MODULE 6 ● Must have minimal pressure on the planet ○ metaphysics
● Requires: ○ poetry
● The quest for human progress and ○ efficient technology ○ theater
flourishing has always been at the center of ○ scientific innovation ○ music
civilization ○ logic
● People always seek to: ○ linguistics
○ live better lives Human Condition and Development ○ politics
○ provide a better life ● Human flourishing must be in harmony with ○ biology
○ live lives of meaning the planet ○ ethics
○ fulfill their potential ● Economic growth should not destroy natural ○ zoology
● Societies are made up of heterogeneous systems ● One of the greatest thinkers in Western
individuals, but people organize into: philosophy
○ groups
○ communities Social Inequality Issue
○ nations ● Clear racial imbalance in global systems
● Purpose: to improve the status quo ● Votes of people of color = tiny fraction of
(progress) influence ARISTOTLE: END AND MEANS
● Called “facial dictatorship”
MODULE 7 ● Living well starts with ends and means
Nicholas Christakis – Human Flourishing
● Example:
● Human flourishing means everyone has a
○ Goal = end (e.g., car)
chance to climb the ladder of success
● Everyone is in pursuit of the good life ○ Means = ways to achieve it
● It is about:
● People do things to achieve: (fastest, easiest, most
○ aspiration
○ happiness effective)
○ opportunity
○ contentment ● This is called practical thinking
○ progress
● We study and work hard to achieve this not ● Opposite of:
○ not just material comfort
only for ourselves but also for: ○ aimless action
● It is something greater than yourself while
○ loved ones ○ thoughtless action
maintaining personal agency
○ humanity ● Without a plan for living:
● The good life may differ in details, but there ○ we don’t know what we are
Meaning of Progress are universal truths across all people doing
● Combination of: ● Humans seek: ○ we don’t know why we are
○ economic ○ meaning in life doing it
○ technological ○ fulfillment of potential
○ scientific
○ cultural
○ organizational advancement FINAL END OF HUMAN LIFE
● This has transformed lives and raised THE GOOD LIFE (ARISTOTLE)
standards of living over time
● Final end = to flourish
● According to Aristotle: ● To:
Modern Human Role ○ The good life includes ○ live well
● Humans today are expected to become happiness and engagement ○ have a good life
“man of the world” ● Happiness = an activity of authentically ● Good life = possession of things that are
● Must live in a global neighborhood expressing one’s excellences or virtues really good for us throughout life
● Work with: ● Important idea: moderation in all things
○ institutions ● A good life includes developing:
○ government ○ thinking ability
● Goal: achieve the common good ○ ability to deliberate THREE TYPES OF GOODS (ARISTOTLE)
○ ability to reason
Human Flourishing (Aristotle Concept) 1. Bodily Goods
● Human flourishing = “EUDAIMONIA” used
by Aristotle
● Includes: SPICE FOR THE GOOD LIFE ● health
○ phronesis (practical wisdom) ● vitality
○ friendship ● vigor
○ love ● A good human life should include ● pleasure
○ power opportunities to:
○ think
○ deliberate 2. External Goods
Jason Hickel – Key Ideas ○ reason
● Challenges traditional development thinking ● These are part of human intellectual
● Introduces de-development development ● food
● Focus: rethink development for a good life ● Emphasizes using human capacity for ● drink
rational thinking ● shelter
● clothing
De-development ● sleep
● Means rethinking development
● Bridges gap between:
○ rich countries NICOMACHEAN ETHICS AND MODERN CONCEPTS
3. Goods of the Soul
○ poor countries
● Rich countries should “catch down” instead ● Good life = happy life or contemplative life
of poor countries “catching up” ● knowledge
● Also called the life of reason
● skill
● Developed in Aristotle’s work: Nicomachean
● love
Ethics
Problem with Growth ● friendship
● The good life is:
● Growth is no longer sustainable ● aesthetic enjoyment
