions with her. Several gestures she noted
include his always exchanging pleasantries with her whenever
they bump into each other, his big smile when he sees her, and
him going out of his way to greet her even when riding a
jeepney.
• Through these observations, she was then able to conclude
that Ian does like her because, she thought, why would anyone
do something like that for a person he does not like?
• Through this he concluded that Lea does not like him and
does his best to show her that he is not a threat. He began
greeting her whenever they pass by each other at the corridor,
even going so far as calling her attention when he was in the
jeepney and saw her walking past.
• When they were able to talk to each other, he found out that
Lea is just really shy and is not accustomed to people greeting
her. He then was able to conclude that his initial impression of
her not liking him is wrong and thus said proposition is
rejected.
 There is no known rule as to the number of instance
that a theory is rejected or falsified in order for it to
be set aside.
 There is no assurance that observable event or
“evidences” are indeed manifestations of a certain
concept or “theories”.
LESSON 3: THE GOOD LIFE: WORLD VIEWS AND
HUMAN VALUES
A PUZZLING PROBLEM
• People want to be healthy but many consume junk food
• People want to be happy but many do things that make
themselves miserable.

• As it turns out, however, Ian is just generally happy to meet • Most things that taste good are probably bad for you.
people he knew. He had known Lea since they were in first
5
• Most things that give you thrill are probably bad for you.
WHAT IS THE GOOD LIFE?
• People have different ideas of what constitutes the good life.
• Wrong pursuits may lead to tragic consequences.
• Correct pursuits may lead to flourishing.
• Therefore, be careful what you dream for everybody wants
more happiness and success
• It’s good to know how to optimize happiness and success.
• There are many happiness coaches and self-help books in the
market.
RISK FACTORS
• There are risk factors when:
 The happiness pursuit become one's ultimate purpose
in life
 The happiness pursuit is not guided by a philosophy
of life informed by general principles of meaning,
spirituality ad virtue (e.g., the Golden Rule).
4 PERSONS WHO DEFINED THE GOLDEN RULE
“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do unto
others”
– Confucius
“We should behave to others as we wish others to behave to
us.”
– Aristotle
“Hurt not other with that which pains thyself.”
– Buddhism
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”
– Christianity
THE AMERICAN NIGHTMARE
• The pursuit of the good life has ended in misery and self-
destruction for many people.
WHAT IS THE COMMON CAUSE?
• They make personal happiness and success their ultimate end
of life without a moral compass and without the desire to
pursue inner goodness.
DISILLUSION
• Having lost faith or trust in something formerly regarded as
good or valuable.
• Solomon realized the vanity of success long, long ago: The
world will never be enough: "The eye is not satisfied with
seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing" (Eccl. 1:8)
• It takes more and more to reach the same level of happiness -
addiction, money, etc.
• Nothing in this world can fill the spiritual vacuum within us.
• Dreams are often broken when reality strikes.
FATE AND CIRCUMSTANCE
 Bad things happen to good people
 Reversal of fortune
 For some people, most days are bad days (e.g.,
poverty)
 Lack of opportunities to pursue PERMA (Seligman,
2011)
ADVANTAGES OF THE MEANING PURSUIT
 Avoids the pitfalls of self-centered pursuit of
happiness and success.
 Sustains us between the highs of inspiration and the
lows of despair.
 Happiness and flourishing will sneak in through the
back door.
 Ability to transform adversities into opportunities for
personal growth.
THE GOOD LIFE IS A VIRTOUS LIFE
 A meaningful authentic good life is based on inner
goodness.
 "The end of life is eudaimonia" - Aristotle
 Eudaimonia means well-being, virtue and human
flourishing.
 To live the good life is to become what we ought to
be as human beings-moral agents who strive for
moral excellence.
ACCORDING TO ARISTOTLE
• His moral theory is teleological.
• Aristotle's virtue ethics.
6
• The golden mean to avoid extremes.

• Practical wisdom: the proper end to our actions and the

proper means to our end.

FOUR CARDINAL VIRTUES OF ARISTOTLE:

1. Prudence
2. Justice
3. Fortitude
4. Temperance

ACCORDING TO CONFUCIUS
• Lived in a tumultuous period of war and conflict.

• Equates the good life with social harmony.

• The need to fit in an ordered society

• Inner cultivation of virtues leads to world peace.

