THE HUMAN

FLOURISHING IN TERMS
OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Kitz Adam F. Maligalig
The progress of human civilization throughout the
history mirrors the development of science and
technology. The human person both the bearer and
the beneficiary of science and technology
flourishes and finds meaning in the world he
builds. In the pursuit of good life man acquires,
consume or destroys what the world has to offer.
Hence it is necessary to reflect on this matter
taking science and technology as part of life that
requires reflective and meditative thinking despite
of its methodical and technical in nature.

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TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF
REVEALING
“THE ESSENCE OF TECHNOLOGY IS BY NO MEANS ANYTHING
TECHNOLOGICAL”-MARTIN HEIDEGGER

In his work The Question of Technology, technology is both

defined as a means to an end and a human activity and they
belong to each other. To posit the end and utilize the means
to them in human activity and the manufacture and the
utilization of equipment, tools and machines and needs and
ends that they serve, all they belong to technology—this is
an instrumentum. So this is the instrumental and
anthropological definition of technology. Technology is
therefore:
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1. It is a mode of revealing for it shows about the human persons and the world. It is also a mode of being.
A.it means technological things have their own novel kind of presence, endurance and connection among parts of
whole.
B. technology is a human activity- it is looked as an event to which we belong , (a)requisitioning e g., finding the
raw materials needed, (b) ordering e g. putting an engineering design (c)structuring e g. manufacturing.
C .technology even hold sway to things non-technological (history and religion)
D. it is a matter of modern technology and industrial technology.
E.it is not only the practical application of natural science rather natural science understand nature in
characteristically scientific manner, since nature has set of calculable and orderable forces for technology is already in
nature. Example the truth about the earth’s condition as shown by modern technology ( temperature, heat index and
amount ot carbon dioxide in earth)
2 .Heidegger forwarded rather Greek concepts aletheia which means unhiddenness or disclosure, poiesis means
bringing forth where Aristotle means it making and producing something for a purpose and techne means art skills or
craft, means bringing forth something. Hence Technology is a poiesis that discloses truth or technology as poetry.

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ACCORDING TO HEIDEGGER THERE ARE TWO
CHARACTERISTICS OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY AS A
REVEALING PROCESS.
1.First the mode of revealing is challenging.it is a very aggressive in its activity.
here the modern technology challenges nature and demands its resources where
most of the time, forcibly being extracted for human consumption and storage. It is
putting nature to an unreasonable demand by the people like a gas station. Example
mining, coal mining in this nature reveals itself as things of manipulation as if
everything is on demand and we no longer need to work in the rhythm of nature
because we learn to control it. We order ,extract process and make ready for
consumption and store what we have forced to reveal.(expediting).
2.It is sharply contrasted to “physis”- the arising of something from itself, a
bringing forth of poiesis example flower blooming in season. The revelation has
own autonomy a natural way of revealing.

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BECAUSE OF THIS, WORLD ORDERING CAN NOW BE CLASSIFIED AS ARTIFICIAL
ORDERING AND NATURAL ORDERING .IN ARTIFICIAL ORDERING, NATURE IS A
THING OF MANIPULATION NOT ANYMORE AS AUTONOMOUS REALITY
DEMANDING RESPECT AND ADMIRATION; THINGS ARE REDUCED TO NETWORK
OF MANIPULATION. HEIDEGGER USES A TECHNICAL WORD TO NAME THE
THINGS THAT ARE REVEALED IN MODERN TECHNOLOGY –“STANDING IN
RESERVE”, THINGS LIKE THESE ARE NOT OBJECTS BECAUSE “OBJECTS” ARE
THINGS THAT STAND AGAINST US IN AUTONOMY AND THEY ARE REVEALED
MAINLY IN HUMAN THINKING COMPARED TO STANDING RESERVE WHICH
COME FORTH IN CHALLENGING WAY AND REDUCED TO OBJECTLESSNESS. IN
OLD TECHNOLOGY IT RESPECTS NATURE AS OBJECT OF AUTONOMY WHILE IN
MODERN TECHNOLOGY ,IT IS AN AGE OF SWITCHES, STANDING RESERVE AND
STOCKPILING. EXAMPLE A RIVER WITH RESPECT TO A WOODEN BRIDGE AND A
RIVER WITH RESPECT TO A HYDROELECTRIC PLANT. IN THE FIRST IT IS A
LANDSCAPE ,IT HAS DOMINATING PRESENCE WHILE ON THE SECOND IT IS A
SOURCE OF ENERGY IN RELATION WITH THIS WE BEGIN THINKING AND
QUESTIONING FOR “ QUESTIONING IS THE PIETY OF THOUGHT”. WE MUST BE
SUBMISSIVE TO OUR REFLECTIONS ON WHO AND WHAT WE ESSENTIALLY ARE
IN THE WORLD TODAY.