○ living in a way that is most
● We are: ● self-esteem
suitable for a human
○ over-consuming ● honor
○ living according to reason
○ exceeding planetary
boundaries
● Crisis caused mainly by overconsumption in
rich countries
LIMITED VS UNLIMITED GOODS
THREE CONCEPTS OF GOOD LIFE (ARISTOTLE)
SDGs Critique
● Bodily goods + external goods = limited
● SDGs aim to save the world ● The Good Life: Aristotle
goods
● But still rely on economic growth (“business ● The Good Life: Plato
○ we can have too much of them
as usual”) ● The Good Life: Virtue Theory (Aristotle)
● Goods of the soul = unlimited goods
● Poverty solution = still growth-based system
○ we cannot have “too much”
knowledge, love, or wisdom
Planetary Boundaries
● Earth has limits to sustain life ARISTOTLE AS A PHILOSOPHER
● We are already blowing past planetary
boundaries KNOWLEDGE VS ACTION
● Greek philosopher
● Student of Plato
Science and Technology (Hickel) ● Teacher of Alexander the Great
● Knowing the good life is NOT enough
● Should enhance human flourishing ● Wrote on:
○ physics
● People may know what is right but still do ○ justice ● Has a long, blood history
wrong (example: unhealthy habits) ○ equality ● Serves as:
○ human flourishing ○ common understanding of
human rights
● Applies to:
○ everyone, everywhere
VIRTUE AND HABIT ● Prevents:
UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ○ injustice
(UDHR) ○ oppression
● Aristotle says we bridge the gap through:
○ good moral character
○ good habits ● Historic document adopted by United
● Good habits allow actions to become: Nations General Assembly
○ natural ● Date: December 10, 1948 HUMANS VS. ROBOTS
○ effortless ● Location: Palais de Chaillot, Paris, France
● Examples of good habits: ● Vote:
○ studying hard ○ 48 in favor ● Rise of machines due to:
○ playing piano ○ 0 against ○ science
○ thinking well ○ 8 abstained ○ technology
○ avoiding overeating or ○ 2 did not vote ● Effects:
excessive drinking ○ manual labor replaced by
machines
○ computers becoming more
advanced
FIRST SEVEN ARTICLES (VERY IMPORTANT) ○ robots perform:
SUMMARY OF THE GOOD LIFE ■ complex
Article I
■ repetitive
● Purpose of life = to live well ■ dangerous tasks
● We achieve this by: ● All humans are born free and equal
○ accumulating real goods ● Have:
○ fulfilling natural needs ○ dignity
○ developing good habits ○ rights
○ reason ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
● We also need good luck
○ conscience
● Must act with brotherhood ● Robots may:
○ act like humans
Article II ○ decide like humans
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ● Raises:
○ ethical issues
● Progress of science and technology = ● Need to reflect on:
movement toward the good life ● Everyone has rights without discrimination ○ human vs machine roles
● Science and technology are: ● No distinction based on:
○ highest expressions of human ○ race
faculties ○ color
● They help humans: ○ sex
○ language ADVANTAGES OF MACHINES
○ thrive
○ flourish ○ religion
● BUT: ○ political opinion ● Better than humans in some tasks:
○ they can also corrupt a person ○ national/social origin ○ wider perception (beyond
● Solution: ○ property human vision)
○ grounding in virtue ○ birth ○ need less resources
○ helps avoid moral danger ○ more durable
Article III ○ can handle extreme
environments
GEC 7 – STS MODULE 8: When Technology and ● Right to:
Humanity Cross ○ life
○ liberty RISKS OF TECHNOLOGY
OVERVIEW ○ security
● Businesses may replace human workers
Article IV ● Leads to:
● The good life means living in a just and ○ job displacement
progressive society ○ dependence on machines
● Citizens must have the freedom to flourish ● Technology creates complex issues
● Human beings have autonomy to make ● No slavery or servitude
choices for: ● Slave trade is prohibited
○ personal flourishing
○ societal flourishing
Article V KEY IDEA
● Despite advancements:
HUMAN DIGNITY ● No: ○ must protect human rights
