Module 2- SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY AND HUMAN CONDITION

Introduction: This module will introduce you to a number of relevant and timely
philosophical foundations that will aid in examining the functions, roles, and impacts of
science and technology on society. The module is divided into sections. These sections
aim to provide you with cogent and comprehensive knowledge on the concept of
human flourishing in the face of rapid scientific progress and technological
development.

Module Learning Outcomes:

In this module, you should be able to:
1. analyze the concept of human flourishing in the face of rapid scientific progress
and technological development;
2. explain the importance of science in advancing technology; and
2. critique the impact of technology in the society.

Lesson 1

TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING

I. Learning Outcomes:
In this lesson, you should be able to:
1. differentiate the essences of technology and modern technology;
2. discuss and illustrate the dangers of modern technology;
3. illustrate the importance of technology; and
4. illustrate the “bring-forth” and “challenge-forth” of human activities
and technological effects

II. Pre-Assessment:
Instructions: Write T is the statement is correct and F if it is not.

____1. Heidegger’s argument about technology focuses on the motivations and

reasons why humans build technology.
____2. Our sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activities can be partly
attributed to the over-dependence on smartphones.
____3. Sophisticated machines that are capable of working with minimal human
intervention are sophisticated robots too.
____4. Technology is a form of Poeisis.
____5. In philosophy, techne resembles the term espisteme that refers to the
human ability to make and perform.
____6. Enframing, is a way of ordering nature to better manipulate it.
____7. Heidegger stressed that the true cannot only be pursued through the
correct.
____8. Heidegger calls modern technology a kind of “bringing-forth” instead of
“challenging-forth.”
____9. Meditative thinking means humans desire to put an order to nature to
better understand and control it.
____10. Calculative thinking means humans allow nature to reveal itself to them
without the use of force or violence.

III. Lesson Map:

The figure above shows the impacts of science and technology in many aspects.

III. Core Content

ENGAGE: AGREE OR DISAGREE

Instructions: Rate the extent of your agreement to the following statement

using the Osgood scale. You are also given space to write any comment to
further clarify your response.

Agree Comments
Statements
Disagree (if any)
Technology is a
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
means to an end.
Technology is a
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
human activity.
Poetry is
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
technology.
Nature is a
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
standing-reserve.
Man is an
instrument of the
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
exploitation of
nature.
Man is in danger
of being
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
swallowed by
technology.
There is a saving
power or a “way
out” of the 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
danger of
technology.
Art may be the
7 6 5 4 3 2 1
saving power.
EXPLORE: AT A GLANCE
The Impact of Technology in Our Lives and the Future of Technology

Over the last 2 to 3 decades, technology has become more and more a part of our daily
lives, to the point where it has taken over our lives. Take a moment; stop reading this
post and look around you. What do you notice? Do you see tech, gadgets, computers,
video monitoring?
Notice how our lives are surrounded by gadgets and tech appliances. The PC at your
desk, the cell phone next to your bed, the Wifi router, even your thermostat – all these
are examples of how technology has transformed every aspect of our lives; some for
the good and others may not be so good. In this post, we are going to look at some of
the latest feats in technology and analyze their positive and negative impact on our
lives.

Positive Impact of Technology on Society

Smartphone Revolution 
It was just over a decade ago when cell phones were primarily used for calling and
sending texts. Today, the uses of cell phones run the gamut. Phones do everything
from taking high-resolution pictures to watching pixel-perfect videos, browsing the
internet to playing graphic-intensive games to
monitoring your movements. It’s astonishing at how
this small device can handle demanding tasks in
addition to fulfilling basic communication needs.

The advent of smartphones has simplified our lives

immensely. People now connect with their loved
ones more frequently and easily through video calls
and instant messaging services. Tasks, like creating
slides, reading emails, and creating documents don’t
require a PC anymore.

In a nutshell, smartphone and apps have changed the way we work, communicate and
play. In addition, the booming expansion of e-commerce and internet-based companies
is directly proportional to the rapid proliferation of smartphones.

Negative Impact of Technology on Society

Less-Active Lifestyle
While the smartphone revolution has made our
lives easy, it has also made us lazy. Today, the
whole world is at our fingertips, and thus we
don’t have to work or move around like we did
previously to get things done.

