STAS MIDTERMS ❖ His best-known work is

HUMAN FLOURISHING IN Being and Time (1927). He gave

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY a very impressive analysis of
human existence, the
PHILOSOPHY- The study of prominence of the important
general and fundamental themes of existentialism like
problems concerning matters care, anxiety, guilt and above
such as existence, knowledge, all death is brought out here.
values, reason, mind and
language. ❖ He begins “The Question
Concerning Technology” by
Branches of Philosophy examining the relationship
1.Natural Philosophy between human and
technology, a relationship
Study of nature and physical
Heidegger calls a free
universe
relationship. If this relationship is
2. Moral Philosophy free, it opens our human
existence to the essence of
Morally right and wrong
technology”. This essence of
3. Metaphysical philosophy technology, however, has
Study of existence and the nothing to do with technology.
nature of the things that Rather, as Heidegger
exist suggests, ‘The essence of a
thing is considered to be what
MARTIN HEIDEGGER (1889- the thing is.”
1976)
❖ Heidegger examines two
❖ German philosopher whose definitions of technology.
work is associated with Firstly, he offers that
phenomology and “Technology is a means to an
existentialism. end”(Instrumental definition).
❖ His ideas have exerted Secondly, he proposes that
influence on the development “Technology is a human activity
of contemporary European (Anthropological definition).
philosophy.
The Question Concerning • 5.He discusses the relation of
Technology modern science to the essence of
technology
• 1. Heidegger begins by
portraying his investigation of • He claims for the sciences the
technology as the building of a aggressive approach to nature
path. that goes well with technology,
but poorly with science.
• 2. He examines the common
understanding of technology as a • 6. The enframing of technology
neutral instrument under the is destiny.
control of humans. • Destiny is neither an inevitable
fate that descends on humanity
• He proposes to get to the true
nor the result of human willing.
sense via the correct sense
• Disclosure of destiny and
• 3. He analyses the notion of
human freedom are one and the
instrumentality to reach the truth
same.
or the essence of technology- it
is traced to causality. • 7. There is a twofold danger to
destiny.
• 4. Technology is a very
particular kind of revealing to, • One is the danger that human
and the description articulates being reduces itself to standing
the key terms of Heidegger’s reserve and in so appearing to
philosophy of technology: have taken total control
Modern technology encounters nothing any more.
challenges-forth nature to yield
• The other is the danger that
treasures to humans; technology
the disclosure of the enframing
sets-upon (positions and orders)
forecloses every other
the yields of nature so that they
dispensation and conceals that
are available and of humans,
too is a disclosure.
becoming part of the standing
reserve. • 8. Still the enframing is a
disclosure. It involves human
being, therefore harbors the
possibility of saving power.
Doctrine of causality The revealing always
happens on our own terms as
1. Causa materialis- the
everything is on demand.
material, the matter out of
which an object is made. He also described modern
technology as the age of
2. Causa formalis-the form, the
switches, standing reserve
shape into which the material
and stockpiling for its own
enters.
sake.
3. Causa efficiens- the people
Example:
who made it
1. Volcanic eruption- challenging
4. Causa finalis- the purpose or
forth
primay use
2. Coral bleaching-challenging
Bringing Forth- making
forth
something
3. Planting trees- bringing forth
The bringing forth-poesis-
which underlies causality is a 4. Mining- challenging forth
bringing out of concealment.
5. Farming- bringing forth
The revealing is what the
Questioning as the Piety of
Greeks call truth-Aletheia-
Thought
means unhiddedness or
disclosure. ➢ Piety means obedience and
submission.
Technology brings forth as
well , and it is a revealing. ➢ One builds a way towards
This is seen in the way the knowing the truth who he/ she is
Greeks understood techne, as a being in this world.
which encompasses not only ➢ Thus we shall never
craft, but other acts of the experience our relationship
mind and poetry. to the essence of technology
Heidegger characterizes so long as we merely represent
modern technology as a and pursue the technological, put
challenging forth- very up with it, or evade it.
aggressive in its activity. Everywhere we remain unfree
and chained to technology,
With modern technology, whether we passionately affirm
revealing never comes to an end. or deny it.
But we are delivered over to it in TERMINOLOGIES:
the worst possible way when we
Aletheia means unhiddenness
regard it as something neutral;
or disclosure
for this conception of it, to which
today we particularly like to pay Poesis is defined as bringing
homage, makes us utterly blind forth.
to the essence of technology Techne is the root of
(1977,p1) technology
➢ ENFRAMING: WAY OF Piety is associated with being
REVEALING IN MODERN religious.
