Lecture Notes

1. The Good Life

Every person is in the pursuit of happiness and good life and each has his own perspective of what comprises a good life.

Aristotle posited that the end goal of life is happiness or eudaimonia which is living well and doing well. Happiness defines a
good life, that which comes from living a life of virtue and excellence. What Aristotle really means is human flourishing when a
person has maximized his potentials, his talents and abilities.

“It is the activities that express virtue that control happiness, and the contrary activities that control its contrary”

(Nicomachean Ethics 1:10)

“All human activities aim at some good. Every art and human inquiry, action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and
for this reason the good has been rightly declared as that at which all things aim.”

(Nicomachean Ethics 2:2)

Happiness is:

 The ultimate end of human action.

 What defines a good life.
 Not derived/obtained from sensate pleasures.
 That which comes from living a life of virtue.
 The virtue of the Golden Mean

Virtue plays a significant role in the living and attainment of the good life. Virtue is the excellence of character that empowers
one to do and be good (What Is and What should be the role of scientific culture in modern society). Golden mean is the
desirable middle between two extremes. Ethics enable us to practice virtue (virtue of the Golden Mean) in order for us to
realize the good life (The Sugar Film).

Kinds of Virtue and directs us towards the good life.

1. intellectual – experience and time

2. moral – result of habit

Virtues described by Aristotle in Nichomachean Ethics

1. Courage 7. liberality/charity/generosity

2. magnificence 8. pride/respect/reverence

3. temperance 9. truthfulness

4. honor 10. good temper

5. friendliness 11. justice

6. wit

The concepts of virtue help us enrich our understanding of science and technology and to move us towards the good life
(towards a green economy: pathways to sustainable development and poverty eradication–UNEP). Science and technology is
one of the highest expressions of human faculties and allows us to thrive and flourish in life we so desire. Science and
Technology has been at the forefront of man’s attempt at attaining this happiness and good life (Eudaimonia and Human
Flourishing in Ethics and Human Dignity).

Take Away Question:

Is science and technology taking the right path toward achieving what it really means to live good life?

2. When Technology and Humanity Cross

Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of
all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world.

Everyone has absolute moral worth by virtue of being human (UDHR Articles).
Human dignity is the ultimate core of our existence: more free, more rational, more loving. We become more rational when we
are able to value and apply the principles of logic and science in our lives. It entails knowing

Technology vs Humanity. (Gerd Leonhard)

With the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), robots may act and decide like humans. Technology is a tool we
must use wisely but let us not become it.

The internet has become an instant go-to for possible answers to questions. Search engines like Google spews out megabytes of
information without the usual thinking process of the human brain like reading, processing information or putting all these
information in the proper context. Humans become machine-like when they just copy and paste these information.(Nicolas
Carr, Is Google making us stupid?)

The emerging technologies: Robotics, nanotechnology, and genetics engineering (Bill Joy, GNR)

Robots vs Humans (Bill Joy, Why the future does not need us?)

A robot (service, personal service, professional service) has no rights or dignity. Science and technology may be the highest
expression of human rationality. Human nature may be corrupted when the powers of our mind, our rationality, and our
science and technology become manifest. Ethics and moral values must be the go between.

Take away Question

Does the future need humans? Why or why not.

3. Special Topics: Gene therapy and Nanotechnology

What is gene therapy?

Gene therapy is an experimental technique that uses genes to treat or prevent disease. In the future, this technique may allow
doctors to treat a disorder by inserting a gene into a patient’s cells instead of using drugs or surgery. Researchers are testing
several approaches to gene therapy, including:
 Replacing a mutated gene that causes disease with a healthy copy of the gene.
 Inactivating, or “knocking out,” a mutated gene that is functioning improperly.
 Introducing a new gene into the body to help fight a disease.
Although gene therapy is a promising treatment option for a number of diseases (including inherited disorders, some types of
cancer, and certain viral infections), the technique remains risky and is still under study to make sure that it will be safe and
effective. Gene therapy is currently being tested only for diseases that have no other cures.
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/therapy/genetherapy

How does gene therapy work?

 A gene that is inserted directly into a cell usually does not function.
 A carrier called a vector is genetically engineered to deliver the gene.
 Certain viruses are often used as vectors because they can deliver the new gene by infecting the cell.
 The viruses are modified so they can't cause disease when used in people.
 Some types of virus, such as retroviruses, integrate their genetic material (including the new gene) into a chromosome
in the human cell.
 Other viruses, such as adenoviruses, introduce their DNA into the nucleus of the cell, but the DNA is not integrated into
a chromosome.

There are two different types of gene therapy depending on which types of cells are treated:

1. Somatic gene therapy: transfer of a section of DNA to any cell of the body that doesn't produce sperm or eggs. ...
2. Germline gene therapy: transfer of a section of DNA to cells that produce eggs or sperm.
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21859/

What are the ethical issues surrounding gene therapy? https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/therapy/ethics

 How can “good” and “bad” uses of gene therapy be distinguished?
 Who decides which traits are normal and which constitute a disability or disorder?
 Will the high costs of gene therapy make it available only to the wealthy?
 Could the widespread use of gene therapy make society less accepting of people who are different?
 Should people be allowed to use gene therapy to enhance basic human traits such as height, intelligence, or athletic
ability?