FIVE CARDINAL VIRTUES OF CONFUCIUS:

1. Benevolence IS THERE THE GOOD LIFE WITHOUT INNER

2. Righteousness GOODNESS?
3. Propriety • A morally neutral stand on the good life will lead to risk
4. Wisdom and factors.
5. Faithfulness or loyalty.
• We feel good from doing good.
A SHIFT IN THE NARRATIVE OF THE GOOD LIFE
• We are moral beings living in a moral universe.
 A shift from virtue and ethics to personal happiness
and success • We cannot flourish without a moral compass.
 An increase in personal freedom and gross domestic
THE HOLISTIC APPROACH
product (GDP)
 Money does not always buy happiness.  The whole is more than the sum of its parts
 Good people + Good community + World peace =
Good life.

THE GOOD LIFE IN TOUGH TIMES

 Finding meaning through a heroic attutude (Frankl,
1985).
 Accepting what cannot be changed.
 "Every cloud has a siliver lining"
 Transforming adversities through meaning and faith.
 Reducing stress, depression and anxiety.
 Integrating negatives with positives.

THE GOOD LIFE IS A SPIRITUAL LIFE

 The adaptive advantages of religion and believing in
God.
 A moral compass and answers to the big questions.
 Belief in an Ultimate Rescuer.
 Hope beyond the grave.
 Significance in the mundane activities.
 A meaning-mindset is a faith-filled perspective.

HE GOOD LIFE IS A BALANCE LIFE

 A single-minded pursuit is not always beneficial.
7
  Active engagement needs to be balanced by rest.
 Exclusive love needs to be balanced by greater love.
 Achievement needs to be balanced by acceptance
 Self-transcendence needs to be balanced by fair
treatment.
DR. PAUL T. P. WONG
• Psychologist, Researcher, and Speaker
• Dr. Wong has developed over 50 instruments and exercises
for research and therapy, including: Personal Meaning Profile,
Death Attitudes Profile, Stress Appraisal Measure,
Multidimensional Jealousy Scale, Servant Leadership Profile,
Coping Schemas Inventory, and more.
THE MEANINGFUL MOMENT EXERCISE
• What is an MM? It is, by definition, a moment marked by
special meaning and personal significance. Different from
happy times, MMs can stir up negative emotions. Typically,
an MM has at least two of the four characteristics: felt,
processed, enlighten, transformed.
1. It is deeply felt – It touches your emotions in a deep
and lasting way. More than a fleeting feeling, it
reaches your inner most being.
2. It is deeply processed – It involves deeper layers of
meaning beyond the factual and superficial.
3. It is enlightening – It provides a solution to some
puzzling problems or leads to some new discovery.
4. It is transforming – It enriches your life, changes
your life’s direction or restores a sense of purpose
and passion to your life.
“The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a
direction not a destination.”
– Carl Rogers
LESSON 4: HUMAN FLOURISHING AS REFLECTED
IN PROGRESS AND DEVELOPMENT
MAJOR INDICATORS OF DEVELOPMENT
Gross Domestic Product:
 Poverty Level Per Capita GDP
 Higher Income and Life Expectance
 Levels of Economic Development
 The Human Development Index (HDI)
Poverty Level Per Capita GDP:
• Per capita income is a measure of the amount of money
earned per person in a nation or geographic region. Per capita
income can be used to determine the average per-person
income for an area and to evaluate the standard of living
and quality of life of the population. Per capita income for a
nation is calculated by dividing the country's national income
by its population.
HIGHER INCOME AND LIFE EXPECTANCE
• Higher income was associated with greater longevity
throughout the income distribution. The gap in life expectancy
between the richest 1% and poorest 1% of individuals was
14.6 years (95% CI, 14.4 to 14.8 years) for men and 10.1 years
(95% CI, 9.9 to 10.3 years) for women.
LEVELS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
• The economic development level of a country refers to the
measure of the progress in an economy that could be
measured, especially through GDP or GDP per capita.
The level of these indicators can be influenced by many
factors as a large scale, from social and economical to
environmental and government policies factors.
THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT INDEX (HDI)
8