TECHNOLOGY
Calculative thinking
➢ One orders and puts a
system to nature so it can be
understood better and controlled
Meditative thinking
➢ One lets nature reveal itself
to him/ her without forcing
it.
1. Technology as a Mode of
Revealing
2. Technology as Poesis:
Applicable to Modern Technology
3. Questioning as the Piety of
Thought
4. Enframing: A way of Revealing
in Modern Technology
5. Human Person Swallowed by
Technology
6. Art as a Way out of Enframing
HUMAN FLOURISHING Eudamonia means good spirit
is a property of one’s life
Human flourishing is defined as
when considered as a whole. It is
an endeavor to achieve
formally egoistic in that a
self-actualization and fulfillment
person’s normative reason for
within the context of a larger
choosing particular actions stems
community of individuals. This
from the idea that he must
also means access to the
pursue his own good or
pleasant life, the engaged or
flourishing. It also implies a
good life and the meaningful life.
divine state of being that
(Seligman, Steen, Park and
humanity is able to strive toward
Peterson, 2005), stated that
and possibly reach.
human flourishing requires the
development of attributes and Happiness is “doing well” and”
social and personal levels that living well”. It is a pleasant state
exhibit character strengths and of mind.
virtues that are commonly
Verbally there is a very general
agreed across different cultures.
agreement; for both the general
According to Aristotle, there is run of men and people of
an end of all the actions that we superior refinement say that
perform which we desire for is ( Eudaimonia), and identify
itself. living well and faring well with
being happy; but with regard to
Flourishing is the greatest good
what ( Eudaimonia) is they differ,
of human endeavors and that
and the many do not give the
toward which all actions aim. The
same account as the wise...
good is what is good for
purposeful and goal-directed (Nicomachean Ethics 1095a17).
entities. He presented the
Epicurus identifies that the
various popular conceptions
eudaimon life is the life of
of the best life for human beings;
pleasure maintains that life of
(1) a philosophical life, (2).life of
pleasure coincides with the life of
pleasure and (3) a life of political
virtue. He understands
activity.
Eudaimonia as a more or less
continuous experience of
pleasure and, also freedom from
pain and distress.
Virtue is only instrumentally
related to happiness.
Socrates believed that virtues
such as self-control, justice,
courage, wisdom, piety and
related qualities of mind and soul
are absolutely crucial if a person
is to lead a good and happy life.
Virtues guarantee a happy life
Eudaimonia
For Plato, Eudaimonia depends
on virtue (arête) which is
depicted as the most crucial and
the dominant constituent of
euddaimonia.
Pyrrho, founder of
Pyrrhonism, a school of
philosophical skepticism that
places the attainment of ataraxia
(a state of equanimity) as a way
to achieve Eudaimonia.
Pyrrhonist practice is for the
purpose of achieving epoch.
TERMINOLOGIES
Dasein” which literally means
“being there” focuses on the
“mode of existence”
Eudemonia is consists of
Greek words “eu” which means
“good” and “daemon” which
means “spirit”.
GOOD LIFE THE HAPPINESS PURSUIT
What is the good life? • Everybody wants more
happiness and success.
• People have different ideas of
what constitutes the good life. • It’s good to know how to
optimize happiness and success.
• Wrong pursuits may lead to
tragic consequences. • There is a wide agreement that
happiness is the greatest human
• Correct pursuits may lead to
good.
flourishing.
RISK FACTORS
ARISTOTLE (NICOMACHEAN
ETHICS 2:2) • The happiness pursuit becomes
one’s ultimate purpose in
All human activities aim at
life.
some good. Every art and
human inquiry, and similarly • The happiness pursuit is not
every action and pursuit, is guided by a philosophy of life
thought to aim at some good; informed by general principles of
and for this reason the good has meaning, spirituality and virtue.
been rightly declared as that at
Golden Rule
which all things aim.
• Confucius: What you do not
Nicomachean Ethics and Modern
want done to yourself, do not do
Concepts
to others.
Eudaimonia- Eu-good, daimon-
• Aristotle: We should behave
spirit= good life
to others as we wish others to
Good life- happiness and virtue behave to us.
Virtue- intellectual and moral • Buddhism: Hurt not others
with that which pains thyself.
The 4 Pillar of the Good life
• Christianity: D unto others as
• Health, wealth, love and
you would have them do unto
happiness
you.
➢ They make personal The Holistic Approach
happiness and success their good people, good community
ultimate end of life without moral and world peace= good life
compass and without the desire
to pursue inner goodness. MATERIALISM

Disillusion- King Solomon A form of philosophical monism

realized the vanity of success which holds that matter is the
long, long ago: The world will fundamental substance in nature,
never be enough: “The eye is and that all things, including
not satisfied with seeing, nor mental aspects and
the ear filled with hearing”( consciousness are results of
Eccl.1:8) material interactions.