What is Nanotechnology and nanoscience?

Nanoscience and nanotechnology are the study and application of extremely small things and can be used across all the other
science fields, such as chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, and engineering.
 Physicist Richard Feynman is the father of nanotechnology.
 Professor Norio Taniguchi coined the term nanotechnology.
Nanotechnology is science, engineering, and technology conducted at the nanoscale, which is about 1 to 100 nanometers. One
nanometer is a billionth of a meter, or 10-9 of a meter.
Examples
 hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen through the body, is 5.5 nanometers in diameter.
 A strand of DNA, one of the building blocks of human life, is only about 2 nanometers in diameter .
 The diameter of a human hair is, on average, 80,000 nanometers.

Nanomaterials enhanced properties:

 higher strength
 lighter weight
 increased control of light spectrum
 and greater chemical reactivity than their larger-scale counterparts.
Nanoscale materials have far larger surface areas than similar masses of larger-scale materials. As surface area per mass of a
material increases, a greater amount of the material can come into contact with surrounding materials, thus affecting reactivity.

https://www.nano.gov/nanotech-101/special

Uses/Importance
 Large surface area also makes nanostructured membranes and materials ideal candidates for water treatment and
desalination
 It also helps support “functionalization” of nanoscale material surfaces (adding particles for specific purposes), for
applications ranging from drug delivery to clothing insulation.
 Using nanosensors on crops and nanoparticles in fertilisers
 Nanotechnology techniques to grow crops in hostile conditions
 Nanotechnology methods might be used in the areas of renewable and sustainable energy to help the environment
 Nanoscale filters and nanoparticles could be used to clean the environment

Concerns about the aspect of Nanotechnology

 The toxicity of bulk material, such as solid silver, does not help predict the toxicity of nanoparticles of that same
material.
  Nanoparticles have the potential to remain and accumulate in the environment.
 They could accumulate in the food chain.
 They could have unforeseen impacts on human health.
 The public has not been sufficiently involved in debates on the applications, uses, and regulation of nanotechnology.
 'Grey goo': Tiny robots generated with nanotechnology could acquire the ability to self-replicate.
 If the rich countries are the main drivers of the development of nanotechnology, applications which benefit developing
nations will be side-lined.
 Unless rapid action is taken, research into nanotechnology could progress faster than systems can be put in place to
regulate its applications and their uses.

Note: Assigned topics on climate change, energy crisis, and Environmental awareness (RA 9512)

4. Biodiversity and Climate Change

Biodiversity
 A measure of the biological richness of an area taking into account the number of species, community complexity and
genetic variation within populations
 The tremendous variety of life on earth is made possible by complex interactions among all living things including
microscopic species

3 Components of Biodiversity
1. Genetic diversity
2. Species diversity
3. Ecological diversity
 Diverse ecosystems are more stable and healthier
 More resistant to damage from factors like climate change and spread of disease
 Provides important ecological services to humans
 Biodiversity is useful to us as humans
 Food
 Goods
 Medicine
 Recreation
 Flow of material, energy in the biosphere
 Photosynthesis
 Pollination
 Soil formation and maintenance
 Nutrient cycling
 Moderation of weather extremes
 Purification of air and water

Important “goods” from biodiversity

 Food, fuel, ecosystems, species, fiber, lumber, paper….

 90% of all food crops
 40% of all medicines and 85% of all antibiotics

Threats to Biodiversity

Biotechnology is any technological application that uses biological systems, living organisms, or derivatives thereof, to make or
modify products or processes for specific use.

Application of Biotechnology
Recombinant DNA

What can we do with genes?

 DNA fingerprinting
 Gene therapy: A "normal" gene is inserted into the genome to replace an "abnormal," disease-causing gene.
 Gene cloning- genetically identical copies
 Stem cells- harvest stem cells that can be used to study human development and to treat disease
 Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) = organisms with artificially altered DNA

Climate Change

What is a climate?
• It as an area's long-term weather patterns.
• Look at average temperature and precipitation over time.
• Other useful elements for describing climate: the type and the timing of precipitation, amount of sunshine, average
wind speeds and directions, number of days above freezing, weather extremes, and local geography

What is Climate Change?

• It affects more than just a change in the weather;
• It refers to seasonal changes over a long period of time.
• These climate patterns play a fundamental role in shaping natural ecosystems, and the human economies and cultures
that depend on them.

What is Global Warming?

• When the earth heats up (the temperature rises).
• When greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapor, nitrous oxide, and methane) trap heat and light from the sun in
the earth’s atmosphere, this increases the temperature of the earth. This change in temperature can have widespread
effect on many temperature-dependent processes and systems.

Republic Act No. 9512 on National Environmental Awareness and Education Act, 2008. An Act to promote environmental
awareness through environmental education and for other purposes.

This Act provides for the promotion of environmental awareness through environmental education which shall encompass
environmental concepts and principles, environmental laws, the state of international and local environment, local
environmental best practices, the threats of environmental degradation and its impact on human well-being, the responsibility
of the citizenry to the environment and the value of conservation, protection and rehabilitation of natural resources and the
environment.