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MIDTERM LESSON 1: INDIGENOUS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

- Filipinos, especially during the early times, tried to invent tools that will help them in everyday life

- they also developed alternative ideas in explaining various phenomena and in explaining the world around them

- this system of knowledge is called indigenous knowledge, which is the foundation of indigenous science

Indigenous Knowledge System

- it is deeply ingrained in the daily lives of young children, who grow up in a society where community members
practice it
- parents and elders serve as their first teachers, effectively transmitting cultural knowledge. These lessons are
deeply intertwined with their culture and environment, encompassing values, life stories, and reflections on
nature
- these lessons are evident in their stories, poems, and songs, highlighting their connection to their culture and
environment

Examples of Indigenous Knowledge That are Taught and Practiced by the Indigenous People are:

- predicting weather conditions and seasons using knowledge in observing animals’ behavior and celestial bodies
- using herbal medicine
- preserving foods
- classifying plants and animals into families and groups based on cultural properties
- preserving and selecting goods seeds for planting
- using indigenous technology
- building local irrigation systems
- classifying different types of soil for planting based on cultural properties
- producing wines and juices from tropical fruits
- keeping the custom of growing plants and vegetables in the yard

Examples of Herbal Medicine:

- akapulko - balbas-pusa
- ampalaya - bayabas

Example of Food Preservation:

- panag-etag – being done using salt or the salting process

Examples of Indigenous Technology:

- pottery – objects made of clay and hardened with heat

- weaving – the craft of lacing fibers together to make fabric or cloth

Example of Lithics:

- stone tool (grinding stones and hand axes; flaked stone tools: knives, scrapers, projectile points)
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Example of Producing Wines and Juices:

- tuba - make a cut in the plant's inflorescence, ties a container to the tree to collect the sap which is left overnight
to gather

Philippine Mythology (bathala, bakunawa, Maria Makiling)

- body of stories and epics originating from, and part of, the indigenous Philippine folk religions, which include
various ethnic faiths distinct from one another
- attempts to explain the nature of the world through the lives and actions of deities (called anitos in the north;
diwatas in the south), heroes, and mythological creatures

Philippine Traditional Medicine

- the evolution of Philippine traditional medicine is an interesting study that is influenced by religion, mysticism,
magic, superstition, folkloric herbalism and western medicine
- paghilot, pagtatawas, faith healing, albularyo

Indigenous Science

- is a part of the indigenous knowledge system practiced by different groups of people and early civilizations
(Gribbin, 2001; Mkapa, Sibisi, 2004)
- it includes complex arrays of knowledge, expertise, practices, and representations that guide human societies in
their enumerable interactions with the natural milieu: agriculture, medicine, naming and explaining natural
phenomena, and strategies for coping with changing environments (Pawilen, 2005)
- composed of traditional knowledge that uses science process skills and guided by community values and culture
(Pawilen, 2006)
- Sibisi (2004) also pointed out that indigenous science provides the basics of astronomy, pharmacology, food
technology, or metallurgy, which were derived from traditional knowledge and practices

Indigenous Science uses Science Process Skills

 observing  problem solving

 comparing  inferring
 classifying  communicating
 measuring  predicting
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Indigenous Science guided by Community Culture and Values

 the land is a source of life, it is a precious gift from the creator

 the Earth is revered as “Mother Earth.” It is the origin of their identity as people. All living and nonliving things
are interconnected and interdependent with each other
 human beings are stewards or trustee of the land and other natural resources. They have a responsibility to
preserve it
 nature is a friend to human beings – it needs respect and proper care

Indigenous Science composed of Traditional Knowledge

 ethno-biology
 ethno-medicine
 indigenous farming methods
 folk astronomy

- indigenous science is important in the development of science and technology in the Philippines. Like the ancient
civilizations, indigenous science gave birth to the development of science and technology as a field and as a discipline

- it helped the people in understanding the natural environment and in coping with everyday life. UNESCO’s Declaration
on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge (1999) recognized indigenous science as a historical and valuable
contribution to science and technology

Laws and Strategies in the Philippines in Conserving Indigenous Knowledge (Official Gazette of the Republic of the
Philippines)

1) Executive order no. 247 of 1995 – prescribing guidelines and establishing a regulatory framework for the
prospecting of biological and genetic resources, their by-products and derivatives, for scientific and commercial
purposes; and for other purposes

2) Republic Act No. 8371 – an act to recognize, protect and promote the rights of indigenous cultural
communities/indigenous peoples, creating a national commission on indigenous peoples, establishing
implementing mechanisms, appropriating funds therefor, and for other purpose