➢ It takes more and more to The first materialists were

reach the same level of the atomists in Ancient Greece.
happiness- addiction, money etc. Democritus and Leucippus
led a school whose primary
➢ Nothing in this world can fill
belief is that the world is made
the spiritual vacuum within us.
up of and is controlled by the
➢ Dreams are often broken tiny invisible units in the world
when reality strikes. called atomos or seeds.
FATE AND CIRCUMSTANCE Atomos simply comes
together randomly to form the
➢ Bad things happen to good
things in the world.
people
Classification of Materialism
➢ Reversal of fortune
1. Naïve materialism
➢ For some people, most
days are bad days. ( poverty) 2. Dialectical materialism

Living an authentic life means 3. Metaphysical materialism

living with deep acceptance on
the facticity of death resulting to
a life lived - Heidegger
The unexamined life is not worth
living for - Socrates
Hedonism THEISM
Is a school of thought that • The belief in the existence of
argues that the pursuit of the Supreme Being or Deities
pleasure and intrinsic goods are
• Describes the classical
the primary or most important
conception of God.
goals of human life.
• The ultimate basis of happiness
➢ A hedonist strives to maximize is the communication with God
net pleasure (pleasure minus
pain) but when having finally • Monotheism- Christianity,
gained that pleasure, happiness Judaism, Islam, Sikhism,
remains stationary. Zoroastrianism

