GE 7 - Science, Technology and Society
MODULE II As we grow and develop, there are
different factors that affect us, there are
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY
different questions, that need to be
AND THE HUMAN CONDITION
answered there are steps and actions that
need to be undertaken.
LESSON I: THE HUMAN FLOURISHING
IN TERMS OF SCIENCE AND
Flourishing is the highest good of
TECHNOLOGY
human attempt to achieve his/her goal. It is a
success as a human being when he/she
Introduction achieved it for the betterment of his/her life.
The best life is one of excellent human
Society applauds the advancement
activity. “Eudaimonia”, literally “good
of scientific technology has made in
spirited” is a term connected renowned
recent years in various fields, such as
Greek Philosopher Aristotle (Figure 2.1b) to
medicine, energy, and communication.
describe the peak of human’s happiness that
While humankind profits in many ways
can be attained. The big question is “How?”.
from this technology, a few voices are
How will you achieve your flourishing?
heard cautioning society to consider the
implications of these developments.
Learning Outcome: Aristotle’s human flourishing arises
as a product of different factors such as
1. Interview different people about
phronesis, Friendship, wealth and power.
human flourishing and make a
The Ancient Greek society believed that for
reflective essay.
the people to achieve the true meaning of
happiness these qualities should be
Learning Objectives: acquired, which in effect allow them to join
in the greater notion of what we call the
1. Define human flourishing; and
Good.
2. Cite the importance of human
flourishing.
For Aristotle, the good is what is good
for purposeful and goal-directed entities. He
Every living creature is meant to defines the good proper to human beings as
become what is meant to e. The caterpillar the activities in which the life functions
(larva) is meant to become a beautiful specific to human beings are most fully
butterfly; a small seed into a full-grown herb, realized. A person’s nature as a human
bush or tree; and a human baby into a being provides him with guidance with
mature person, the person “who is fully respect to how he should live his life. A
alive, the glory of God” in the words of St. fundamental fact of human nature is the
Irenaeus. (Corpuz, 2015). existence of individual human beings each
Module II: Science, Technology and Society and The Human Condition 1
GE 7 - Science, Technology and Society
with his own rational mind and free will. knowledge that involves forming and testing
hypothesis.
In his ethical writings, Aristotle 1. Observe and identify the possible factors
endorses egoism, rationality and the value involved.
of life. He insisted that the key idea in ethics 2. Identify the problem and identify the
is a human individual’s own personal possible factors involved.
happiness and well-being. Each person is 3. Formulate hypothesis that could explain
responsible for his own character. the said occurrences.
4. Conduct experiment by setting up
dependent and independent variables.
LESSON II: TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF
5. Gather and analyze the data once your
REVEALING
experiment is complete.
Introduction 6. Formulate conclusion and provide
recommendation.
Science is a voyage of exploration just to
find out how things work and it’s really The scientific method is a logical process for
interesting because it is an ongoing and endless experimentation that is used to observe and
process. People tend to look for the betterment answer questions.
of their lives each and everyday. The longer the
The following are the importance of
people explore science, the more the people
diversity and collaboration in the scientific
become curious that science itself cannot
community towards human flourishing.
answer its own questions.
1. Collaboration and diversity balance
Learning Outcome:
possible biases.
1. Make a concept map about the article
Scientist benefits from other scientists and
“Question Concerning Technology”.
practitioners with different sets of beliefs,
cultural backgrounds and values balance out
Learning Objectives: the possible biases that might happen if science
1. Determine the steps of scientific were practiced by a small group of humanity.
method in solving problems; and 2. Diversity and collaboration stimulate
2. Identify the importance of diversity problem solving.
and collaboration.
A diverse community is better able to generate
new research methods, explanations and ideas,
What are the Steps of Scientific Method? which can help science over challenging
Science as Method obstacles and shed new light on problems for
the betterment of the society.
Science is n organized way of studying
things and findings answers to questions.
Scientific method is an approach to seeking
Module II: Science, Technology and Society and The Human Condition 2
GE 7 - Science, Technology and Society
3. Diversity and collaboration facilitate Learning Objectives:
specialization. 1. Identify how humans attempt to attain
Scientists have different strengths, interest, what is deemed to be good life; and
questions, respondents to validate their 2. Recognize possibilities available to
hypothesis and methods that are based on their human being to attain the good life.
interest.
4. Diversity and collaboration are What is meant by a good life?
inspiration and motivation.
According to Westacott (2018), there are
Interactions in society encourage innovation three ways by which we can understand what is
and development of ideas about new lines of meant by “a good life” or “living well”.
evidence, new applications, new questions and
Westacott E. (2018) What is the good life?
alternate explanations about a technology.
[Link]
In science, achievement is usually measured, life-4038226
not in terms of money or titles, but in terms of
Materialism
respect and esteem from colleagues.