Our sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical

activities can be partly attributed to the over-
dependence on smartphones. This is especially
true for the younger generation, who are
constantly glued to their cell phones. In the
modern era, cell phone addiction is having a negative impact on our lives. Care needs
to be taken to deal with this issue in an effective way.

Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

 

The advancements made by the scientific and engineering community have turned
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics from science fiction to reality. Though we don’t
have human-like robots like those depicted in movies, intelligent machines are now a
part of our daily lives.

Think about advanced drones that are capable of surveillance, tracking, and offensive
measures- aren’t such machines highly-intelligent robots? What about automated
assembly lines in industrial plants that can handle the manufacturing and packaging of
goods on its own?

Sophisticated machines that are capable of working with minimal human intervention
are sophisticated robots too. Driverless cars are yet another example of AI and robotics.
With tech giants like Google, Tesla, and BMW involved in the production of driverless
cars, it looks like we are going to see self-driving cars sooner than we may have
expected.

While the concept of Robotics and AI sounds exciting, it is not without flaws. Many
people believe that the implementation of robotics and AI will lead to mass layoffs and
unemployment. We have already seen how factory workers lost their jobs when
automated assembly lines were introduced. Now, with driverless cars, intelligent
chatbots, and more knocking at the door, it may turn out that drivers and customer
support agents are going to have a hard time keeping their jobs.

Future of Technology
With each passing day, technology is growing by leaps and bounds. And despite
concerns about unemployment and over-dependence, proper use of technology holds a
bright future for us. So, how can technology shape up the future in a better way? Let’s
take a look!

Clean Energy
Excessive consumption of fossil fuels has led our planet
to the brink of catastrophic consequences. However,
technology is helping us deal with this problem by
developing clean energy. Development in the field of
solar power technology has drastically reduced the cost
of solar cells.

Generation of electricity through wind turbines has also

gained a lot of momentum in the recent years. So, in
the near future, technology can help us do away with
dependence on fossil fuels and embrace clean and
green energy solutions.
Virtual Reality (VR)
 Remember Pokemon Go? Well, that was one of the earliest examples of virtual reality
going mainstream. Tech giants like Google, Facebook, and Nokia are spending a huge
amount of money to make VR experience better for the customers.

However, VR is not just about immersive multimedia experience. With time and further
developments, VR can be used for communication through holograms, for interacting
with 3-D objects and other useful and educational purposes.

Education for all 

A considerable number of the global population doesn’t have access to quality
education. With the help of the internet, anyone on this planet can have access to not
only basic education but also advanced topics.

Reputed educational institutions from different countries are already recording lectures
and publishing those materials on the internet for everyone to watch and learn. With
better internet connectivity and smartphones, “education for all” won’t be a pipe dream
anymore. 

Flying cars 

This sounds straight out of a movie, but flying cars might soon be mainstream. Amazon
has already started delivering goods with the help of its drone fleet, and Google is
working on building its own powerful drones.
A couple of start-ups are also working on building flying cars. A flying car for all intents
and purposes is a drone that is capable
of carrying people. There are already a
handful of flying vehicle proto-types:
Terrafugia has TF-X; Pal-V has the Pal-
V1; Indigenous Peoples’ Technology
and Education Center (I-TEC) has the
Maverick LSA “Flying Car”; and lastly
AeroMobil s.r.o. has the AeroMobil 3.0.
These are just a few of the amazing
technologies that we will have in the
coming years. The future is
unpredictable and the possibilities are limitless. What’s next? Teleporting? Anything is
possible!

Activity 1.1!
Think, Think, Think!

1. Now that we are currently facing the COVID-19 pandemic, what could be
possible contribution and the negative impacts of science and technology on the
said issue?
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

2. Differentiate the essence of technology and modern technology.

 _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

EXPLAIN: TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING

THE ESSENCE OF TECHNOLOGY

1. INSTRUMENTAL DEFINITION. Technology is a means to an end.
2. ANTHROPOLOGICAL DEFINITION. Technology is a human activity.

