UNIT 2 SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

AND THE HUMAN CONDITION

2.1 HUMAN FLOURISHING

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
 Identify different conceptions of human flourishing;
 Determine the development of the scientific method and validity of science; and
 Critic human flourishing vis-à-vis progress of science and technology to be able to
define for themselves the meaning of a good life.

INTRODUCTION
Eudaimonia, literally “good spirited,” is a term coined by renowned Greek philosopher
Aristotle to describe the pinnacle of happiness that is attainable by humans. This has often been
translated into “human flourishing” in literature, arguably likening humans to flowers achieving their
full bloom. As discussed in the Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle’s human flourishing arises as a
result of different components such as phronesics, friendship, wealth, and power. In ancient Greek
society, they believe that acquiring these will surely bring the seekers happiness, which in effect
allows them to partake in the greater notion of what we call the Good. As time changes, elements
that comprise human flourishing changed. People found means to live more comfortably, explore
more places, develop more products, and make more money. Humans of today are expected to
become “man of the world”. He is supposed to situate himself in a global neighborhood, working
side by side among institutions and the government to be able to reach a common goal.
Principles of Human Flourishing
 Dignity of the Human person - innate personal values or rights which demands respect for
all people, regardless of race, social class, wealth etc.
 Common Good - sacrificing self-interest to provide for the basic human needs of everyone
makes the whole community flourish.
 Preferential Option for the Poor - when decisions are made by first considering the poor.
 Subsidiarity - when all those affected by a decision are involved in making it.
 Universal Purpose of Goods - the Earth's resources serve every person's needs, regardless
of who "owns" them.
 Stewardship of Creation - duty to care for the Earth as a (God-given) gift is a personal
responsibility for the common good.
 Promotion of Peace - everyone has the duty to respect and collaborate in personal
relationships, and at national and global levels.
 Participation - everyone has the right and the duty to take part in the life of a society
(economic, political, cultural, religious)
 Global Solidarity - recognition that we are all interconnected, part of one human family.
Different Conceptions of Human Flourishing
Eastern
 Focus is community-centric
 Individual should sacrifice himself for the sake of society
 Chinese Confucian system
 Japanese Bushido
 Encourage studies of literature, sciences, and art for a greater cause
Western
 More focused on the individual
 Human flourishing as an end
 Aristotelian view
  Aims for Eudaimonia as the ultimate good

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND HUMAN FLOURISHING

In the previous chapters, contributions of science and technology have been laid down thoroughly.
Every discovery, innovation, and success contributes to our pool of human knowledge. Perhaps
one of the most prevalent themes is human’s perpetual need to locate himself in the world by
finding proofs to trace evolution. Having a particular role which is uniquely ours, elicits our idea of
self-importance According to Heidegger’s statement, “technology is a human activity we excel in
as a result of achieving science.” Suffice to say that the end goals of both science and technology
and human flourishing are related, in that the good is inherently related to the truth. The following
are two concepts about science which ventures its claim on truth.

1. VERIFICATION THEORY
 A discipline is science if it can be confirmed or interpreted in the event of an alternative
hypothesis being accepted.
 Premium on empiricism
 Takes into account those results which are measurable and experiments which are
repeatable.

Vienna Circle - group of scholars who believed that only those which can be observed
should be regarded as meaningful, and reject those which cannot be directly accessed as
meaningless.

Suppose, for instance, this girl, Lea has a (not-so-scientific) theory that her classmate Ian
likes her. Good, she thought, I like him too. But how do I know that he likes me?

She began by observing him and his interactions with her. Several gestures she noted
include his always exchanging pleasantries with her whenever they bump into each other,
his big smile when he sees her, and him going out of his way to greet her even when riding
a jeepney.
Through these observations, she was then able to conclude that Ian does like her because,
she thought, why would anyone do something like that for a person he does not like?

As it turns out, however, Ian is just generally happy to meet people he knew. He had known
Lea since they were in first year and regards her as a generally okay person. It is no
surprise then that upon learning that Ian basically does this to everyone, Lea was crushed.
She vowed to herself that she would never assume again.

Based from above story, is it justified for Lea to think that Ian does not like her? Not quite.
The next criterion also warns us about the danger of this view.

2. FALSIFICATION THEORY
 As long as an ideology is not proven to be false and can best explain a phenomenon over
alternative theories, we should accept the said ideology.
 Allowed emergence of theories otherwise rejected by the verification theory.
 Encourages research in order to determine which among the theories can stand the test of
falsification.