➢ “Eat, drink and be merry for Humanism

tomorrow we die.” • A school of thought espouses
Stoicism the freedom of man to carve his
own destiny and to legislate his
▪ Another school of thought led own laws, free from the shackles
by Epicurus. of a God that monitors and
▪ The stoics espoused the idea controls.
that to generate happiness, one • Is a philosophical and ethical
must learn to distance oneself stance that emphasizes the value
and be apathetic. and agency of human beings,
▪ The path to happiness for individually and collectively.
humans is found in accepting this • Refers to nontheistic life stance
moment as it presents itself, by centered on human agency and
not allowing ourselves to be looking to science rather than
controlled by our desire for revelation from a supernatural
pleasure, or our fear of pain. source to understand the world.
The Good Life is a Balance Life
✓ A single-minded pursuit is not
always beneficial.
✓ Active engagement needs to
be balanced by rest.
✓ Exclusive love needs to be
balanced by greater love.
✓ Achievement needs to be
balanced by acceptance.
✓ Self-transcendence needs to
be balanced by fair treatment.
No one can deny the fact that
science and technology have a
profound impact on how modern
man thinks and appreciates
matter. It can be concretely seen
in the present conditions of man
in the society. The desire to feel
satisfaction of research and
development through genetic
engineering, cloning and the likes
opened endless doors for
skeptics.
TERMINOLOGIES
Virtue is the excellence of
character that empowers one to
do good and be good.
Happiness defines a good life.
Eudamonia refers to good spirit
When Humanity and Technology Indeed, the robot age has
Cross arrived. The possibility of robots
may bring to most minds the
The idea that new technologies
possibility of androids like T-800
can liberate us from the human
in the movie “Terminator”. The
condition is a fantasy. In reality,
vast majority of us are not able
the 21st-cenntury will be all too
to understand that a lot of robots
human.
exist in the most basic forms
David Mattin today; they are not so much
Humanity android but rather more like
industrial tools or equipment.
➢ A virtue associated with basic This implies the world would be
ethics of altruism derived from prepared for more smart
human condition (wikipedia). intelligence to be utilized in day-
➢ According to Confucius, to-day applications (Singh).
humanity is a” love of people”, if The Impact of Technology on
you want to make a stand, help Human Health
others make a stand.
Technology has crept into every
Human Robot Interaction corner of our lives, form
obsessive texting to checking
Today, in the era of present
emails more often. Most of us
technology, robotics has
absorb three times more
become a big part of our
information everyday
collective lives. Robots are
compared with 50 years ago.
utilized for their knowledge,
exactness and interminable According to University of
vitality to perform assignments California researchers, we
consistently and profitably, that spend 12 hours in front of TV
when performed by people tends and computers at home.
to create flaws. For instance, AI Multitasking participants had
robots have already started more difficulty filtering out
an enormous job in irrelevant information than those
improving waste focusing on one task at a time.
administration and finding Teens, however, are emotionally
distinctive approaches to handle more vulnerable to the effects of
the waste issue endured by most rampant texting and online
developing nations like India. sharing.
According to a 2010 Nielsin Additionally, an all-out nuclear
survey, we send and receive text war between Russia and the
messages 3, 339 times a month United States might be an
(Deodhar). example of a global catastrophe
that would be unlikely to result in
The Future of Humanity (Nick
extinction.
Bostrom, 2009)
Recurrent Collapse
Extinction
This means that the human
An estimated 99% of all
condition will reach a kind of
species that ever existed on
statis, either instantly or after
earth are already extinct (Raup,
undergoing one or more cycles of
1991). There are different ways
collapse regeneration. Human
in which human species could
civilization may endure
become extinct: Primarily, by
catastrophes that prevent it from
transforming or evolving into one
moving beyond a certain level of
or more species or by merely
advancement. It also requires a
dying out without any
carefully calibrated homeostatic
replacement or continuation. Our
mechanism that possesses the
species has survived earthquake,
level of civilization restricted
volcanic eruption, typhoons and
within a relatively narrow
other natural phenomena for
interval.
tens of thousands of years.
Nowadays, one of the utmost Plateau
extinction risks arise from human
Human civilization may reach a
activity. For instance, Advances
level of technological
in biotechnology might make it
advancement beyond which no
possible to design new viruses
further advancement is feasible.
that combine the easy contagion
Predictions that life span can be
and mutability of the influenza
greatly increased have depended
virus. A dreadful pandemic with
in part on the apparent
high virulence and 100%
decelerations and plateaus.
mortality rate among infected
individuals could possibly will
terminate human species.
Post humanity 10. Brain Mapping and Brain
People have developed TERMINOLOGIES
significantly different cognitive
HUMANITY
abilities, population sizes, body
types, sensory or emotional From the latin word
experiences or life expectancies. “humanitas” which means
Post humanity has established “human nature, kindness.”
itself as a label for a form of the human race, which
human existence radically includes everybody on earth.
transformed by the most
advanced medical techniques It’s also a word for the
and by the use of biotechnology qualities that make us human,
and nanotechnology for human such as that ability to love and
enhancement. have compassion, be creative
and not be a robot or alien.
Technology Trends (Jayshree
Pandya) "Soft war" is a concept used to
explain rights and duties of is
1. Biological Engineering and Bio- urgent even terrorists during
Economy armed Struggle
2. Molecular Manufacturing and
Self-replicating Systems
3. Distributed Additive
Manufacturing
4. Artificial Intelligence Driven
Automation
5. Neuromorphic Computing and
Computing Beyond Turing Limit
6. Quantum Computing and
Control
7. Nanosatellites and Space
Exploration
8. Internet to BrainNet
9. Stem Cells and Regenerative
Medicine
Why does the future not need • However, many shared
us? deep worries and
trepidation about the
• Technology is changing our
danger brought by rapid
world at an overwhelming
technological change.
pace. Most people are
• It is of course true that no
deeply involved with
one can predict the future.