The first materialists were that atomists in
5. Diversity and collaboration divide Ancient Greece. The atomist philosophers
labor.
thought that universe and matter are only made
There is simply more to know than ever before up of atoms “atomos” or seeds. These are
and as we learn more about the world, more invisible particles, assembled by chance and in
research is performed at the intersections of a purely mechanical way. The founders of this
different fields. theory were the Greek philosopher Leucippus
and his disciple Democritus (around 460 – 370
B.C.). This belief aims that comfort, pleasure
LESSON III: THE GOOD LIFE and wealth are the only highest goals.
Introduction
Many philosophers have attempted Hedonism
unlocking the old philosophical question, “What Epicurus continued the theory of
is good life”? “How should one live well”? “What materialism, which does not buy any notion of
does it take to like fruitfully? These questions will afterlife. The hedonists see the end goal of life
be answered as we understand all about in attaining pleasure. For hedonists, since life is
achieving the good life, what every individual limited, one must indulge itself with pleasures –
strives throughout his or her life. “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die”.
Learning Outcome: They strive to maximize their total pleasure, the
difference of pleasure and pain, and if the
1. Examine what is meant by good life
pleasure was finally gained, happiness remains
by making a reflective essay.
fixed.
Module II: Science, Technology and Society and The Human Condition 3
GE 7 - Science, Technology and Society
Stoicism According to Vergragt (2006), in his
essay about how technology could contribute to
Stoicism is one of the schools of thought
a sustainable world, technology will support and
in philosophy created for those who live their
enhance a “good life” for all citizens without
lives in the real world. It was founded in Athens
compromising the earth’s ecosystem or the
by Zeno of Citium (early 3rd century BC).
prospects of later generations. As Stutz (2006)
Stoicism asserts that virtue is happiness and
stated, a good life requires essentially basic
judgment should be based acts on behavior
human needs are met and aspirations for
rather than words. This philosophy, helps a
freedom, belonging and self-realization are
person to overcome destructive emotions and
fulfilled as much as possible.
acts on what can be acted upon.
Theism
LESSON IV: WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND
The ultimate basis of happiness for
HUMANITY CROSS
theists is the communion with God. Theism is a
belief that one or more Gods exist within the Introduction
universe, and that Gods are often omniscient
Technology keeps on progressing due to
(all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and
the challenging times and environment and also
omnipresent (all-pervasive). The theistic
to the ever-progressing mind of man-kind. It
religions are: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, as
would be possible for all these technological
well as Hinduism.
advancements to exist if it were not for the
Humanism brilliance, creativeness and power of the mind.
However, it is also important to note that
Humans is another school of thought that
anything too much is bad. The same problem id
affirms that human beings have the right and
faced by technology. Various ethical dilemmas
responsibility to give meaning and shape their
have been identified throughout time involving
own lives.
the use of different technological devices and its
What is the ultimate goal of a good life? effects to humanity.
Aristotle thought that true happiness is found by Robotics and Humanity
leading a virtuous life and doing what is worth
Another great product of the innovative
doing. He argued that realizing human potential
minds of the people is robot. The International
is the ultimate human goal (Boniwell 2008).
Federation of Robotics (IFR) and United Nations
Boniwell (2008) emphasized that feeling Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE)
good is not good enough for a good life. Each made it their task to formulate working definition
person must realize his/her potentialities which for service robots. Preliminary extract of the
would lead him/her to the greatest fulfillment - relevant definition is (IFR, 2012):
diamon
1. A robot is actuated mechanism
What is the role of technology in achieving programmable in two or more axes with
good life?
Module II: Science, Technology and Society and The Human Condition 4
GE 7 - Science, Technology and Society
degree of autonomy, moving within its A robot must protect its own existence as long
environment, to perform intended tasks. as such protection does not conflict with the first
and the second law.
Autonomy in this context means the
Ethical Dilemma/s Faced by Robotics
ability to perform intended tasks based
on the current state and sensing human 1. One of the ethical dilemmas faced by
intervention. robots is safety.
2. If the problems arise when the robot
2. A service robot is a robot that performs deviates from the laws specified, then the
useful tasks for humans or equipment maker or the inventor of the machine
excluding industrial automation should be blameworthy.
application. 3. When the machine develops the ability to
3. A personal robot or a service robot for think for itself.
personal use is a service robot used for
noncommercial task, usually by
laypersons.
Examples are domestic servant robot,
automated wheelchair, personal mobility
assist robot and pet exercising robot.
Roles Played by Robot
Just like people living in society, robots
also have their own set of rules and
characteristics that define what a good a robot
is. These laws were formulated by Isaac Asimov
back in the 1940s, when he was thinking of the
ethical consequences of robots.
These are the following
Law one: A robot may not injure a human being
or. Through inaction, allow a human being to
come to harm.
Law Two: A robot must obey the orders given
by human beings except where such orders
would conflict with the first law.
Law Three: A robot must protect its own
existence as long as protection does not conflict
with the first and the second law.
Module II: Science, Technology and Society and The Human Condition 5