Chapter 6:

Technology as a Way of Revealing

GE ST Science Technology and Society

Prepared by: Zynn Niña J. Bayron
For classroom use only

Chapter 6:
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Technology as a Way of Revealing
 Technology as a Way of Revealing
• There have been changes in the society
as time went on, not only in terms of
culture, language or rights, but also in
people’s way of life due to the
existence of science and technology.
• The term “generation gap” is
attributed to the changes brought about
by technology.
• The original idea of technology is to
help everyone, but not everyone is
comfortable in using different kinds of
technology.
Technology as a Way of Revealing 2
• This generation gap in technology is
a challenge for people in science and
technology to make these
technological advancements more
accessible and less confusing for
people who are not as young
anymore.
• This is also a challenge for the
younger generation to an exciting
journey in science and technology.
• In this way, everyone can experience
what it is like to live with ease and
comfort because of the availability
of modern technology.

Technology as a Way of Revealing 3

• People who lived in the past and people who are living in the present all
have different view of what it means to flourish, primarily due to the
kind of environment and the period one is in.
• The environment needs to be assessed in order to know the possibility of
human flourishing and to what extent it is possible.
• Since there have been drastic changes in people’s way of life, it can be
inferred that there have been drastic changes not only in the conception
of human flourishing but to people’s actual human condition.

Technology as a Way of Revealing 4

 The Human Condition Before Common Era

• Our early ancestors’ primal need to

survive paved way for the intention of
several developments.
• It is difficult to pinpoint the particular
period where technology is said to have
started, one can say that at the very
least, the motivation to make things
easier has been around since humans
are.

The Human Condition Before Common Era 5

• Homo erectus have been using fire to cook, through chipping one flint over
the other to produce a spark
• Tools from stones and flints marked the ear of the Stone Age
• Humans begin to sharpen stones as one would a knife; an example is the
simple machine called wedge
• Several cave drawings and unearthed artifacts narrate how the culture
during this time came to be
• There are several excavations in different parts of Europe of miniature
statues prevalent during the Paleolithic period, the so-called “Venus” figure
which depicts a carving of a voluptuous woman out of ivory or stone.
• People discovered minerals and began forging metalwork.
• Fur clothing and animal skin are primarily used for comfort against harsh
winds.
The Human Condition Before Common Era 6
• Some found at excavation sites are reminiscent of early accessories,
suggesting that our ancestors have been deeply engaged in the concept of
beauty
• Our ancestors also found the need to explain things in a way that makes
sense to them, just like the people of today.
• Throughout the course of history, religion remains to be the strongest
contender to science arguable due to its being the most easily grasped.
• The people of yesterday appeared to have acknowledged early or that they
could possibly explain their inadequacies in making sense of the world.

The Human Condition Before Common Era 7

 The Human Condition In the Common Era

• Earliest case of man-made extinction occurred over 12,000 years ago due
to hunting and territorial disputes
• The Holocene extinction/6th extinction/ Anthropocene extinction pertains
to the ongoing extinction of several species of both flora and fauna due to
human activity
• Growing population also necessitated finding additional resources, leading
to overhunting and overfishing common prey
• Formation of communities caused humans to expand more in territory and
more people to feed

The Human Condition In the Common Era 8

• Large, separate communities hailing from the same ancestors and residing in the
same large community paved way for civilizations
• Tribes found out that engaging in a peaceful negotiation was also a possible and
less bloody method in lieu of wars to fight for scarce resources.
• They realized that they could get hold of tings not present in their towns by
offering something of the same value present in theirs; this process gave rise to
trading
• Through trade, people had a new objective – gather as much products as possible
and have turned to wealth as one of their goals as humans
• this lead them to perceive that those who have many, live comfortably and thus
are generally happier
• They began to hunt, farm, and produce things with prospect of profit
• Humanity became more complex, the primary goal was not merely to survive,
but to live the good life.
The Human Condition In the Common Era 9
• Technology has been instrumental in searching for the good life because
people were able to come up with creations that would make life easier,
more comfortable, and more enriching.
• Medicine was born
• Chemistry emerged when people became fixated with gold and wanted
more; they were trying to use incantations with mixtures of substances to
turn lead into ore
• Wars were always waged due to differing races, beliefs, or abundance of
resources and/or territory
• Physical strength was valued at most, although there appeared to be as
many intellectual figures
• These innovators were primarily the ones behind discoveries and triumphs
of these civilizations.

