Republic of the Philippines

UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN PHILIPPINES

University Town, Northern Samar
Website: [Link]; Email: uepnsofficial@[Link]

GE 7: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY

First Semester, SY 2020 – 2021

Prepared and Compiled by:

RUTH L. SAYDE
PAULA MAE M. CAPARIC
CAC, Part-Time Lecturers

NAME OF STUDENT: _______________________________________________________________

COURSE & YEAR: __________________________________________________________
 UNIT 1- GENERAL CONCEPTS AND HISTORICAL EVENTS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

TABLE OF CONTENTS
UNIT 1- GENERAL CONCEPTS AND HISTORICAL EVENTS IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

MODULE 5 – TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING ……..…………………….……….. 4

INTRODUCTION …………………………………………………………………………………… 4

OUTCOMES ………………………………………………………………………………………... 5

1.0 THE HUMAN CONDITION BEFORE COMMON ERA ….………………………………. 5

2.0 THE HUMAN CONDITION IN THE COMMON ERA ………………..………………….. 6

3.0 THE ESSENCE OF TECHNOLOGY ………………………………………………………... 8

4.0. BACKTRACKING THE HUMAN CONDITION …… ……………………………………. 8

LET’S TAKE A BREAK ……………………………………………………….………………… 9

Summary ………………………………………………………………………………………..... 10
References ……………………………………………………………………………………….. 11
Suggested Readings …………………………………………………………………………… 11

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UNIT 1
GENERAL CONCEPTS AND HISTORICAL EVENTS
IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

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5
TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING

INTRODUCTION

Hi! How was your holidays?

I hope you enjoyed celebrating.
Now, we will be back to classes.

Comparing the lives of the people before and now will make anyone realize
the changes that happened in society not just in terms of culture, language, or rights
but more importantly, changes in people’s way of life due to the existence of science
and technology.

The term generation gap is attributed mainly to the changes brought about by
technology. Although the original idea is for technology to help everyone, it cannot
be denied that until today, not everyone is comfortable in using the different kinds of
technologies.

However, this gap is not something to be worried about. Instead, it is a

challenge to people in the field of science and technology to make these
technological advancements more accessible and less confusing for people who are
not young anymore.

Even before, people are already fascinated with science and technology. This
fascination led to numerous magnificent inventions that people in the present are
able to enjoy and benefit from.

People who lived in the past and people who are living in the present all have
different views of what it means to flourish, primarily due to the kind of environment
and the period one is in. People’s way of life and how the society works also affect
how one construes the concept of human flourishing. The environment need 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.

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OUTCOMES

At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:

■ explain the concept of human condition before science and

technology;
■ identify the change that happened in human condition after science
and technology; and,
■ name ways on how technology aided in revealing the truth about
human being.

1.0 THE HUMAN CONDITION BEFORE COMMON ERA

Our ancestors’ primal need to survive paved way for the invention of several
developments.

As it is difficult to pinpoint what 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.

Homo erectus have been using fire to cook, through chipping flint over the
other to produce a spark, all the while realizing the laws of friction and heat.

Tools from stone and flints marked the era of the Stone Age, during the advent
of our very own homo sapiens, and humans began to sharpen stones as one would a
knife; an example of this is the simple machine called wedge.

This particular period proved to be difficult for our ancestors. There is little to no
written accounts except for several cave drawings and unearthed artifacts from
various parts of the world that narrate how their culture came to be.

For instance, there are several excavations in different parts

of Europe of miniature statues prevalent during the Paleolithic
period, the so-called “Venus” figure.

Nude woman (Venus of Willendorf) is a portable art

discovered in Austria in 1908 which represents ‘fertility.’

Soon enough, people discovered minerals and began

forging metalwork. They realized that these substances are more durable, malleable,
and have more luster than the previous material.

Fur clothing and animal skin are primarily used for comfort against harsh wind
– our ancestors are able to draw the connection between their being naked and
vulnerable due to some lack of fur or protective covering which would otherwise allow
them to withstand extreme weather conditions.

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Excavations on the latter half of the Stone Age include several figures thought
to be ceremonial, meaning, that perhaps people of the time had also painstakingly
wrought and hewed said figures in honor of some deity.

It can be positively inferred that like the people today, our ancestors also found
the need to explain things in a way that makes sense to them. They quickly realized
that there are events outside of their control and attempted to justify things as being
a work of supernatural being.

Throughout the course of history, religion remains to be the strongest contender

to science arguably due to its being the most easily grasped. The people of yesterday
appeared to have acknowledged early on that they could only do and understand
as much, that perhaps other powers at play also existed alongside them.

This notion effectively humbled and perhaps grounded them, with their
constant befuddlement serving as an early reminder that they were way behind
several larger, more powerful forces in nature in terms of order of things.

2.0 THE HUMAN CONDITION IN THE COMMON ERA

For a long time, humans were content with their relationship with nature.
Earliest case of man-made extinction occurred over 12,000 years ago, possibly
brought upon by hunting and territorial disputes.