WHAT ARE THE INDICATORS OF DEVELOPMENT?
 More often than not, development is equated with
growth and greater consumption
 The more that a population is able to consume, the
wealthier it is.
 Likewise, the more that a person is able to buy stuff,
the higher he/she is in the development scale.
 The planet, however, is already overburden with
human activities.
 It is about time that we rethink our standards of
development if we really want to live the good life.
• Jason Hickel – an anthropologist at the London School of
Economics, challenges us to rethink and reflect on a different
paradigm of “de-development”
Forget “developing “poor countries, its time to “de-develop
rich countries.
– Jason Hickel
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
SDG – Sustainable Development Goals of the United
Nations
• The main strategy for eradicating poverty is the same:
growth
1. Orthodox economists insist that all we need is yet
more growth.
2. More progressive types tell us that we need to shift
some of the yields of growth from the richer
segments of the population to the poorer ones.
• Neither of the approach is adequate. Why? Because even at
current levels of average global consumption, we’re
overshooting our planet’s bio-capacity by more than 50 %
each year.
• In other words, growth isn’t an option anymore – we’ve
already grown too much.
GROWTH (in terms of yield)
 main object of development for the past 70 years,
despite the fact that it is not working
 since 1980, the global economy has grown by 380%,
but the number of people living in poverty on less
than $ 5 a day has increased by more than 1.1 billion
GREATER CONSUMPTION
 the more that a population is able to consume, the
wealthier it is
 likewise, the more that a person is able to buy stuff,
the higher he/she is on the development scale
• Growth – isn’t an option anymore in eradicating poverty.
 global crisis is due almost entirely to
overconsumption in rich countries
 right now, our planet only has enough resources for
each of as to consume 1.8 “global hectares” annually
GLOBAL HECTARES
 a standard unit that measures resource use and waste
1.8 global hectares is the figure roughly what the
average person in Ghana or Guatemala consumes
 by contrast, the people in the US and Canada
consume about 8 hectares per person, while
Europeans consume 4.7 hectares.
• The Philippines has an Ecological Footprint of 1.01 global
hectares (gha) per person, while Mindanao has an Ecological
Footprint of 0.78 gha per person. The Ecological Footprint
measures a population's demand on nature.
• For the past half-century, the Philippines has run an
ecological deficit, with its population demanding more
renewable resources than the nation’s own ecosystems can
provide. Although per capita demand on the country’s
productive ecosystems has remained relatively stable, the
Philippines’ per capita biocapacity has decreased 44 percent,
due to rapid population growth.
• In addition to confronting increasing resource constraints,
the Philippines is vulnerable to the compounding effects of
climate change—including devastating typhoons—as a result
of its location in the South Pacific. In 2011, the Philippine
government and Global Footprint Network began a multi-
9
phase initiative to analyze the country’s resource constraints
and identify opportunities for Ecological Footprint accounting
to help shape policymaking.
• Among Southeast Asian nations, based on the latest data
available, the good news is that the Philippines have the
lowest ecological footprint (1.1 gha). Singapore stands out as
the country with the highest ecological footprint (5.86 gha),
followed by Brunei Darussalam (5.55 gha), Malaysia (4.42
gha), Thailand (2.49 gha), Myanmar (1.88 gha), Laos (1.78
gha), Viet Nam (1.73 gha), Indonesia (1.61 gha), and
Cambodia (1.32 gha).
• Although doubled from 0.3 planet in the 1960s, the latest
data showed that the Philippines is using resources of 0.7
planet. Ever since, the country have not entered the ecological
debt.
THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT BY ECONOMIST
PETER EDWARD
• “Instead of pushing poorer countries to “catch up” with rich
ones, we should be thinking of ways to get rich countries to
“catch down” to more appropriate levels of development”.
• We should look at societies where people live long and
happy lives at relatively low levels of income and
consumption.
Get rid of GDP (Gross Domestic Product) as a
measure of progress:
 a truer form of progress, in which it is geared toward
quality instead of quantity.
 one that is more sophisticated than just accumulating
ever increasing amount of stuff which doesn’t make
anyone happier anyway.
HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY NEED TO LIVE LONG
AND HAPPY LIVES?
 In US, life expectancy is 79 years and GDP per
capital is $53,000. But many countries has achieved
similar life expectancy with a mere fraction of this
income.
 Cuba has a comparable life expectancy to the US and
one of the highest literacy rates in the world with
GDP capita of only $6,000 and consumption of only
1.9 hectares.
 Similar claims can be made of Peru, Ecuador,
Honduras, Nicaragua and Tunisia.
ROBERT AND EDWARD SKIDELSKY (HOW MUCH
IS ENOUGH)
• The possibility of interventions such as banning advertising,
a shorter working week and a basic income, all of which will
improve our lives while reducing consumption.
According to Jason Hickel:
 “This is not about giving up. And it’s certainly not
about living in a life of voluntary misery or imposing
harsh limits on human potential.
 On the contrary, it’s about reaching a higher level of
understanding and consciousness about what we’re
doing here and why”.
• The idea of ‘de-developing’ rich countries might prove to be
a strong rallying cry in the global south, but it will tricky to
sell to westerners. Tricky but not impossible.
• The problem is that the pundits promoting this kind of
transition are using the wrong language. They use terms such
as de-growth, zero growth or—worst of all—de-development,
which are technically accurate but off-putting for anyone
who’s not already on board.
• Negative formulations won’t get us anywhere. The idea of
‘steady-state’ economics is a step in the right direction and is
growing in popularity, but it still doesn’t get the framing right.
STEADY STATE ECONOMY
• A steady state economy is an economy of stable or mildly
fluctuating size. The term typically refers to a national
economy, but it can also be applied to a local, regional, or
global economy.
• An economy can reach a steady state after a period of growth
or after a period of downsizing or degrowth. To be
sustainable, a steady state economy may not exceed ecological
limits.
• A steady state economy entails stabilized population and per
capita consumption. Birth rates equal death rates, and
production rates equal depreciation rates. Minimizing waste
allows for a steady state economy at higher levels of
production and consumption.
• All else equal, the steady state economy is indicated by
stabilized (or mildly fluctuating) gross domestic product
(GDP). GDP is not a good indicator of well-being, but is a
solid indicator of economic activity and environmental impact.
• What is certain is that GDP as a measure is not going to get
us there and we need to get rid of it.
• Perhaps we might take a cue from Latin Americans, who are
organizing alternative visions around indigenous concept of
buen vivir or good living.
• Buen vivir: South America’s rethinking of the future we
want.
• Either we slow down voluntarily or climate change will do it
for us. We can’t go on ignoring the laws of nature. But
rethinking of our theory of progress is not only an ecological
imperative, it is also a development one.
“When the vision is clear, the results will appear. Keep your
mindset positive as you work your plan, flourish, and always
10
 remember why you started.” • These rights apply to everyone, everywhere. It is imperative
― Germany Kent that we all know and live these rights to prevent injustice and
oppression.
LESSON 5: WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY
CROSS TECHNOLOGY