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ENFARMING
For Heidegger enfarming is the essence of the modern technology it is as if nature is put in a box or in a
framing so it can better understood and controlled according to people’s desire. Poiesis is concealed in
enfarming and viewed nature as an orderable and calculable system of resources. People want control
and afraid of unpredictability so enfarming is done because people want security and
order.eg :ore=metals, buildings and woods= chopsticks, furniture, fuels. Maybe the question is: ”IF
PEOPLE NEED NATURE IN ORDER TO HAVE A LIVING, HOW WOULD WE HAVE THE
NATURE GIVING OUR NEEDS BUT STILL HAVE THE POIESIS?
In looking at the world, we can use calculative and meditative thinking .In calculative thinking one
orders and put system to nature so it can be understood and controlled while in meditative thinking one
let nature reveals it to the people without forcing it .No thinking is better than the other but humans have
the faculty and capacity to use them both and also in synergy.

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ARISTOTLE’S CONCEPTION OF THE FOUR CAUSES WAS
MECHANICAL. AS EXPLAINED BY HEIDEGGER THEY ARE:

1.causa materialis- the material ,the matter out which the object is made.
(example chalice=Ag metal)
2.causa formalis- form or shape which the material enters(the material design
parabolic etc.)
3.causa finalis-the end or the purpose in relation to the material, form and
matter.(for sacramental rite like in Mass)
4.causa efficiens –which brings about the effect that is
finished(silversmith,worker)

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So when technology is represented as a means,discloses itself when we trace
instrumentality back to the 4-fold causality .Aristotle remained in mechanical sense and
he did not allow larger truth to disclose. The poetic character is hidden. Poetically, Greek
people experience cause as “aition” or indebtedness .Example: the sun is revered because
they indebted to it (bringing forth) not because the sun is the source of energy. Though
enframing happens, man cannot ignore the poetic character of technology since man
himself is poetic.
Human dependence on technology cannot be resolved simply by refusing technology
altogether. Instead we can use art (bringing forth in poeisis what is everything poetical)
as a way of enfarming. Example 1.water mill-how much it tune to the rhythm of nature.
2.Iphone-how much genius went into in the making of the first Iphone. Remember man
himself is poetic.

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 HUMAN FLOURISHING

Philosophically, how it is done? Aristotle teaches that each

man’s life has a purpose and the function of one’s life is to
attain that purpose. He explains that the purpose of life is
earthly happiness or flourishing that can be achieved through
reason and acquisition of virtue. He believes that man should
use his abilities to their fullest potential and obtain happiness
through the exercise of their capacities. Human capacities are
animated by purpose and autonomy. Human beings have a
natural desire and capacity to know and understand the truth
to pursue moral excellence and put their ideals into actions.
(example: engineers creating designs that will have minimal
impact to environment and biological systems).

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 Human flourishing for both Plato and Aristotle means not only good
fortune and material prosperity through a situation achieved
through virtue, knowledge and excellence .In the Republic by Plato,
the human flourishing implies development of the individual in his
intellectual, affective moral and spiritual dimensions. According to
him the soul or mind has 3 motivating parts: rational, spirited or
emotional and appetitive. And human flourishing requires the
ordering of these first the rational and then the spirited parts.
Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics states the flourishing is
constituted not by honor or wealth or power but by rational activity
with excellence in intellectual virtues and the virtues of character.
Intellectual virtues includes rationality, judgment ,beneficial
friendships and scientific knowledge while the virtues of character
includes courage ,honesty ,pride friendship and wittiness. Aristotle
states that all human seek to flourish. It is the proper and desired
end of all of our actions. Flourishing is a functional definition
where the four aspects of human nature physical, emotional, social
and rational must be growing in individual before he can truly
flourish.

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 1.Human flourishing is also highly personal in nature
because it requires one’s individual unique potentialities
and virtues in the pursuit of his rationally chosen values
and goals.
2.It is also a moral accomplishment(self-actualization).
3.What is called for the terms of concrete actions such as
choice of career, education, friends,home and others varies
from person to person.
4.It is his practical reason to consider his unique needs,
circumstances and capabilities in determining his human
values and virtues that comprises his well-being.
5.To flourish, a man must pursue goals both rational for as
individual and human being. As human being, living
rationally implies respect for reality, it is the acceptance of
use of one’s reason in the perception of reality and choice
of values and action to the best of his ability to attain his
goals.
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 However, human flourishing as reflected in
progress and development in the economic
point of view, development is equated with
growth and greater development. The more
population is able consume, the wealthier it is.
According to Jason Hickel an anthropologist
of London School of Economics it is about
time to rethink our standards of development if
we really want to attain good life. He posits a
different paradigm of development called de-
development. That instead of pushing poorer
countries to “catch up “with the rich ones, it is
the “catching down” of the richer countries to
the more appropriate levels of development.
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