○ torture ● Goal:
○ cruel treatment ○ remain more free, rational,
● Human dignity = core value of human ○ inhuman punishment and loving
existence
● Every person has absolute moral worth
simply by being human Article VI
● When recognized:
○ society becomes just and CONTEMPORARY ISSUES IN SCIENCE &
progressive TECHNOLOGY
● Right to be recognized as a person before
● Leads to becoming:
the law
○ more free (able to choose)
○ more rational (use logic and ● Information
science) ● Genetically modified organisms (GMOs)
Article VII ● Nanotechnology
○ more loving (respect dignity of
others) ● Climate change
● Equality before the law
➡ Must practice:
● Protection against:
○ discrimination
HUMAN RIGHTS ○ incitement to discrimination ● good values
● ethics
● Must always be protected, especially in ● Responsibility
changing conditions
● Important to: IMPORTANCE OF UDHR
GEC 7 – STS MODULE 9: Information Society
○ know rights
○ practice rights
● Foundation of: ● Created after World War II
Key Figure ● Builds communities of:
○ like-minded people
OVERVIEW ● Can:
○ reinforce biases
● Isaac Newton ○ limit diverse ideas
● Humans are surrounded by technology that ○ contributed to understanding
provides: natural laws
○ information (TV, smartphone, 3. Manipulation
internet)
● Question:
○ Do they provide information
or just noise? TECHNOLOGICAL WORLD ● People in power may:
● Many voices compete for attention ○ control public opinion
● Need to determine: ○ harass opposing views
● Understanding nature leads to:
○ truth ○ science
○ knowledge ● Science leads to: 4. Online Risks
○ technology
● Humans learned to:
○ harness natural forces
● Identity theft
INFORMATION
● Scamming
Early Technology Example ● Online predation
● A word = combination of sounds that
represents something
● Words are not just sounds: ● Hero of Alexandria
○ they carry meaning ○ invented primitive steam IMPORTANT REMINDER
● Words transmit: engine
○ message
○ information ● Must be:
● Words are “informed” because they carry ○ vigilant
information ○ responsible
THE PRINTING PRESS AND BEYOND ● Use technology properly to:
○ avoid harm
THE ROLE OF LANGUAGE ○ protect self and others
● Early knowledge transmission:
○ hand-copying
● Language is important in: ● Importance of:
○ understanding the natural ○ words
world ○ ideas CORE MESSAGE
● First step in knowledge:
○ naming
○ classifying objects Printing Press ● Technology helps humans:
● Helps humans: ○ discover
○ make sense of nature ○ innovate
○ progress
● Developed in the 15th century ● But must be used with:
Greek Contribution ● Considered a revolution ○ responsibility
● Effects: ○ awareness
○ spread of knowledge ● Goal:
○ preservation of ideas ○ benefit society without causing
● Words are more than sounds → they ○ transformation of culture harm
carry meaning
● Meaning is not reduced even if repeated
● One message can reach:
○ many people
● Language allows: DIGITAL AGE
○ communication
○ knowledge sharing ● Information now transmitted through:
○ digital signals (digits)
● Not just rhetoric anymore
● Technology continuously evolves
PLATO – “ONE AND THE MANY”
● Introduced by Plato
● Idea: WORLD WIDE WEB
○ unity among diverse things
● Many objects share: ● Invented by Tim Berners-Lee
○ common nature ● Purpose:
● Example: ○ data processing
○ species belong to one genus ○ information sharing
● Developed for:
○ CERN
MODERN UNDERSTANDING
Function
● Technology helps us discover:
○ diversity in nature ● Handles large amounts of:
● Science helps: ○ scientific data
○ classify and understand reality ● Enables:
○ global communication
MATHEMATICS AS THE LANGUAGE OF NATURE
ISSUES IN THE INFORMATION AGE
● Technology = product of science
● Science uses:
○ laws of nature 1. Disinformation
● These laws are expressed through:
○ mathematics
● Easy to spread:
○ half-truths
Key Idea ○ lies
● Anyone can create content
● Nature “speaks” in mathematics 2. Social Media Effects
● Humans can:
○ understand nature through
math