Group 2:
Willis, Francez Earlin C.
Racela, Prince Brian A.
Delos Santos, Mary Joy I.
Yumang, Rayzhelynne Y.
Bustillo, Lyrachel C.
March 8th, 2023
Project Summary
Chapter 5:
Human Flourishing As Reflected In Progress and Development
Human Flourishing is the continuing development of human beings’ potential and how
they live well as human beings. In short, it is the ability to live a good life. Science and
technology have certain roles to play in human flourishing and help us to make things easier,
however, letting science and technology take over may lead to negative impacts that will cause
failure in human flourishing and may put our world at risk. In addition, over-consumption can be
harmful and is not the solution if we want to live a good life. According to Bandarlipe, all
humans aim to flourish and involve doing well in broad domains of life. However, knowing the
ways how to attain a flourishing human life is not easy, especially in the context of science and
technology. It might help us to be better, but still, too much will lead to over-dependence that
might cause normalizing over-consumption and might become a threat to human flourishing.
There is a question of whether humans are really flourishing in the present time and Dr.
Jason Hickel, an anthropologist at the London School of Economics, also questioned this in the
context of economics. There are new reports that the gap between developed and developing
countries continues to widen and Dr. Hickel said, “Forget "developing" poor countries, it's time
to de-develop rich countries.”, which means that the rich countries should slow down in their
consumption so that the poor countries can catch up. If the rich ones keep on developing, it will
only lead to overconsumption. Overconsumption is partly caused by the increasing population in
many areas around the world. Larger populations require more food, water, and energy and
consequently tax the earth's ability to replace the used resources. The SDGs or The Sustainable
Development Goals were developed at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable
Development, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 2012. There are 17 goals there that will be
advantageous.
Presently, our planet only has enough resources for each of us to consume 1.8 “global
hectares” annually, this is a standardized unit that measures resource use and waste. This figure
is roughly what the average person in Guatemala consumes, which is a predominantly poor
country. By contrast, people in the US and Canada consume about 8 hectares per person, while
Europeans consume 4.7 hectares, which indicates that most wealthy counties exceed the earth's
biocapacity. In the US, life expectancy is 79 years and GDP per capita is $53,000, but many
countries have achieved similar life expectancy with a mere fraction of this income. Cuba has a
comparable life expectancy to the US and one of the highest literacy rates in the world with a
GDP per capita of only $6,000 and consumption of only 1.9 hectares – right at the threshold of
ecological sustainability. Similar claims can be made in other countries. Therefore, Economist
Peter Edward argues that instead of pushing poorer countries to “catch up” with rich ones, we
should be thinking of ways to get rich countries to “catch down” to more appropriate levels of
development. This indicates that developing and consuming more is not the solution for poor
countries. Instead, we should look at societies where people live long and happy lives at
relatively low levels of income and consumption not as basket cases that need to be developed
towards western models, but as exemplars of efficient living. We should regard such countries
not as underdeveloped, but rather as appropriately developed, and maybe, we need to start
calling on rich countries to justify their excesses.
Many individuals are afraid or concerned about consumption since there are variances in
how each country manages its resources. Consumption is a long-term trend of over-consumption
that leads to the eventual loss of resource bases. The more the population, the more raw materials
are used to support it. In general, the issue of over-consumption parallels the debate over human
overpopulation. In other words, as the population grows, so does the need for basic materials.
Yet, considerably more things influence humanity's overall impact on the world than the total
number of people. Capacity grows year after year, and some nations have overgrown. Pushing
impoverished nations to expand is no longer an option, and instead, affluent countries should de-
develop We should also be aware of the economic rule between supply and demand, which
contradicts each other, with high demand being the time when people should grow their supply
for a smooth inflow of money. Therefore, using the term quality instead of quantity suggests that
it's more essential to consider quality than quantity since it doesn't matter how much or how
costly something is if it doesn't last long. Robert Skidelsky is a historian best known for his
authoritative three-volume history, and his son Edward Skidelsky is a philosopher. They have
collaborated on a book in which they argue that individuals in affluent nations such as the United
Kingdom and the United States work too hard and so miss out on the “good life” — an ethical
view of existence as “worthy of want, not merely one that is generally desired.”