Karl Popper – is the known proponent of this view. He was notorious for stating that up-
and-coming theories of the time, such as Karl Marx’s Theory of Social History and Sigmund
Freud’s Psychoanalysis, are not testable and thus not falsifiable, and subsequently
questioning their status as scientific.
 To illustrate, previous story is stated:
Ian is generally everybody’s friend. He likes to be around people and generally aspires to
become everybody’s friend. However, there is this one girl, Lea, who seemed to not like him
when he is around. Every time he waves at her, she turns away, and when they are in the
same room, she avoids his glances. Through this he concluded that Lea does not like him
and does his best to show her that he is not a threat. He began greeting her whenever they
pass by each other at the corridor, even going so far as calling her attention when he was in
the jeepney and saw her walking past. When they were able to talk to each other, he found
out that Lea is just really shy and is not accustomed to people greeting her. He then was
able to conclude that his initial impression of her not liking him (as a person) is wrong and
thus said proposition is rejected.

Although there is no happy ending yet for Lea and Ian, we can thus see how in this case,
falsification method is prone to the same generalizations committed by the verification
method. There is no known rule as to the number of instance that a theory is rejected or
falsified in order for it to be set aside. Similarly, there is no assurance that observable event
or “evidences” are indeed manifestations of a certain concept or “theories”. Thus even
though, theoretically, falsification method is more accepted, scientists are still not convinced
that it should be regarded as what makes a discipline scientific.

2.2 TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING

Objectives:
At the end of the 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.

INTRODUCTION
Comparing 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 different kinds of technologies. Mostly those who belong to
the older generation think that these technologies are too complicated to operate.

Common Era or Christian Era (CE) is a method used to identify a year. It means "a year in our
time" (rather than a year a very long time ago). It is the system for recording dates used almost
everywhere around the world today: it is in common use. CE is an alternative to the AD system
used by Christians but the numbers are the same: this year is 2020 CE or equally AD 2020 (but
usually we just say "this year is 2020").
AD is an abbreviation of Anno Domini, which means "Year of the Lord". People who are not
Christian may not be willing to accept that the Lord of another (or any) religion should be named
when a date is written. For this reason, another way to write a date was needed. When writing
about calendars, an era is span of dates, starting from a particular moment in time. In the case of
both CE and AD, that start date is approximately the date of the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. Neither
system uses a year zero (0): the year before 1 CE was 1 BCE.
Before Common Era (BCE) is the system for the years "Before the Common Era". BCE uses the
same numbering as BC (Before Christ). "CE" and "BCE" are placed after the year number. Thus
we write "Right now our year is 2020 CE" or "Artaxerxes III of Persia was born in 425 BCE." Usage
of Common Era notation began about 1615 among Christians in Europe, and has been growing
among non-Christians and among Christians who desire to be sensitive to non-Christians.

THE HUMAN CONDITION BEFORE COMMON ERA

Homo erectus discovered fire by chipping stones without realizing the laws of friction and heat.
They used fire for cooking. Homo sapiens began to sharpen stones used in hunting. This period
proved to be difficult for our ancestors. There are no written accounts except for cave drawings
and unearthed artifacts. Ancient people discovered minerals and began forging metal works. They
discover that these are more durable, malleable and have more luster than the previous materials.
Fur clothing and animal skins are used for comfort against harsh winds. There are several figures
that thought to be ceremonial to honor deity. The initial roster of primitive Gods includes objects
they encounter through their day-to-day lives that’s why they have different Gods. Primitive Gods
includes elephants and mammoths in their hunting ground. Mountain Gods to explain wind
currents and ask for provisions. Water Gods to ask for a good catch, and genetic Gods such as
the sun.

THE HUMAN CONDITION IN THE COMMON ERA

The earliest case of manmade extinction occurred over 12,000years ago brought by hunting and
territorial dispute. Driven by their primal needs to survive leads to extinction. 9,000 years ago,
Agriculture emerged that caused several species to lose competition in territory and food sources.
Formation of communities began that caused humans to expand in territories and more people to
feed. Due to battle of resources, war between tribes exist but sooner negotiations and less bloody
method – TRADE – takes place. Humanity became more complex and the primary goal was not
merely to survive, but to live the good life. Technology has been instrumental because in
searching for the good life, people were able to come up with creations that would make life
easier, more comfortable, and more enriching. The humans today are much better off compared to
humans several centuries ago. Advancement in medicine, technology, health, and education
ushered in humanity’s best yet, and show no sign of stopping. Below are some of the notable
comparisons then and now:
1. Mortality Rate – due to technology, lesser women and children die during birth, assuring
robust population and strong workforce.