Both definitions are correct. However, neither touches on the true essence of
technology.

HEIDEGGER’S VIEW ON TECHNOLOGY

• Technology as a Way of Revealing
• Heidegger stressed that the true can only be pursued through the correct. Simply
what is correct leads to what is true. In this sense, he envisioned technology as a way
of revealing – a mode of bringing forth.
• Bringing forth can be understood through the Ancient Greek philosophical concept,
Poiesis, which refers to the act of bringing something out of concealment. By bringing
something out of concealment, the truth of that something is revealed.
• The truth is understood through another Ancient Greek concept of Aletheia, which is
translated as unclosedness, unconcealedness, disclosure, or truth. Technology is a form
of poiesis- a way of revealing that unconceals aletheia or the truth.
• In philosophy, techne resembles the term episteme that refer to the human ability to
make and perform. Techne also encompasses knowledge and understanding.
• In art, it refers to tangible and intangible aspects of life.
• The Greek understood techne in the way that it encompasses not only craft, but other
acts of the mind, and poetry.

TECHNOLOGY AS POIESIS: DOES MODERN TECHNOLOGY BRING FORTH OR

CHALLENGE FORTH?

• Heidegger, in The Question Concerning Technology, postulated that both primitive

crafts and modern technology are revealing. However, he explained that modern
technology is revealing not in the sense of bringing forth.
• Revealing of modern technology is not a bringing-forth, but a challenging-forth.
• Modern technology challenges nature by extracting something from it and
transforming, storing and distributing it. It makes people think how to do things faster,
more effectively, and with less effort.
• Challenging forth reduces objects as standing-reserve or something to be disposed of
by those who enframe them- humans.
• This is evident in the way people exploit natural resources with very little concern for
the ecological consequences that come with it.
• In the information age- greater control of information to profit from its value gives
rise to concerns about privacy and the protection of human rights.
• Rise and depletion of petroleum as a strategic resource
• Introduction and use of synthetic dyes, artificial flavorings, and toxic materials into
the consumer stream that bring about adverse effects on human health.
• Use of ripening agents in agriculture that poses threats to food safety and health
security.
ENFRAMING AS MODERN TECHNOLOGY’S WAY OF REVEALING

• Heidegger distinguished the way of revealing of modern technology by considering it

as a process of enframing.
• Enframing, according to Heidegger, is akin to two ways:
1. CALCULATIVE THINKING- humans desire to put an order to nature to better
understand and control it.
- Tends to be more commonly utilized, primarily because humans’ desire to control due
to their fear of irregularity.
- Calculative thinking is the more technical kind of human thought, in which people
gather information and put it together in order to put it to some specific use.
2. MEDITATIVE THINKING- humans allow nature to reveal itself to them without the
use of force or violence.
• Enframing, is a way of ordering (or framing) nature to better manipulate it. Enframing
happens because of how humans desire for security, even it pulls all of nature as a
standing reserve and an instrument of technology, to be exploited in the ordering of
nature.
• The role of humans take as instruments of technology through enframing is called
destining.
• In destining, humans are challenged forth by enframing to reveal what is real.
However, this destining of humans to reveal nature carries with it the danger of
misconstruction or misinterpretation.

THE DANGERS OF TECHNOLOGY

• Lie on how humans let themselves be consumed by it. The responsibility of humans is
to recognize how they become instruments of technology.
• According to Paulo Coelho, it is boastful for humans to think that nature needs to be
saved, whereas Mother Nature would remain even if human cease to exist.
• As a mere tenant on Earth, people must not allow themselves to be consumed by
technology lest they lose the essence of who they are as human beings. In this sense,
humans are in danger of becoming merely part of the standing reserve or, alternatively,
may find themselves in nature.
• Recognizing the dangers of technology requires critical and reflective thinking on it
use. For instance,
• Social media has indeed connected people in the most efficient and convenient way
imaginable, but it also inadvertently gave rise to issues such as invasion of privacy,
online disinhibition, and proliferation of fake news.
QUESTION: What are the negative effects of technology on:
1. Social Skills
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. Education
3. _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

4. Psychological Aspect
5. _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

6. Physical Health
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

7. In Children
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
8. Environment
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