We can reduce environmental degradation if we curtail our environmentally harmful
actions on a voluntary basis, but if we keep doing them, the cost of the consequences will be far
higher. It would also have an impact on the agricultural or rural areas where we got our meals. It
might also impact those who lack resources since they would contract various illnesses that could
or could not have a greater negative effect on their overall standard of life.
This infographic summarizes what should we know about human flourishing as reflected
in progress and development.
References
Human Flourishing – Health Equity and Policy Lab.
[Link]
Bandarlipe, M. C. B. et al. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. Bulacan: IPM Publishing.
Hickel, J. (2015, September 23) Forget "developing" poor countries, it's time to de-develop rich
countries. The Guardian. Retrieved from [Link]
professionals-network/2015/sep/23/developing-poor-countries-de-develop-rich-countries-sdgs
Group 2:
Willis, Francez Earlin C.
Racela, Prince Brian A.
Delos Santos, Mary Joy I.
Yumang, Rayzhelynne Y.
Bustillo, Lyrachel C.
March 14th, 2023
Project Summary
Chapter 6:
The Good Life
A good life is a way of living that is moral, satisfying, and worthwhile. The good life,
according to Plato, is one in which a person exemplifies perfect virtue and is consequently nearer
to the higher realm of existence. Since virtue results from the lack of desire, achieving true
happiness requires being content to the point where desire is absent whilst Aristotle thought that
the good life is an excellent, flourishing, happy life and that only those with exceptional
character who has taken exceptional care to develop their virtues can achieve the good life.
Furthermore, in Ancient Greece, long before the word ‘science’ has been coined, the need
to understand the world and reality was guaranteed with the need to understand the self and good
life. Aristotle and Plato embarked on different approaches to figuring out reality. For Plato, the
task of understanding the things in the world runs parallel with the job of truly getting into what
will make the soul flourish. In an attempt to understand the reality and external world, man must
seek to understand himself, too. Plato thought that things in this world are not real and are only
copies of the real in world of forms. Change is so perplexing that it can only make sense if there
are two realities, the world of matter which is changing and impermanent, and the world of forms
which means the entities are only copies of the ideals and the models and the forms are the real
entities. Aristotle forwarded the idea that there is no reality over and above what the senses can
perceive, claiming that this world is all there is and that this world is the only reality we can
access. Every human person, according to Aristotle, aspires for an end. This end is happiness or
human flourishing. Aristotle said that we all want to be happy. He claims that happiness is the
be-all and end-all of everything that we do. We may not realize it, but the end goal of everything
that we do is happiness. Aristotle is famous for his theory of the “good life,” or eudaimonia.
Happiness is equated with the feeling of contentment, meaning that happiness is not
to be confused with joy, ecstasy, bliss, or other more intense feelings. By attaining happiness, one
must learn about the different studies on how to attain it. In Materialism, there is a belief that
nothing exists except matter. Led by Democritus and his disciples, the world, including man, is
made up of matter, and there’s no need to posit immaterial entities such as purpose. Only
material entities matter. In terms of human flourishing, the matter is what makes us attain
happiness.
In Hedonism, the principle led by Epicurus evolves into the concept that life’s end goal is
pleasure. Believe that life is about obtaining and indulging in pleasure because life is limited and
does not acknowledge the afterlife notion. It also claims that only pleasure has worth or value
and only pain or displeasure has disvalue or the opposite of worth.
In Stoicism, happiness can be obtained by being apathetic to others and distancing
oneself. They believe that some things are not within their control, and the earlier we accept this
reality, the happier we can be. It is a philosophy of life that maximizes positive emotions,
reduces negative emotions, and helps individuals hone their character virtues.