3) Republic Act No. 8423 – an act creating the Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care
(PITAHC) to accelerate the development of traditional and alternative health care in the Philippines, providing for
a traditional and alternative health care development fund and for other purposes

4) Republic Act No. 9168 – an act to provide protection to new plant varieties, establishing a national plant variety
protection board and other purposes
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Addtl. Notes on YT: Indigenous Filipino Arts and Crafts

Indigenous – originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native

Indigenous Filipino arts & crafts – are manually created by ethnic or tribal groups in the Philippines. These are arts that
are purposive in nature as they reflect the way of life during early times

Art – is a product of soul, mind, heart and hand, they are like pieces of scripts that makes the story whole crafted from
the creativity that is critically made for multiple purposes

- proven from the design of their textiles, life cycle events can be seen similar to the clay pots and baskets they made to
preserve food, water, ash of the dead, etc.

Jewelries and headdresses – connote social status as it identifies the role to be accomplished by each member of their
community

TOP 5 INDIGENOUS FILIPINO ARTS AND CRAFTS

1) Cloth weaving – one of the most valuable living traditions that are still preserved until this day
- Weaving – is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right
angles to form a fabric or cloth
Example of cloth weaving: pinilian, bontoc weave, kalinga textiles, piña

2) Basket Weaving – Philippines baskets are constructed from bamboo and rattan and often a combination of the
two. Plaiting and twining produce a wide range of sizes and forms. Filipinos use baskets for transportation, farm
work, food service and storage, fishing and trapping, clothing, and to carry personal items
Example of basket weaving: sangi pasiking, buri basket (bayong), fish traps “bobo”, topil lunch box

3) Tattoos – the art of tattooing was once an integral part of tribal culture in the Philippines. Filipino tribal tattoos
often draw inspiration from nature. Traditionally, an artist tattooed scenes and symbols highlighting aspects of
the area where they themselves grew up
Example of Tattoo artist: Whang-od Oggay, also known as Maria Oggay, is a Filipino tattoo artist from Buscalan,
Tinglayan, Kalinga, Philippines (she is often described as the “last” and oldest mambabatok and is part of the
Butbut people of the larger Kalinga ethnic group

4) Pottery – pots in the country have various shapes, sizes, and designs (designs are typically geometric with
embellished nature motifs)
- pottery in different areas of the Philippines became one of the most essential attributes of heritage and
formation of one’s identity
Examples of pottery: palayok – a clay pot used as the traditional food preparation container in the Philippines
banga – means pot, is used exclusively for storing water originated by the Northern Cordillera region of the
Philippines
kalan – a traditional stove used in the Philippines and other parts of Asia this goes together with the palayok

5) Jewelry making – since the 16th century, it is presumed that jewelry making in the country already existed. It is
known that the skills of the early Filipinos in creating jewelry are parented from our Asian neighbors like the
Chinese people
- traditionally, jewelry-making is a home-based industry intended to be a source of livelihood for the family
- Examples of jewelries: Bontoc tribe (boaya necklace & women’s belt), Ifugao tribe (Ifugao headhunters &
necklace choker), T’boli tribe (brass jewelry, tribal accessories)
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LESSON 2: HUMAN FLOURISHING: BASED ON ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHER’S PERSPECTIVE

How to live a flourishing life?

- ancient Greek philosophers were some of the first thinkers who tried to answer the question
- two of the most prominent ancient Greek philosophers: Plato and Aristotle

What is ‘human flourishing’?

- the Greek philosophers called flourishing life eudaimonia (is usually equated with happiness)
- for Plato and Aristotle – happiness is the result of eudaimonia or human flourishing

Plato (428/427 – 348/347 B.C.)

- for Plato, all human beings naturally desire eudaimonia or human flourishing
- he believed that in order to flourish, one must have moral thought and virtuous action (in this case, virtue is
referred to as ‘excellence’)
- for Plato, the well-being of a human individual must not depend on external goods (such as fame, wealth, and
appearance)
- to live just for the sake of fame, wealth, good appearance and other external goods will not lead to flourishing

According to Plato, a human being can develop virtue by:

1) By examining things and thinking more – he believed that a human being who does not examine his or her life
and surroundings will not flourish (he said that humans can reason and must use it to become wiser in order to
flourish)

2) By masterly using reason – he believed that a human is good if he or she uses his or her reason over his desires
(limiting one’s reason may result to negative consequences; reasoning allows the control of one’s self)
- if a human is able to control one’s self through reason and act for the common good, then he or she will flourish

