CHAPTER 4:

HUMAN FLOURISHING AND

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
 o p i c s 1. Human Flourishing in
T Science and Technology
2. Technology as a Mode
of Revealing
3. Technology as Poiesis:
Applicable to Modern
Technology?
 Flourishing
a state where people
experience positive emotions,
positive psychological
functioning, and positive social
functioning, most of the time,"
living "within an optimal range of
What does it mean to human functioning.
flourish?
 Consists of:

Positive Mind. Positive Vibes. Positive Life.

 an effort to achieve self-
actualization and fulfillment within
HUMAN
the context of a larger community FLOURISHING
of individuals, each with the right to
pursue his or her own such efforts.
Two
definitions: involves the rational use of one's individual human
potentialities, including talents, abilities, and virtues
in the pursuit of his freely and rationally chosen
values and goals.
 Human Civilizations and the Development of Science and
Technology

Specifically:
1 BEARER –
Human person as A PERSON OR THING
THAT CARRIES OR
both the bearer and
HOLDS SOMETHING.
beneficiary of 2 BENEFICIARY-
science and HUMAN FLOURISHES
AND FINDS MEANING IN
technology THE WORLD THAT
HE/SHE BUILDS
“Human may unconsciously acquire, consume or destroy what the world has
to offer.”
 must be treated
as part of
SCIENCE
human life that
AND needs reflective
must be examined
and meditative
TECHNOLOGY thinking.
for their greater
impact on
humanity as a
whole
 a German
philosopher and a
TECHNOLOGY AS A MODE OF
seminal thinker in REVEALING
the Continental Revealing is his
tradition of translation of the Greek
philosophy. word alètheuein, which
means ‘to discover’ – to
uncover what was
widely covered over.
acknowledged to
be one of the MARTIN Related to this verb is
most original and
important
philosophers of
HEIDEGGER the independent noun
alètheia, which
usually translated as
is

the 20th century. “truth,” though

Heidegger insists that a
more adequate
translation would be
believes that it’s a way of “un- concealment.”
living life that means being
true to yourself, your
values and beliefs, and
your sense of self-worth.
 technological objects are
is “a means to means for ends, and are
an end” or “a built and operated by human
human HEIDEGGER’S VIEW beings, but the essence of
technology is something else
activity.” ON TECHNOLOGY entirely
“instrumental” and strongly points out
opposes that itself a tree, he
“anthropological” that points out, so the
definitions technology
essence of
technology is not
anything
calls these 2 since the technological.
indeed“correct”, but approaches: essence of a
do not go deep tree is not.. Technology,
enough; as he says, according to
they are not yet Heidegger must
“true.” What, then, is be understood
technology, if it as “a way of
further is neither a revealing”
reports that means to an end
nor a human
activity?
 HEIDEGGER’S VIEW ON
TECHNOLOGY

according to Heidegger, it is not given the same

way in all times and all cultures (Seubold 1986).
 WHAT IS
not something absolute that human beings can
ever know once and for all REALITY
is relative in the most literal sense of the word –
it exists only in relations. 
?
inaccessible for human beings. As soon as we
perceive or try to understand it, it is not ‘in
itself’ anymore, but ‘reality for us
HEIDEGGER’S VIEW ON
THE BEST IDEAS
TECHNOLOGY
everything we perceive or think of or interact with “emerges out
1. What does this of concealment into unconcealment,Great idea!
have to do with
by entering into a particular relation with reality, reality is
technology?
‘revealed’ in a specific way.
technology is the way of revealing that characterizes our time.
2. What does
Heidegger mean when technology embodies a specific way of revealing the world, a
he says that revealing in which humans take power over reality.
technology is “a way while the ancient Greeks experienced the ‘making’ of something
of revealing”? as ‘helping something to come into being’ – as
Heidegger explains that modern technology is rather a ‘forcing
into being’.!
 OL O GY NOT RATHER, OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD - OUR
Y IS TEC HN
WH ?
UNDERSTANDING OF ‘BEING’, OF WHAT IT MEANS ‘TO BE’ -
N AC TIV ITY
A HUM A DEVELOPS THROUG THE AGES. IN OUR TIME ‘BEING’ HAS THE