Theism is an ideological system believing in the existence of God, the source of all
existence. For theists, the ultimate source of happiness is communion with God and the world we
are in is just a temporary reality we live in while waiting for the maximum return to the
Almighty God. It proclaims a dualistic relation between God and the world, wherein God is a
being who controls events from outside of the human world.
In Humanism, there is a belief that human beings have the freedom to create their destiny
and laws and control themselves and the world around them. They believe that the world is a free
space and that they have full control to improve lives and thus bring happiness to the world.
Humanists see themselves not merely as stewards of the creation but as individuals who have
authority over themselves and the world outside them.
Happiness is the end goal of a good life. This project is meant to enlighten us on what is
the real meaning of a good life.
References
Polytechnic University of the Philippines & Polytechnic University of the Philippines. (2019,
September 9). The good life. [Link]
Plays, M. (2022, March 18). The Good Life. [Link]. [Link]
good-life
Farnam Street. (2020, March 1). Who Is Seneca? Timeless Wisdom from the World’s Most
Controversial Stoic - Farnam Street. [Link]
Marcus Aurelius (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). (2017, December 22).
[Link]
%20Roman,vice%20is%20bad%2C%20and%20the
Weaver, T. (2020, June 16). Who Was Epictetus? The Slave Who Became Stoic Philosopher.
Orion Philosophy. [Link]
Regina May Cabiles. (2021, May 19). STS Lesson 6: The Good Life. YouTube.
[Link]
Happiness, Materialism, Hedonism, Stoism, Theism, and Humanism. (n.d.). Scribd.
[Link]
humanism#
Group 2:
Willis, Francez Earlin C.
Racela, Prince Brian A.
Delos Santos, Mary Joy I.
Yumang, Rayzhelynne Y.
Bustillo, Lyrachel C.
May 8th, 2023
Project Summary
Chapter 10:
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variety of all living things and their interactions. It changes over time
as extinction occurs and new species evolve. It ranges from the smallest microorganisms, the
mycoplasmas, up to the largest animals, the blue whales. The term ‘biodiversity’ was coined by
Walter G. Rosen, though its original term is Biological Diversity. Edward O. Wilson is
considered the ‘Father of Biodiversity’ after devoting his life to studying the natural world which
led to unprecedented environmental advocacy.
Biodiversity has three types: First is Genetic Diversity or also known as "Diversity of
Genes". It refers to the variations in the different genes present in individual organisms. For
instance, among humans, there are differences in terms of genetic sequences. Every species on
the Earth is related to every other species through genetic connections. The more closely related
any two species are, the more genetic information they will share, and the more similar they will
appear. Second is Species Diversity or also known as "Diversity of Species". It refers to the
variations within and among populations in a species, as well as the differences between and
among species. Species are the basic units of biological classification and thus the normal
measure of biodiversity. Third and last one, Ecosystem Diversity or also known as the "Diversity
of Ecosystem". It refers to all ecosystems, ecological processes, and biological communities. An
ecosystem consists of organisms from many different species living together in a region and their
connections through energy, nutrients, and matter flow.
Biodiversity plays an important role in the way ecosystems function and in the services
they provide. Some services that biodiversity can provide are provisioning services, regulating
services, cultural services, and supporting services. Also, biodiversity is not evenly distributed,
rather it varies across the globe as well as within regions. Among other factors, the diversity of
all living things depends on temperature, precipitation, altitude, soils, geography, and the
presence of other species. In Latitudinal Gradients, there is an increase in biodiversity from the
poles to the tropics. Thus localities at lower latitudes have more species than localities at higher
latitudes. This is often referred to as the latitudinal gradient in species diversity. Several
ecological factors may contribute to the gradient, but the ultimate factor is the greater mean
temperature at the equator compared to that of the poles. Biodiversity Hotspot is a region with a
high level of endemic species or species that are native or restricted in a particular area that has
experienced great habitat loss. The term hotspot was introduced in 1988 by Norman Myers.