ART AS THE SAVING POWER

• Necessary reflection upon and confrontation with technology are required in order to
proactively address the dangers of technology.
• “But where danger is, grows the saving power also” – Friedrich Holderlin (1977, p.14)
• Heidegger proposed art as the saving power and the way out enframing: “and art was
simply called techne. It was a single, manifold revealing” (1977, p.18). Art encourages
human to think less from calculative standpoint where nature is viewed as an ordered
system. Instead, it inspires meditative thinking where nature is seen an art and that
without any force and violence.
 EXTEND: BRING FORTH or CHALLENGE FORTH

Activity 1.2: Instruction: Cut some pictures of human activities and technological
effect in the society and paste it in the following categories:

Bring Forth Challenge Forth

 EVALUATE: TECHNOLOGY AS A SAVING POWER

Activity 1.3!
Instruction: Make a comic strip that shows the importance of technology and
the transition it makes in your life. Use the guide questions below:

1. How does technology impact your learning as an IT student?

2. What makes technology integration successful?
3. Why is technology as important as our necessities in life?
4. What was your life as a student before when there were no technological
innovation?

V. Post-Assessment:
Instructions: Write T is the statement is correct. If not, underline the phrase or
word that makes it false and change it to make it true.

____1. Heidegger’s argument about technology focuses on the motivations and

reasons why humans build technology.
____2. Our sedentary lifestyle and lack of physical activities can be partly
attributed to the over-dependence on smartphones.
____3. Sophisticated machines that are capable of working with minimal human
intervention are sophisticated robots too.
____4. Technology is a form of Poeisis.
____5. In philosophy, techne resembles the term espisteme that refers to the
human ability to make and perform.
____6. Enframing, is a way of ordering nature to better manipulate it.
____7. Heidegger stressed that the true cannot only be pursued through the
correct.
____8. Heidegger calls modern technology a kind of “bringing-forth” instead of
“challenging-forth.”
____9. Meditative thinking means humans desire to put an order to nature to
better understand and control it.
____10. Calculative thinking means humans allow nature to reveal itself to them
without the use of force or violence.

VI. Topic Summary:

 Technology can be defined instrumentally and anthropologically.
 Enframing is a technology’s way of revealing.
 Aletheia is translated as unclosedness, unconcealedness, disclosure, or
truth.
 Techne resembles the term episteme that refer to the human ability to
make and perform.
 Technology has both positive and negative impacts in the society.
 Few of technology’s positive impact are the smartphone revolution,
robotics and intelligence, etc.
 Science is the pillar in advancing our technology

VII. References:

 Quinto, E. 2018. Science, Technology and Society. C&E Publishing,

Inc.
 Dasas, L. 2017. General Biology. Phoenix Publishing House Inc
 Olivar, J. 2016. Earth and Life Science. Phoenix Publishing House
Inc
 Lesson 2

Human Flourishing in Progress and De-development

I. Learning Outcomes:
In this lesson, you should be able to:
1. describe Hickel’s concept of de-development;
2. analyze the human condition in order to deeply reflect and express
philosophical ramifications that are meaningful to the student as a
part of society; and
3. accomplish a personal consumption audit table;

II. Pre-Assessment:
Instructions: Define the following terms in your own choice of words:

1. De-development
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

2. Human Flourishing
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

3. Paradigm
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

III. Lesson Map:

The figure above shows Hickel’s concept

of de-development as an alternative to
narrowing the gap between rich and poor
countries and achieve its aim for sustainability.

IV. Core Content:

ENGAGE: THOUGHTS TO PONDER

Instruction: Examine the picture and follow the prompt that follows.

Recent researchers found that 70% of people in the middle-and-high

income countries believe that overconsumption is putting the planet and
society at risk. Discuss your thoughts through an essay. Use the guide
questions below:

1. How do you think overconsumption puts the planet and society at risk?
2. What are the manifestations of society’s tendency to overproduce and
over consume?
3. Should middle and high-income countries regulate their growth and
consumption? Why or why not?