3) By living the four cardinal virtues

a) wisdom – one must pursue learning that is based on curiosity (this would lead to more efficacy and self-mastery
which are needed to have a fulfilling life
b) courage and justice – courage is important in a just society because justice needs courageous individuals to
stand for what is right and to correct what is wrong (courage is also needed in order to face life’s challenges)
c) temperance – or self-restraint is important in society because it prevents corruption and chaos (a man without
temperance will not flourish because lack of self-restraint can lead to vices and violence)

Aristotle (384-322 B.C)

- he argued that eudaimonia or human flourishing is the highest good of human beings
- human nature, according to Aristotle, has 4 aspects: physical, emotional, social, rational

I. humans are physical beings – as physical beings, humans need: air, water, food, rest, and exercise to keep the
body functioning
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II. humans are emotional beings – like other animals, humans have: urges, wants, desires, and reactions. (humans
have emotional needs too)
III. humans are social beings – as social beings, it is inherent that humans need: friendship, cooperation, and a
sense of belongingness in society

IV. humans are rational beings – rationality is what differentiates humans from other animals. (rationality allows
human to: express, be creative, or obey reason)

How does one become more virtuous?

- for Aristotle, virtue is a character trait that enables a person to flourish

- like Plato, he believed that humans through reason seek knowledge about the world
- he believed that by gaining knowledge, humans will flourish (he called this “intellectual virtue”)

Aristotle made an important distinction about knowledge and human flourishing, there are two types of knowledge:

a) theoretical knowledge – the knowledge about the nature of principles

- allows us to manipulate nature, however, without practical knowledge, it cannot be actually done
- thus, knowledge is important in life, but is the application of this knowledge that leads to flourishing

b) practical knowledge – the knowledge of applying these principles

Aside from intellectual virtue, the other virtue in life is the virtue of character. Aristotle believed that in order to flourish,
one must possess the 11 virtuous traits:

 courage  patience  justice

 temperance  truthfulness  shame
 magnificence  wittiness
 magnanimity  friendliness

- according to Aristotle, all virtues are connected by phronesis or “practical wisdom”; it enables an individual to
apply the appropriate virtue in a particular situation
- a virtuous life can be attained through education and habit
- in summary, when an individual possesses intellectual virtues and virtues of character, then, he will attain
eudaimonia or human flourishing

LESSON 2 PART 2: HUMAN FLOURISHING: A MODERN WORLD CONCEPT

Modern Concept of Human Flourishing

- In Psychology, happiness, life satisfaction, mental and physical health, meaning and purpose, character and
virtue, close social relationships and financial and material stability are all components of Human Flourishing
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1) flourishing is intrinsically worthwhile – flourishing is an intrinsic good, and that flourishing is worth striving for;
this is different from the Greek philosopher’s point of view that human flourishing is a means to and end goal
which is happiness
2) the actualization of the human potential – human flourishing is when an individual is optimally using his or her
potentials and capabilities; this is relative because every individual has different potential and encounter
different possibilities, hence, different individuals’ level of flourishing cannot be compared

Criteria for Human Flourishing

a. Life as a whole – in considering an individual’s flourishing, his or her whole life must be considered (whole life,
in this case, means the totality of human life, not just some parts)
b. Human flourishing is a dynamic state – it requires an on-going developmental process to actualize the human
potential; in other words, one must continuously develop to become a flourishing human being
c. Objective Goods – there are things that are good for everybody, such as good social relationships; these good
things or objective goods, if developed will contribute to human flourishing

LESSON 2 PART 3: THE HUMAN PERSON FLOURISHING IN TERMS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Roles of Science and Technology in Human Flourishing

Science Technology

 comparable to theoretical knowledge  comparable to practical knowledge

 explains the nature or principles behind an  applies the theoretical knowledge in order to
object, event or phenomenon have an output

- scientific and technological discoveries enable humanity to gain intellectual virtues

Example: through science, the antibiotic nature of Penicillum notatum was discovered

through technology, the penicillin medicine was developed and provided cure to many diseases

Progress in Science and Technology had many positive impacts to human life such as the following:

 made work easier, efficient or practical  helped to address social issues and concerns
 made us happy or entertained  helped in the development of human talent and
 kept us healthy and safe abilities

Examples:

i. the development of social media made it easier to communicate with people

ii. musical instruments helped in developing musical talent and provided entertainment and happiness to many
iii. the development of medicines helped in combatting diseases, hence in prolonging life