INTRODUCTION  "techne" and "logos".

 A discourse on art (Buchanan, 2010).
• The good life entails living in a just and progressive society  Concepts like machines and tools were also attached
whose citizens have the freedom to flourish. to the word, "technology".
• The human person has the autonomy to make choices which • In one way or another, each person in the society is directly
may enable the flourishing of his/her self and society. or indirectly affected by technology whether he wills it or not.
• The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the • Most people survive their everyday lives with great reliance
Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on to the different technological advancements already available
December 10, 1948 as the global standard of fundamental to the masses.
human rights for universal recognition and protection.
• Technology is already an inevitable part of the society.
ARTICLES OF UDHR
Is it a “necessity” or a “want”?
 Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal
in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason  Convenience
and conscience and should act towards one another in  Pleasure
a spirit of brotherhood.  Happiness
 Article 2. Everyone is entitled to all the rights and  Communication
freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without
• Anything too much is bad.
distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex,
language, religion, political or other opinion, national • Various ethical dilemmas involving the use of technological
or social origin, property, birth or other status. devices.
 Article 2. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made
on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or • Misuse or invention to produce bad results.
international status of the country or territory to
TELEVISION SETS, MOBILE PHONES, COMPUTERS
which a person belongs, whether it be independent, AND HUMANITY
trust, non-self-governing or under any other
limitation of sovereignty.
 Article 3. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and
security of person.
 Article 4. No one shall be held in slavery or
servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be
prohibited in all their forms.
 Article 5. No one shall be subjected to torture or to
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment.
 Article 6. Everyone has the right to recognition
everywhere as a person before the law.
 Article 7. All are equal before the law and are
entitled without any discrimination to equal • Television – There are approximately 7.6 million television
protection of the law. All are entitled to equal homes in the country’s urban areas, half of these in Metro
protection against any discrimination in violation of Manila, where TV penetration exceeds 95%. The other half
this Declaration and against any incitement to such are scattered in the country’s three major island groups,
discrimination. Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. The latest Kantar Media
Establishment survey pegs multichannel subscriptions in the
• The UDHR has a long, bloody history. Crafted in 1948, after ‘Total Philippines‘ at 2 million. Central Luzon posted the
World War II, the UDHR now serves as a common highest growth, rising to 25% from 19%.
understanding of what each person’s fundamental rights are.