EXPLORE: Forget ‘developing poor countries, it’s time to ‘de-develop’

rich countries

By: Jason Hickel

This week, heads of state are gathering in New York to sign the UN’s new
sustainable development goals (SDGs). The main objective is to eradicate
poverty by 2030. Beyoncé, One Direction and Malala are on board. It’s set to be
a monumental international celebration.

Given all the fanfare, one might think the SDGs are about to offer a fresh plan
for how to save the world, but beneath all the hype, it’s business as usual. The
main strategy for eradicating poverty is the same: growth.

Growth has been the main object of development for the past 70 years, despite
the fact that it’s not working. Since 1980, the global economy has grown by
380%, but the number of people living in poverty on less than $5 (£3.20) a day
has increased by more than 1.1 billion. That’s 17 times the population of Britain;
so much for the trickle-down effect.

Orthodox economists insist that all we need is yet more growth. More
progressive types tell us that we need to shift some of the yields of growth from
the richer segments of the population to the poorer ones, evening things out a
bit. Neither approach is adequate. Why? It is because even at current levels of
average global consumption, we’re overshooting our planet’s bio-capacity
by more than 50% each year.

Activity 1.5!: Reading Comprehension Task

Instruction: After reading the article on the concept of de-development,
answer the following questions in two to three sentences.

1. What is the framework of de-development of rich countries all about?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. How is the de-development framework different from traditional frameworks
of development?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

3. Some people might think that de-development is about giving things up. How
does Hickel explain that this is not the case?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________

EXPLAIN: JASON HICKEL’S PARADIGM OF DE-DVELOPMENT

Growth isn’t an option any more – we’ve already grown too much. Scientists are now
telling us that we’re blowing past planetary boundaries at breakneck speed. And the
hard truth is that this global crisis is due almost entirely to overconsumption in rich
countries.
Instead of pushing poor countries to 'catch up' with rich ones, we should be getting rich
countries to 'catch down'
Right now, our planet only has enough resources for each of us to consume 1.8 “global
hectares” annually – a standardised unit that measures resource use and waste. This
figure is roughly what the average person in Ghana or Guatemala consumes. By
contrast, people in the US and Canada consume about 8 hectares per person, while
Europeans consume 4.7 hectares – many times their fair share.
What does this mean for our theory of development? Economist Peter Edward
argues that instead of pushing poorer countries to “catch up” with rich ones, we should
be thinking of ways to get rich countries to “catch down” to more appropriate levels of
development. We should look at societies where people live long and happy lives at
relatively low levels of income and consumption not as basket cases that need to be
developed towards western models, but as exemplars of efficient living.

'Those sitting on wealth and power aren't going to stand aside and do the right thing'
How much do we really need to live long and happy lives? In the US, life expectancy is
79 years and GDP per capita is $53,000. But many countries have achieved similar life
expectancy with a mere fraction of this income. Cuba has a comparable life expectancy
to the US and one of the highest literacy rates in the world with GDP per capita of only
$6,000 and consumption of only 1.9 hectares – right at the threshold of ecological
sustainability. Similar claims can be made of Peru, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua and
Tunisia.
Yes, some of the excess income and consumption we see in the rich world yields
improvements in quality of life that are not captured by life expectancy, or even literacy
rates. But even if we look at measures of overall happiness and wellbeing in addition to
life expectancy, a number of low- and middle-income countries rank highly. Costa Rica
manages to sustain one of the highest happiness indicators and life expectancies in the
world with a per capita income one-fourth that of the US.
In light of this, perhaps we should regard such countries not as underdeveloped, but
rather as appropriately developed. And maybe we need to start calling on rich countries
to justify their excesses.

70% of people in middle- and high-income countries believe overconsumption is putting

our planet and society at risk
The idea of “de-developing” rich countries might prove to be a strong rallying cry in the
global south, but it will be tricky to sell to westerners. Tricky, but not impossible.
According to recent consumer research, 70% of people in middle- and high-income
countries believe overconsumption is putting our planet and society at risk. A similar
majority also believe we should strive to buy and own less, and that doing so would not
compromise our happiness. People sense there is something wrong with the dominant
model of economic progress and they are hungry for an alternative narrative.
The problem is that the pundits promoting this kind of transition are using the wrong
language. They use terms such as de-growth, zero growth or – worst of all – de-
development, which are technically accurate but off-putting for anyone who’s not
already on board. Such terms are repulsive because they run against the deepest
frames we use to think about human progress, and, indeed, the purpose of life itself.
It’s like asking people to stop moving positively thorough life, to stop learning,
improving, growing.