technology. They tend to
The key variable in
be ever optimistic about its
understanding the future is
prospects and persistently
rarely technology alone,
eager to adopt and
but how humans use
promote it.
it,perceive it, and adapt to
• Many focused their
it.
optimistic remarks on
• C.S.Lewis argued that
health care, food, energy,
humanity, so –called power
environment, education,
over nature “turns out to
economy and agriculture.
be a power exercised by
In the span of a few short
some men over other men
years, social media, mobile
with Nature as its
devices and internethave
instrument’.
transformed how we
• He feared that modernism
communicate and get
and its ability to explain
information about the
away everything but
world.
“nature “would leave us
• Rapid advances in science
emptied of humanity. All
and technology foreshadow
that would be left is our
a world that can displace
animal instincts. The choice
some forms of human
we have to see humanity
labor. In addition, nearly
as a complex combination
everyone expressed
of both material and
concerns about the long-
spiritual components or
term impact of new tools
else to be reduced to
and techniques on the
machines made of meat
essential elements of being
ruled by other machines
human.
with nothing other than
natural impulses to guide
them.
• He also warned us of a • Jacques Ellul warns that as
society that has explained technological capabilities
away every mystery, and grow, they results in
the danger of what he calls countless means to
“man-molders which will be accomplish tasks than ever
armed with the powers of before. The more
an Omni-competent state dependent we become on
and irresistible scientific technology, the more it
technique. conforms our behavior to
• According to Francis its requirements rather
Fukuyama, there are than vice versa.
three possible scenarios for • William Gibson, who coined
the near future. the term “cyberspace”, has
• First, the genetically said the ‘the future is
enhanced intelligence or here”- it’s just not evenly
the prospect of living distributed”. Some of the
longer lives free from important changes in the
genetic disease. future will come not from a
• Next, advance in stem cell new technology, but from a
research might soon allow large number of people
us to regenerate any tissue having access to something
in the body. that already exists
• Lastly, the widespread use (Scharre, 2017).
of psychotropic drugs like
21st Century Technologies
Prozac and Ritalin that can
make everyone happy 1. Genetic engineering- is the
without the side effects of process by which an
the drugs. organisms’ genetic material
is altered or manipulated so
that the organism will have
specific characteristics.
It has been applied in numerous
fields including research,
medicine, industrial
biotechnology and agriculture.
It can be used in Cloning, Teleoperated Robots
Genetically Modified Organisms
(mechanical bots controlled
(GMOs), Gene therapy.
by humans),
2. Robotics
Augmenting Robots
Is an interdisciplinary
(either enhance current
research area at the interface
human capabilities or replace
of computer science and
the capabilities a human may
engineering. It involves the
have lost),
conception, design,
manufacture and operation Applications:
of robots. (Wikipedia). military robots
Characteristics of Robots: Robots (to search, rescue and attack),
all consist of some sort of
mechanical construction, industrial robots
Robots need electrical (IBM keyboard manufacturing
components that control and factory in Texas), c
power the machinery.
collaborative robots or cobots,
Types of Robots:
(intended for direct human robot
Pre-Programmed Robots interaction within shared space),
(operate in a controlled construction robots
environment where they do
simple, monotonous tasks), (robotic arm and robotic
exoskeleton),
Humanoid robots
agricultural robots
(robots that look like and/ or
mimic human behavior- (closely linked to the concept of
Sophia), AI-assistedprecision agriculture
and drone usage),
Autonomous Robots
medical robots
(operate independently of
human operators, (da Vinci Surgical System and
Hospi),
kitchen automation Alan Turing established the
fundamental goal and vision
( Rotimatic, flatbreads baking,
of artificial intelligence. It is
Frobot, frozen yogurts),
the attempt ro replicate or
Robot combat for sport, domestic simulate human intelligence in
robots machines.
( Roomba vacuums the carpets), Norvig and Russell defined
nanobots Artificial Intelligence in four
approaches:
(Kinesin uses protein domain
dynamics in nanoscales to walk Thinking rationally
along a microtubule) Thinking humanly
Swarm robotics Acting rationally
(disaster rescue missions, target Acting humanly.
localization and tracking,
It is being used in health care,
simultaneous localization and
energy development, finance,
mapping, cooperative
transportation, aviation and
environment monitoring and
telecommunications.
convoy protection).
It includes autonomous vehicles
3. Nanotechnology- is the study
such as drones and self-driving
and manipulation of atomic
cars, playing games such as
or molecular scale to improve
chess or Go, search engines such
or even revolutionize many
as Google search, online
technology and industry sectors.
assistants such as
4. Artificial Intelligence
Siri, image recognition in
Refers to “machines” that photographs, predicting flight
respond to stimulation delays and medical diagnosis.
consistent with traditional
responds from human, given
the capacity for contemplation,
judgement and intention.
Methods and Goals in AI: The List of Emerging Technologies
symbolic ( or top-down) that will shape our Future
approach-seeks to replicate
1. Electric/ self-driving cars
intelligence by analyzing
cognition independent of the 2. Robot butlers
biological structure of the brain 3. Flying cars
in terms of the processing of
symbolic label. and the 4. Space tourism
connectionist ( bottom-up) 5. Colonization of other planets
approach- involves creating
artificial neural networks in 6. Wearable screens
imitation of the brain’s structure. 7. 3D printed Food and Metal
Potential Risks to Society 8. 5G-6G connectivity
➢ Devaluation of humanity 9. Re-engineering and Recycling
➢ Decrease in demand of 10. High-rise farms
human labor 11. Lab-grown meats
➢ High costs of creation 12. Robot soldiers
➢ Ethical issues 13. Roads over rivers and seas
➢ Social isolation 14. Holography
➢ Environmental Problems 15. Body implants prosthesis
Post-humanity is a theory/
concept that is of an advance
level of technological or
economic development that
would involve a radical
change in the human
condition, whether the change
was brought by biological
enhancement or other cause.
TERMINOLOGIES
GNR- Genetics ,Nanotechnology
and Robotics
KMD- knowledge and enabled
mass destruction
WMD- Weapon of Mass
Destruction
NBC- Nuclear, Biological and
Chemical