The Human Condition In the Common Era 10

• Position-wise, the humans of today are much better off compared to humans several
centuries ago.
• 1. Mortality rate
• Due to technology, lesser women and children die during birth
• Medical care for infants allows them to survive and develop normally
• Proper and maternal care ensures that mothers can fully recover and remain empowered
• 2. Average life span
• Science is able to prolong lives by enhancing living status and discovering different remedies
to most diseases
• 3. Literacy Rate
• Access to education provided more individuals generally creates a more informed public that
could determine a more just society.
• 4. Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
• This is often used to determine the value of the country’s goods and services
• Higher country income is brought upon by high productivity, often an indicator of presence of
technology

The Human Condition In the Common Era 11

 The Essence of Technology

• Humanity has become more developed than we were before.

• Modern humans are reliant on technology in their search for the good life.
• We see ways and means from nature to utilize and achieve growth, a goal
that we believe would bring forth betterment.
• This view of technology proves to be goal-oriented.

The Essence of Technology 12

• Martin Heidegger argued that the
essence of technology can either be
perceived as (1) a means to achieve
man’s end and (2) what which
constitutes human activity
• The second perspective paints technology
in such a way that each period reveals a
particular character regarding man’s being
• Rather than thinking that humans have
a clear idea of what to expect in a good
life, it can be stated that technology
allows humans to confront the unknown
and see how they would react.
• A good life is one in which it is
practical in essence; a life which makes
use of our labor and which we get
compensated fairly upon
The Essence of Technology 13
• The sciences are one of the most sought after courses, for the opportunities
are plenty and the resources are bountiful.
• Humans appear not to really know what they are seeking for, so the search
continues; it is a looming fear that the path we are treading will not takes
us to the right direction, leading us in endless circles instead in our pursuit
of the good life.
• This is the danger presented by too much reliance on technology.
• Humans lose track of things that matter, reducing their surroundings to
their economic value.

The Essence of Technology 14

 Backtracking the Human Condition

• All in all the human condition improved, only if by improving we measure

the level of comfort, various scientific breakthroughs and improved
lifestyles of those who had the luxury to afford to do so.
• Different machineries aid in prolonging lives- assisting those with
disabilities, honing efficiency in industrial workplaces, and even exploring
the universe for places we can thrive once all Earth’s resources are
depleted.
• Some places in the world are still battling for their daily survival- diseases,
tribe wars, lack of habitable territories, and competitions on resources are
several factors contributing to such.
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• A lot of people still subscribe to religion in explaining things that they do
not know.
• Whether science or religion, these people are still bent on trying to make
sense of the events happening in the world on the basis of either of these
two paradigms.
• They are still trying to discover and rediscover things that would give
meaning to their lives.

Backtracking the Human Condition 16

• People are still trying to make sense of their existence in the world, and
technology does little to aid them in their pursuit of their life’s meaning.
• Nothing much has changed since then on the human condition.
• While it is true that technology offered use one compelling notion of the
truth and the good, we should be staunch in our resolve if we want to know
the real one.
• Technological advancements are seemingly occurring in a rapid pace that
our morality cannot quite keep up; no such consideration was given in this
approach in achieving the good life.

Backtracking the Human Condition 17

 Summary
• Science and technology has been part of human activity since the
beginning of our species.
• It has aided us in survival and helped us outsmart our adversaries, provided
us comfortable living, allowed us to explore the world, and assisted us in
discovering more about ourselves and the truth.
• However, it also leads us to a paradox in which we are only able to the see
the world in the lenses of technological innovations.
• In our pursuit of growth, we had conveniently forgotten that technology
only presents one approach in the viewing the world.
• Our valuation of things became one-dimensional, geared toward
production of goods for more consumption, which we believe would lead
us to the good life.
• Advancements in the field expose us to previously unknown predicaments.
Summary 18