HOLOCENE EXTINCTION

 Also called the sixth extinction or more aptly Anthropocene extinction.

 Occurred from as early as between 100, 000 to 200, 00 years up to the present.
 It pertains to the ongoing extinction of several species – both flora and fauna –
due to human activity.
 Driven by primal need to survive and because of development and
adaptability, humans were quick to find ways to drive off other megafaunas
threatening a prospective hunting spot and eventually, settling grounds.

Here are some of human activities which led to this extinction:

 Growing population leading to overhunting and overfishing

 Hunting caused several species to lose competition in territory and food
resources
 Formation of communities caused humans to expand more in territory and
more people to feed

Even as a community, the people realized that though they were at most self-
sufficient, they were in constant need of resources. They realized that they could get
hold of things not present in their towns by offering something of same value present
in theirs. It is in this process that trade emerged - engaging in a peaceful negotiation
– leading to cross-town and eventually cross-cultural interaction as more products
were exchanged and the initial needs extended to wants.

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People then had a new objective – gather as much products as possible. They
have turned to wealth as one of their goals as humans and ultimately as civilizations,
for they perceived that those who have many, live comfortable and thus are
generally happier than those who do not have sufficient wealth. Humanity became
more complex. The primary goal was not merely to survive, but to live the good life.

Technology has been instrumental in all of these because searching for the
good life, people were able to come up with creations that would make life easier,
more comfortable, and more enriching.

They perceived death as, at the very least, unpleasant and concocted potions
to ward evil off from their kinsmen, often appealing to their gods for blessings.
Medicine was thus born.

They became fixated with gold and were adamant in procuring more. This
ultimately paved way for the emergence of chemistry in its primitive form, not quite
distinct from alchemy.

Due to different races, belief, or abundance of resources and/or territory, wars

were being waged, leading communities to allocate resources to the militia. Physical
strength was valued at most, although there appeared to be many intellectually
gifted figures just the same. These innovators were primarily the ones behind
discoveries and triumphs of these civilizations.

Position-wise, the humans of today are much better off compared to humans
several centuries ago. Advancements of medicine, technology, health, and
education ushered in humanity’s best yet, and show no sign of stopping. The following
are some notable comparisons then and now:

1. Mortality Rate

• Due to technology, lesser women and children die during birth, assuring
robust population and strong workforce.

• Medical care for premature infants allow them to survive and develop
normally, while proper maternal care ensures that mothers can fully recover
and remain empowered.

2. Average Lifespan

• Aside from the reason that people engage in less in combat and are less likely
to die in treatable diseases now as opposed to then, science is able to
prolong lives by enhancing living status and discovering different remedies to
most diseases.

• Distribution of medicine is also made easier and faster.

3. Literacy Rate

• Access to education provided to more individuals generally creates a more

informed public that could determine a more just society.

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4. Gross Domestic Product

• Although not an indicator of an average person’s lifestyle in a certain

country, it is often used to determine the value of the country’s goods and
services produced within the territory given a certain time period.

• Higher country income is brought upon by high productivity, often an

indicator of presence of technology.

3.0 THE ESSENCE OF TECHNOLOGY

Humanity has indeed come a long way from our primitive ways, and as a
general rule, it is said that we are 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.

Some tried to redefine technology away from its purpose. Martine Heidegger
argued that its essence, or purpose, and being are different from each other. Martine
Heidegger was able to expound upon identifying that technology can either be:

1. A means to achieve man’s end and second, that which constitutes human
activity; and,

2. Paints technology in such a way that each period reveals a particular

character regarding man’s being.

However, as long as humans are invested in growth and development, we

cannot distance ourselves from this perspective. In the name of growth, we view the
world as a field of resources, vent on attributing monetary value on seemingly priceless
entities. We begin to categorize nature as renewable and nonrenewable instead of
seeing it as it is. A good life is one which is practical in essence; a life which makes use
of our labor and which we get compensated fairly upon. Since humans appear not
to really know what they are seeking for, the search continues. It is a looming fear,
however, that the path we are treading will not take 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. It will
be absurd to venture the dark and the unknown, but it should be done in order for us
to retrace our steps to be able to achieve the good.

4.0 BACKTRACKING THE HUMAN CONDITION

Technology’s initial promises proved to be true, regardless of its ramifications.

Different machineries aid in prolonging lives – assisting those with disabilities, honing

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efficiency in industrial workplaces, and even exploring the universe for places we can
thrive once all the earth’s resources are depleted.

As to the initial aims, it appears that things really did not much differ. 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. People still wage wars on the basis of races, belief, and abundance of resources
and/or territory; except that now, they are able to inflict such in a global scale. A lot
of people still subscribe to religion in explaining things that they do not know. For those
who have ceased to do so, they have turned their worships to reverence of science.
People are still trying to make sense of their existence in the world, and technology
does little to aid them in their pursuit of life’s meaning.