is CHARACTER OF A TECHNOLOGICAL ‘FRAMEWORK’, FROM WHICH

d e g g e r , t h e r e
g t o H e i
Accordin g w it h th e m o d e rn , HUMANS APPROACH THE WORLD IN A CONTROLLING AND
e t h in g w r o n t o d a y
s o m u r e w e liv e in DOMINATING WAY.
n o l o gic a l c u lt c a n
tec h o lo gy ’ re a lit y EVERY ATTEMPT TO CLIMB OUT OF TECHNOLOGY THROWS US
‘ ag e o f t e c h n (a s a
In o u r r a w m a t e ri al
p re s e n t a s a BACK IN. THE ONLY WAY OUT FOR HEIDEGGER IS “THE WILL NOT TO
only b e
re se r v e ’) . WILL”.
‘standing WE NEED TO OPEN UP THE POSSIBILITY OF RELYING ON
f a f f a ir s h a s TECHNOLOGIES WHILE NOT BECOMING ENSLAVED TO THEM AND
T h is s t a t e o y hu m a n s;
u g h t a b o u t b
no t b ee n b r o v e a l in g w as SEEING THEM AS MANIFESTATIONS OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF
c a l w a y o f r e
t e c h n o lo g i BEING.
the u m a ns
b y h
not chosen
 TECHNOLOGY AS POIESIS:
APPLICABLE TO MODERN TECHNOLOGY

Does the idea that technology is

poiesis apply to modern technology?

POIESIS IS A TERM DERIVED FROM ANCIENT GREEK PHILOSOPHY, WHICH REFERS TO THE
PROCESS OF BRINGING SOMETHING INTO EXISTENCE, CREATION, OR PRODUCTION
THROUGH IMAGINATIVE, ARTISTIC, OR INTELLECTUAL EFFORTS.
 OD ER N CHALLENGING SINCE IT IS VERY AGGRESSIVE IN
M
OG Y T O ACTIVITY.
CH N O L
TE
MAR T IN A MODE OF REVEALING – NEVER COMES TO AN END
AND HAPPENS ON OUR OWN TIME.
EG G E R:
HE ID
CHALLENGES NATURE AND DEMANDS RESOURCES
FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND STORAGE.

THE AGE OF SWITCHES, STANDING RESERVE

AND STOCKPILING FOR ITS OWN SAKE
 MODERN TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES NATURE AND DEMANDS
OG Y A S OF ITS RESOURCES THAT ARE MOST OF THE TIME, FORCIBLY
H N O L
TEC :
EXTRACTED FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION AND STORAGE. IT
S IS
POIE BRINGS ABOUT A “SETTING UPON” OF THE LAND – MINING

B L E T O IS AN EXAMPLE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY THAT

P L IC A
AP CHALLENGES FORTH AND BRINGS ABOUT THE SETTING UPON

OD E R N OF LAND.
M
O LO G Y IT BRINGS ABOUT A “SETTING UPON” OF THE LAND –
TE C H N MINING IS AN EXAMPLE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY THAT
CHALLENGES FORTH AND BRINGS ABOUT THE SETTING
UPON OF LAND.
 IT EXTRACTS MINERALS FROM THE EARTH AND FORCEFULLY

OG Y A S ASSIGNS THE LAND AS A MEANS TO FULFIL THE NEVER-ENDING

H N O L
TEC
DEMANDS OF PEOPLE.

S IS :
POIE
THE REVEALING ALWAYS HAPPENS ON OUR OWN TERMS AS

B L E T O EVERYTHING IS ON DEMAND. INFORMATION AT OUR FINGERTIPS,

P L IC A FOOD HARVESTED EVEN OUT OF SEASON, GRAVITY DEFIED TO FLY

AP
OD E R N OFF TO SPACE.
M WE NO LONGER NEED TO WORK WITH THE RHYTHMS OF NATURE
O LO G Y
TE C H N BECAUSE WE HAVE LEARNED TO CONTROL IT.