2. Average Lifespan – science is able to prolong lives by enhancing living status and
discovering different remedies to most diseases.

3. Literacy Rate – access to education creates a more informed public that could determine a
more just society.

4. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) – higher country income is brought upon by high
productivity, often an indicator of presence of technology.

THE ESSENCE OF TECHNOLOGY

Humanities has indeed come a long way from our primitive ways, 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. In the advent of post
modernism, the deterministic view to technology crumbled as people began to question if anything
is deterministic at all. Some tried to redefine technology away from its purpose. Martin Heidegger
argued that its essence, or purpose, and being are different from each other. He expounded that
technology can either be a means to achieve man’s end, and that constitutes human activity. In
effect, a myriad of new questions begins to mount. Rather than thinking that humans have a clear
idea of what to expect in a good life, it can be stated that technology allows humans to confront
the unknown and see how they would react. In the name of growth, we see the world as a field of
resources. We begin to categorize nature as renewable and non-renewable. Humans are reduced
into the amount of productivity they are able to render during their lifetime, and our current mind-
set is geared toward which would utilize our own skills.

BACKTRACKING THE HUMAN CONDITION

All in all, the human condition improved, only if by improving we measure the level of comfort,
various scientific breakthroughs, and improved lifestyles of those who had the luxury to afford to
do so. Different machineries aid in prolonging lives. As to the initial aims, it appears that things
really did not much differ. Some places are still battling for their daily survival. People still wage
wars on the basis of races, beliefs, and abundance of resources and territory. A lot of people still
subscribe to religion in explaining things that they do not know while others have turned their
worships to reverence of science. Whether science or religion, people are still bent on trying to
make sense of the events happening in the world. They are still trying to discover and rediscover
things that would give meaning to their lives.

It seems that the human condition is nothing but a rehashed version of its former self. Nothing
much has changed since then. 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. We
might begin with considering other concepts, which corresponds to the Good, such as Aristotle’s
conception of human flourishing. A notable distinction on Aristotle’s idea is his subscription on
evaluative concepts called virtues and their role in achieving the good life.

2.3 THE GOOD LIFE

Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
 Examine what is meant by the good life;
 Identify how humans attempt to attain what is deemed to be a good life; and
 Recognize possibilities available to human being to attain the good life.

INTRODUCTION
Everyone is in pursuit of the good life. We do certain things because we want to achieve a
life which will make us happy and content. People’s definition of good life may vary and differ in
the particulars. In general, we recognize universal truths that cuts our differences.
In Ancient Greece, long before the word “science” has been coined, the need to understand
the world and reality was bound with the need to understand the self and the good life. 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. It was Aristotle who gave definitive distinction between the theoretical
and practical sciences. Theoretical disciplines – “truth” is the aim (logic, biology, physics among
others) Practical disciplines – “good” is the end goal (ethics and politics).

HAPPINESS AS THE GOAL OF A GOOD LIFE

Aristotle believes that all forms of imbalance won’t bring a person to the highest form of happiness
or “Eudaimonia” (eu=good, daimon=spirit) In order to achieve “Eudaimonia” one must religiously
apply moderation- or what he called as “Golden Mean”. Aristotle said that a virtue is a trait of
character manifested in habitual action. The word “habitual” here is important. The virtue of
honesty, for example, is not possessed by someone who tells the truth only occasionally or only
when it benefits her. The honest person is truthful as a matter of course; her actions “spring from a
firm and unchangeable character.” Vices are also traits of character manifested in habitual action.
The other part of the definition is evaluative: virtues are good, whereas vices are bad. A virtue is a
commendable trait of character manifested in habitual action.
Why Are the Virtues Important?
We said that virtues are traits of character that are good for people to have. This raises the question of why
the virtues are good. Why should a person be courageous, generous, honest, or loyal? The answer may
depend on the virtue in question. Courage is good because we need it to cope with danger. Generosity is
desirable because there will always be people who need help. Honesty is needed because without it
relations between people would go wrong in all sorts of ways. Loyalty is essential to friendship; friends
stand by one another even when others would turn away.