11

What would this imply?
 Ultimate medium for advertisement placements.
 Almost all use this particular type of device.
 Television plays a great role in the lives of the
people.
Paul Gottlieb Nipkow
 Late 1800s.
 Successful in his attempt to send images through
wires with the aid of a rotating metal disk (Nipkow
disk).
 "Electric telescope" – 18 lines of resolution.
Alan Archibald Campbell-Swinton and Boris Rosing
 New system of television by suing Cathode Ray Tube
(CRT) in addition to the mechanical scanner system.
• Mobile Phones – Filipino love to use their mobile phone
anywhere, anytime.
• More than half of the Filipino population own at least one
mobile phone regardless of type.
• 2010, Synovate declared 67 percent product ownership in
the country.
• Mobile phones are considered a must-have among young
Filipinos (ABS-CBN News, 2010)
• 1 out of 3 Filipinos cannot live without a mobile phone –
(Urban 2011-1012 survey)
Mobile phone used by Cooper
 Weighed 1.1 kg
 Measured 228.6 x 127 x 44.4 mm
 30- minute talk time
 10 hours to charge
• Computers and Laptops – Not possible for all Filipino
families to own at least one computer or laptop.
• Most profits gained by computer and laptop manufacturers
come from offices, businesses, or schools
• Growing number of Internet users in Ph, problems regarding
the internet providers.
Osborne 1
 Released in June 1981 by the Osborne Computer
Corporation, the Osborne 1 is considered to be the
first true portable, full-featured computer
FACTS ABOUT FILIPINOS AND THEIR USE OF
GADGETS AND THE INTERNET
 Mobile phone subscription is at 199M
 3.2 hours on mobile and 5.2 on desktop daily
 Ph has one of the highest digital population in the
world
 47 M active FB accounts
 Fastest growing application market in SEA
ETHICAL DILEMMAS
• Most parent would argue that these devices make their
children lazy and unhealthy.
• People are freely exposed to different things on televisions,
mobile phones, laptop or computers
ROBOTICS AND HUMANITY
HUMANS vs. ROBOTS
 The rise of the machines accompanying the progress
in science and technology may render humans
useless.
 Manual labor is gradually being replaced by
machinery.
 Computers become more and more sophisticated.
 Robots, usually designed like human beings, are
created to perform complex, repetitive, or dangerous
tasks.
 With the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI),
which may also eventually act and decide like
humans, there is a possibility that machines adopt the
nature of humans. There is a need to reflect on the
ethical problems posed by such development.
• Robot – an actuated mechanism programmable in two or
more axes with a degree of autonomy, moving within its
environment, to perform intended tasks
• Autonomy – ability to perform intended tasks based on
current stage and sensing without human intervention.
• Service Robot – A robot that performs useful tasks for
humans or equipment excluding industrial application
• A robot may be classified according to its intended
application as an industrial robot or a service robot.
Personal Service Robot:
 Service robot for personal use.
 Used for a noncommercial task, usually by
laypersons.
12
  Examples: domestic servant robot, automated
wheelchair, personal mobility assist robot, pet
exercising robot.
Professional Service Robot:
 Service robot for professional use
 Used for a commercial task, usually operated by a
properly trained operator.
 Examples: cleaning robot for public places, delivery
robot, firefighting robot, rehabilitation robot, surgery
robot.
the fingertips, humans begin to function more like
automations.
• Nicolas Carr (2008) asserted that “as we come to rely on
computers to mediate our understanding of the world, it is our
own intelligence that flattens into artificial intelligence.”
• As we examine, contemporary issues in science and
technology-information, genetically modified organisms,
nanotechnology, and climate change-we keep in mind that the
building of a just and progressive society entails the constant
practice of the good.

• George Devol – An American inventor known for • Human nature may be corrupted when the powers of our
developing Unimate, the first material handling robot mind, our rationality, and our science and technology become
employed in industrial production work. manifest. If we are not able to rein in the vanity and arrogance
that such powers unleash, then we are on the way to
Roles played by Robotics: destroying the world.
 Ease the workload of mankind
 Make life more efficient and less stressful
 Perform complicated activities
 Pleasure, entertainment in parks or exhibits
 Toys, child-friendly
 Used in movies

• Isaac Asimov – was an American writer and professor of

biochemistry at Boston University.

THREE LAWS OF ROBOTICS

1. A robot may not injure a human being or, through

inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. A robot must obey orders given it by human being
except where such orders would conflict with the
First Law.
3. A robot must protect its own existence as long as
such protection does not conflict with the First or
Second Law.

ETHICAL DILEMMAS FACE BY HUMANS

• Unemployment – What does this mean for human beings

who can replaced by machines? Is the value of the person
inversely proportional to that of a machine exhibiting artificial
intelligence?

• Humans may also have the tendency to become machine-

like. Since many of the things people need, from conveniences
to information, are available with just the touch and swipe of

13