However, science and technology can be exploited which can result to serious negative impact:

 technological developments made possible industrialization

 in some cases, industrialization made humans become machine-like workers, depriving them of the full
actualization of their potential
 technological developments also caused pollution; pollution in turn caused diseases that caused lives
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 technologies such as nuclear weapons also caused the extermination of human

LESSON 3: TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING

Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)

- is one of the most original and important philosophers in the 20th century
- in the essay, ‘The Question Concerning Technology’, he suggested how we can establish a ‘free relationship’ with
technology. In this essay, Heidegger focused on our orientation to technology, not on the form or function

The Question Concerning Technology

How do we generally think about technology?

 technology is a means to an end (instrumental)

 technology is a human activity (anthropological)

these definitions are correct; however, it limits our understanding of our relationship with technology

To understand fully what is meant by “technology as means to an end”, Heidegger discussed concept of causality. There
are four causes:

 causa materialis
 causa formalis
 causa finalis
 causa efficiens

- the Latin word ‘causa’ means “that which brings it about”

- however, Heidegger prefers the Greek word, aition which means “that which is responsible for something else”

- thus, Heidegger used the term hyle, eidos, telos, and logos as replacement to the four cases

Martin Heidegger

- Heidegger introduced the word ‘poeisis’, which literally means ‘bringing forth’. It is basically the way of making
something that was not present be present. Poesis, in a way, is a kind of revealing.
- Heidegger also introduced the word: ‘aletheia’, which literally means “unveiling” or “revealing”. It is also the
Greek word for “truth”.
- Heidegger argued that technology is a kind of poeisis, a way of bringing forth or revealing – and, as such, is “the
realm of truth”.
- the word “technology” was derived from the Greek ‘technikon’, which is related to the word techne. Heidegger
makes two points about techne:
 techne refers to both manufacturing (the techniques of shoemakers and printers, for example) and to the
arts (the technique of poets and fashion designers, for example. Techne is part of poeisis
 techne is a kind of knowing, it may refer to “expertise”, or “know-how”
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- so if technology is derived from the concept of techne, then its essence lies not in the instrumental production
of goods or manipulation of materials, but in “revealing”
- Heidegger explained the difference between older forms of technology and modern technology. He said that
modern technology has a different kind of ‘revealing’, it is ‘challenging’
Example: old windmills draw energy from the wind but “does not extract and store energy” unlike modern
technology which challenges our nature. The term ‘challenges’ is synonymous to ‘exploits’ and ‘exhausts’
- again, modern technology is revealing but in a different way. To understand this, Heidegger introduced the idea
of ‘standing reserve’. For Heidegger, “technology transforms the world into standing reserve”
- it can be said that for technology, nothing in the world is “good” in and of itself, but only “good for” something
Example: the airplane, for example, has no “good” or value in and of itself but it is “good for” humanity as a
mode of transportation. If it is not ‘good for’ humanity anymore, then it can be disposed, leaving it with no
value. So its disposal by humanity depends on its “goodness”
- also, humans can become ‘standing reserves’ of technology

- because humans are responsible for technological advances, humans will never completely become as ‘standing
reserves’
- in the same way, nature and nature’s mode of revealing will never completely become under human control.
Despite humans having now the capacity to destroy nature, the natural world reveals itself to humans on its own
terms
Example: humans cannot directly control the formation of coal deposits or the accumulation of nitrogen in the
soil. We can only control the way we orient ourselves, our thinking and our actions, in relation to such
resources
- humans tend to think of technology as an instrument, a means of getting things done. This definition, however,
misses the actual essence of technology, and tends to make us think that by making the technology better, we
will master technology and solve the problems that accompany it
- Heidegger suggested that the human impulse is to enclose all experiences of the world within categories of
understanding that are controllable such as mathematical equations, physical laws, sets of classifications
- Heidegger introduced the concept of enframing, which stems from the human drive for a “precise” and
“scientific” knowledge of the world
Enframing is the essence of technology. It may result to two possibilities:
 it may set man on a destructive and self-destructive course
 it may be a “saving power” by showing clearly the responsibility of human beings to the world.
Enframing will help us understand that we are a part of the world, but that the world needs us to care
for it

 ancient philosophers claim that human flourishing or eudaimonia is the end-goal of one’s activities, emotions
and virtues
 however, the modern-day concept is that human flourishing by itself is worth striving for
 science and technology impact human flourishing. Some impacts are positive while some are negative
 Heidegger argued that technology is a kind of poeisis, a way of bringing forth or revealing - and, as such, is “the
realm of truth”
 sometimes, modern technology challenges or exploits nature, but we humans have to understand that we are
part of the world and the world needs us to care for it
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