Species refers to a group of organisms that have common genetic, ecological, and
evolutionary characteristics that can interbreed and produce viable offspring. Thus, the total
number of species continues to increase. In aquatic ecosystems, the limiting factor for
productivity is light as the producers depend on light which is scanty in deeper layers. The
amount of minerals in oceanic water is also low compared to soil in the terrestrial ecosystem.
The vascular plant family includes pteridophytes, angiosperm, and gymnosperm. Angiosperm
plants produce flowers and bear their seeds in fruits, whereas gymnosperms reproduce by means
of an exposed seed. Pteridophytes lack both flowers and seeds. Plankton, nekton, and benthos are
different types of marine life. Simple differences between these three are plankton's poor
swimming ability, nekton's ability to swim on their own, and benthos' location in the deepest part
of the ocean. Taxonomists that specialize in identifying and categorizing life on Earth have
named about 1.7 million insect species to date. According to their basic forms, bacteria can be
divided into five groups: spherical, rod, spiral, comma, or corkscrew. The subkingdom Dikarya,
which encompasses all varieties of mushrooms, is home to the most well-known fungi. Demodex
mites are an example of a mite; they are small, eight-legged parasites that typically reside in the
oil glands and hair follicles on your face, neck, or chest. As scary as it may sound, they're usually
not a problem. In fact, by eliminating dead skin cells, they can even benefit your skin. The
animal kingdom's most studied groups are birds and mammals rather than fish and arthropods,
indicating that there are more species of terrestrial animals than aquatic ones.
Biodiversity Conservation is protecting, preserving, managing, or restoring wildlife and
natural resources such as forests and water. Through the conservation of biodiversity, the
survival of many species and habitats which are threatened due to human activities can be
ensured. There is an urgent need to manage and conserve biotic wealth and restore degraded
ecosystems. Conservation can broadly be divided into two types: First is In-situ Conservation,
which is on-site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of
plant or animal species, such as forest genetic resources in natural populations of tree species. It
is the process of protecting an endangered plant or animal species in its natural habitat, either by
protecting or cleaning up the habitat itself or defending the species from predators. It is applied
to the conservation of agricultural biodiversity in agroforestry by farmers, especially those using
unconventional farming practices. In-situ conservation is being done by declaring the area as a
protected area. Second is Ex-situ Conservation, which is the preservation of components of
biological diversity outside their natural habitats. This involves the conservation of genetic
resources, as well as wild and cultivated species, and draws on a diverse body of techniques and
facilities. Such strategies include the establishment of botanical gardens, zoos, conservation
strands and genes, pollen seeds, seedlings, tissue culture, and DNA banks.
This presentation tells us why biodiversity is essential for the processes that support all
life on Earth, including humans.
References
What Is Biodiversity? (n.d.). Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.
[Link]
biodiversity#:~:text=Biodiversity%20is%20the%20extraordinary%20variety,the%20very
%20stuff%20of%20life.%E2%80%9D
Biodiversity = Science, Technology, and Society Group-2. (n.d.).
[Link]
fbclid=IwAR3w2DhzZQduvEX79b2HGSwgUZ4fA4dLXxpX8njHKdG_ogJRBFi_kBWGLAU
Frontlearners - Science, Technology, and Society - 09 Biodiversity and the Healthy Society.
(n.d.-b). [Link]
fbclid=IwAR3oHTQypP6-BNeOTPw-DrGGLm-JzXmv9o1tyUDdC_Z_4B-n-wykI8f_X3w
Admin. (2021). Genetic Diversity: Definition, Examples, Importance, Conservation. BYJUS.
[Link]
Admin. (2022). Species Diversity: Definition, Importance, Examples, Threats, Conservation.
BYJUS. [Link]
Biology Online. (2022, June 16). Ecosystem diversity - Definition and Examples – Biology-
Online Dictionary. Biology Articles, Tutorials & Dictionary Online.
[Link]
%20tundras%2C%20deserts%2C%20rainforests,creating%20a%20well%2Dbalanced
%20environment.