While it is true that technology offered us one compelling notion of the truth
and the good, we should be staunch in our resolve if we want to know the real one.
For starters, we might begin with considering other concepts, which corresponds to
the Good, such as Aristotle’s conception of human flourishing. His notion entertains
the idea of holistic enrichment of a person situated in his society. A notable distinction
on Aristotle’s idea is his subscription on evaluative concepts called virtues and their
role in achieving the good life. 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 a good life.

LET’S TAKE A BREAK!

Learning Exercise #1

In a separate paper, write your answers of the following questions.

1. What would have happened to humankind if technology did not exist?

___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________ .

2. Try to imagine the world without technology. How do you think your day-to-day life
would be like?

___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________ .

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Here is the criteria for written requirements.

CRITERIA 4 3 2 1
Information is very Information is slightly Information is The information
organized in a well- organized in a well- organized but appears to be
Organization
constructed paragraph or constructed paragraph or paragraph(s) are not disorganized.
paragraphs. paragraphs. well-constructed.
Information relates to the Information relates to the Information partially Information has little or
topic. It provides a lot of topic. It provides few relates to the topic. No nothing to do with the
Content
supporting details and/or supporting details and/or details and/or topic.
examples. examples. examples are given.
Main points well developed Main points well Main points are Main points lack
with high quality and developed with quality present with limited detailed development.
quantity support. Reveals supporting details and detail and Ideas are vague with
Development
high degree of critical quantity. Critical thinking development. Some little evidence of critical
thinking. is weaved into points. critical thinking is thinking.
present.
Essay is free of distracting Essay has few punctuation Most spelling, Spelling, punctuation,
spelling, punctuation, and and grammatical errors punctuation, and and grammatical errors
grammatical errors; absent allowing reader to follow grammar correct create distraction,
Grammar
of fragments, comma ideas clearly. Very few allowing reader to making reading difficult;
& Mechanics
splices, and run-ons. fragments or run-ons. progress through fragments, comma
essay. Some errors splices, run-ons evident.
remain. Errors are frequent.
Meets all formal and Meets format and Meets format and Fails to follow format
assignment requirements assignment requirements; assignment and assignment
and evidences attention to margins, spacing, and requirements; requirement; cover
detail; all margins, spacing indentations are correct; generally correct format, incorrect
Format
and indentations are essay is neat and correctly margins, spacing, and indentations; neatness
correct; essay is neat and assembled. indentations; essay is of essay needs
correctly assembled with neat but may have attention.
professional look. some assembly errors.

Don’t walk out on me right now –

this is a bit of mental work but look at this as a challenge
– and work through it. 

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 pursuit of growth, we had conveniently forgotten that
technology only presents one approach in viewing the world. This forgetfulness leads
us to evaluate objects as consumable or not- transcending to other human beings,
determining their capacity to be productive. 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. This is only one conception of technology, as
Heidegger also proposed that technology is what humans do. Advancements in the
field expose us to previously unknown predicaments, effectively helping us to reveal
our own natures and enforcing one perspective in finding the truth. Now that it is
acknowledges, we can try and divert our search to other approaches.

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REFERENCES

 Blitz, M. (2014). “Understanding Heidegger on Technology,” The New Atlantis,

Number 41, Winter, pp. 63-80.
 De Vries, M.J. (2005). Teaching About Technology: An Introduction to the
Philosophy of Technology for Non-Philosophers. Switzerland; Springer.
 Derrida, J. (1989). Of Spirit: Heidegger and the Question. Trans. Geoffrey
Bennington and Rachel Bowlby. Chicago/London: Chicago, UP.
 Grayson, D.K. And D.J. Meltzer. (2012). “Clovis Hunting and Large Mammal’s
Extinction: A critical Review of the Evidence,” Journal of World Prehistory. 16 (4):
313-359.
 Grayson, D.K. Human Population Growth and Extinction, (n.d.) Center for
Biological Diversity. Accessed August 1, 2016. [Link]
org/programs/population_and_sustainability/extinction/[Link].
 Heidegger, M. (1977). The Question Concerning Technology, and Other Essays.
New York: Harper & Row.
 Holloway, A. (2014). “The Venus Figurines of the European Paleolithic Era:
Accessed February 10, 2017. [Link] -places-
europe/venus-figurines-european-paleolithic-era-001548?nopaging=1.
 Kolbert, E. (2014). The Sixth Extinction, An Unnatural History. London: Bloomsbury
Publishing.
 Rudgley, R. (2000). The Lost Civilizations of the Stone Age. New York: Simon and
Schuster.
 Serafina, Janice Patria Javier, et. al., “Science, Technolgy and Society,” First
Edition. Rex Publishing Co., pp. 25-42.

SUGGESTED READINGS

 Magalona, Ethel, et al., “Science, Technology & Society: A Rudimentary

Approach.” Mindshapers Co., Inc. Intramuros, Manila.

Now, you deserve a break. Enjoy!

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