WE ORDER NATURE, AND EXTRACT, PROCESS, MAKE READY FOR

CONSUMPTION, AND STORE WHAT WE HAVE FORCE IT TO REVEAL.
 Q U E S T I O N I N G A S T H E
PIETY OF T H O U G H T
PIETY:
the quality of being religious FOR HEIDEGGER:
or reverent.
piety means obedience and
submission. In addressing what THIS KIND OF QUESTIONING:
synonyms: devoutness,
technology has brought forth,
piousness, religiousness, one cannot help but be leads one to search for his/her place
holiness, godliness, submissive to his/her in the universe and in the grand scale
sanctity, saintliness, thoughts and reflections of things.
devotion to God, veneration, elicit.
reverence, faith, religious
duty, spirituality,
sacredness, pietism.
ENFRAMING: WAY OF REVEALING
IN MODERN TECHNOLOGY
 RAMING IT IS AS IF NATURE IS PUT IN A BOX OR IN A FRAME SO
ENF THAT IT CAN BE BETTER UNDERSTOOD AND
hu m a n CONTROLLED ACCORDING TO PEOPLE’S DESIRES.
e n t a ti o n POIESIS IS CONCEALED IN ENFRAMING AS NATURE IS
or i
to w a r d VIEWED AS AN ORDERABLE AND CALCULABLE

lo g y , o r SYSTEM OF INFORMATION.
tec hn o
w a y o f HEIDEGGER DISTINGUISHED BETWEEN CALCULATIVE
th e THINKING AND MEDITATIVE THINKING.
e a lin g in
re v CALCULATIVE THINKING – ONE ORDERS AND PUTS A
mo d er n SYSTEM TO NATURE SO IT CAN BE UNDERSTOOD
n o lo g y.
tec h BETTER AND CONTROLLED.
 RAMING
ENF MEDITATIVE THINKING – ONE LETS NATURE REVEAL
ITSELF TO HIM/HER WITHOUT FORCING IT.
hu m a n
e n t a ti o n
or i
to w a r d ENFRAMING IS DONE BECAUSE PEOPLE WANT

lo g y , o r SECURITY, EVEN IF THE ORDERING THAT HAPPENS IN

tec hn o ENFRAMING IS VIOLENT AND EVEN IF THE EARTH IS
w a y o f
th e MADE AS A BIG GASOLINE STATION FROM WHICH WE
e a lin g in
re v EXTRACT, STOCKPILE, AND PUT IN STANDING

mo d er n RESERVE, READY TO BE USED AS WE SEE FIT.

n o lo g y.
tec h
 HUMAN PERSON SWALLOWED BY TECHNOLOGY
Action 1 Action 2 Action 3
-If we allow ourselves to get swallowed
by modern technology, we lose the -If we cannot let go of the conveniences and
essence of who we are as beings in this profits brought about by processes and The essence of technology is not
world.
industries that pollute the found in the instrumentality and
environment and cause climate change, then function of machines
technology has consumed our humanity.
-If we are constantly plugged online and
constructed, but in the
no longer have the capacity for -“But where danger is, grows the saving power significance such technology
authentic personal encounters, then we also.” (poet Holderlin), the saving power lies in unfolds (Heidegger, 1977).
the essence of
are truly swallowed by technology.
technology as technology.
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Art as a Way Out
of Heidegger proposes art as a way out of
Enframing this enframing. With art, we are better
able to see the poetic in nature in
reality.

It leads us away from calculative

thinking towards meditative thinking.

Through meditative thinking, we will

recognize that nature is art par excellence
Art as a Way Out
of Though enframing happens, it cannot completely snuff
Enframing out the poetic character of technology.

We pounder technology and question it.

In doing so, we also become aware of the crisis we have

plunged the Earth into.

The danger is made present and more palpable

through our art and poetry.
 ART AS A W A Y O U T O F
E N F R A M I N G
1. THOUGH ENFRAMING HAPPENS, IT CANNOT COMPLETELY SNUFF OUT THE POETIC
CHARACTER OF TECHNOLOGY.
2. WE POUNDER TECHNOLOGY AND QUESTION IT.
3. IN DOING SO, WE ALSO BECOME AWARE OF THE CRISIS WE HAVE PLUNGED THE
EARTH INTO.
4. THE DANGER IS MADE PRESENT AND MORE PALPABLE THROUGH OUR ART AND
POETRY.
 THANK
YOU!
BSIT- 1A