Other Philosophical Views on the Good Life

 Materialism - can refer either to the simple preoccupation with the material world, as opposed to
intellectual or spiritual concepts, or to the theory that physical matter is all there is. This theory is far
more than a simple focus on material possessions. It states that everything in the universe is matter,
without any true spiritual or intellectual existence. Materialism can also refer to a doctrine that
material success and progress are the highest values in life. This doctrine appears to be prevalent
in western society today. An example of materialism is explaining love in terms of material things.
Another example of materialism is valuing a new car over friendships.
 Hedonism/Epicureanism - This philosophical school was named after its founder Epicurus.
Epicureanism was grounded in the atomic theory of Democritus, but, in fact, Epicurus, like all post-
Alexandrian philosophers, does not seem to have been really interested in science but in finding out
about the good life. Like Aristotle, Epicurus believed that the goal of life was happiness, but
happiness he equated simply with pleasure Epicurus further explained that no act should be
undertaken except for the pleasure in which it results, and no act should be rejected except for the
pain that it produces. According to Epicurus, one of the obstacle in attaining happiness is the fear of
death. He also added that fear is increased by the religious belief that if you incur the wrath of the
gods, you will be severely punished in the afterlife. According to Epicurus, there are two kinds of
desires, hence, two kinds of pleasure as a result of gratifying those desires:
1. Natural desire=Natural Pleasure
A. Necessary (e.g., desire for food and sleep)
B. Unnecessary (e.g., desire for sex)
2. Vain/Temporary desire/pleasure (e.g., desire for decorative clothing or exotic food)
Natural necessary desires must be satisfied and are usually easy to satisfy. They result in
a good deal of pleasure and in very few painful consequences.
Vain desires do not need to be satisfied and are not easy to satisfy. Because there are no
natural limits to them, they tend to become obsessive and lead to very painful
consequences.
 Stoicism - Stoicism was another important Hellenistic philosophy that was transported to Rome.
Stoicism was founded in Greece by Zeno of Cyprus (334–262 B.C.E.), who used to preach to his
students from a Portico, or Stoa (hence the term “stoicism,” literally, “porchism”). Stoicism is a
school of Hellenistic philosophy that flourished throughout the Roman and Greek world until the 3rd
century AD. Stoicism is predominantly a philosophy of personal ethics which is informed by its
system of logic and its views on the natural world. According to its teachings, as social beings, the
path to happiness for humans is found in accepting that which we have been given in life, by not
allowing ourselves to be controlled by our desire for pleasure or our fear of pain, by using our minds
to understand the world around us and to do our part in nature's plan, and by working together and
treating others in a fair and just manner. Everyone is a part of the same common sense or “logos”.
There exists a universal rightness or the “Natural Law”. It teaches that nothing happens
accidentally, everything happens through necessity. In order to achieve happiness, one must have
self-control and accept his/her fate
 Theism - the view that all limited or finite things are dependent in some way on one supreme or
ultimate reality of which one may also speak in personal terms. Philosophical theism is the belief
that a deity exists (or must exist) independent of the teaching or revelation of any particular religion.
It represents belief in a personal God entirely without doctrine. Union of soul with the Supreme
Being is the ultimate source of happiness.
Examples:
 Buddhism = Nirvana
Catholics = Salvation and Eternal life
Hinduism = Dharma and Moksha

 Humanism - Humanism is a philosophical and ethical stance that emphasizes the value and
agency of human beings, individually and collectively, and generally prefers critical thinking and
evidence (rationalism and empiricism) over acceptance of dogma or superstition. Generally,
however, humanism refers to a perspective that affirms some notion of human freedom and
progress. It views humans as solely responsible for the promotion and development of individuals
and emphasizes a concern for man in relation to the world. Humanism is a democratic and ethical
life stance, which affirms that human beings have the right and responsibility to give meaning and
shape to their own lives. It stands for the building of a more humane society through an ethic based
on human and other natural values in the spirit of reason and free inquiry through human
capabilities. There are no supernatural beings. The material universe is the only thing that exists.
Science provides the only reliable source of knowledge about this universe. We only live this life -
there is no after-life, and no such thing as reincarnation. Human beings can live ethical and fulfilling
lives without religious beliefs. Human beings derive their moral code from the lessons of history,
personal experience, and thought.

Journal Entry No. 6

THINK ABOUT THIS QUESTION

Write a 3-stanza poem (with 4lines each stanza) about the following
question.
What would have happened to humankind if technology did not exist?

Note: This shall be posted at the Edmodo app as an assignment. Turn in your work there.

PERFORMANCE OUTPUT
Role-playing. Try to imagine the world without technology. How do you think your day-to-day life
would be like? Do this by illustrating a minimum of 1-minute video scenario where a certain
technological innovation does not exist. Below are some examples you could use:
a. Watch
b. Phone
c. Light bulbs
d. Cars
e. Printing press
f. Electricity
Once done, post your output in our Facebook page with the following descriptions:
Title: MY WORLD WITHOUT TECHNOLOGY
Created by: [Your name and your Course]
Deadline of submission will be on November 30, 2020 until 5:00 pm only.