Negative formulations won’t get us anywhere. The idea of “steady-state” economics is a

step in the right direction and is growing in popularity, but it still doesn’t get the
framing right. We need to reorient ourselves toward a positive future, a truer form of
progress. One that is geared toward quality instead of quantity. One that is more
sophisticated than just accumulating ever increasing amounts of stuff, which doesn’t
make anyone happier anyway. What is certain is that GDP as a measure is not going to
get us there and we need to get rid of it.
Perhaps we might take a cue from Latin Americans, who are organising alternative
visions around the indigenous concept of buen vivir, or good living. The west has its
own tradition of reflection on the good life and it’s time we revive it. Robert and Edward
Skidelsky take us down this road in his book How Much is Enough? where they lay out
the possibility of interventions such as banning advertising, a shorter working week and
a basic income, all of which would improve our lives while reducing consumption.
Either we slow down voluntarily or climate change will do it for us. We can’t go on
ignoring the laws of nature. But rethinking our theory of progress is not only an
ecological imperative, it is also a development one. If we do not act soon, all our hard-
won gains against poverty will evaporate, as food systems collapse and mass famine re-
emerges to an extent not seen since the 19th century.

This is not about giving anything up. And it’s certainly not about living a life of voluntary
misery or imposing harsh limits on human potential. On the contrary, it’s about reaching
a higher level of understanding and consciousness about what we’re doing here and
why.

GIVE YOUR COMMENT:

Analyze the human condition in our country, deeply reflect, and express
philosophical ramifications as a student and as part of the society.

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

EXTEND: PERSONAL CONSUMPTION AUDIT

Activity 1.6!
Instruction: Accomplish the personal consumption audit table below and see
what things you can reduce or minimize without sacrificing, or even improving,
the quality of your daily life.

My Personal Consumption Audit

Average daily, No. of Impacts of ‘de-
weekly, or hours/day I developing’ on
Product/Food
monthly amount reduce/ do my everyday
consumed away with living
Example: Social Eight (8) Seven (7) By minimizing the
Media Usage hours/day hours/day number of hours I
spend on social
 media, I can
pursue authentic
personal
interactions. I can
also spend more
time doing
schoolwork or
helping I
household chores.
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

EVALUATION: REACTION PAPER

Activity 1.7!
Instruction: Write a 200 to 300-word reaction paper on Hickel’s article. Use
Heideggerian concepts learned in the previous section in explaining your
thoughts and ideas about Hickel’s.

SCORING RUBRIC
Skills 5 4 3 2 1

Content and Analysis: the -insightful
extent to which the response and/or sophisticated
conveys complex ideas and ideas that fully address
the prompt and are fully relevant, accurate and
information clearly and
supported by relevant,
accurately in order to accurate and specific
respond to the task and evidence from
support an analysis of the appropriate sources.
text Evidence used is justified
and clearly developed.
Organization The paper follows a clear
and logical
train of thought.
The introduction and
conclusion are effective
and the writer always
uses topic sentences and
effective transitions and the writer always
Command of Evidence Quotations are smoothly
blended in. Evidence is quotations, Evidence
highly persuasive and
effective.
clear ideas that fully Some ideas are The paper contains an Ideas are not
address the prompt clearer than attempt to address the developed. Little to
and are supported by others and prompt, but the writer no textual evidence
address the provides little is used.
sufficient evidence. prompt. Ideas clear, relevant Mostly personal
Evidence used is are supported by evidence. responses.
justified and some relevant
developed evidence.
The paper follows a The paper The paper does not The paper does not
logical train of follows a follow a train of follow a train of
thought. somewhat thought. The paper is thought. The paper
The paper’s confused train of missing is missing
introduction and thought. an introduction or an introduction and
conclusion The paper has conclusion and the conclusion and the
are functional an introduction writer uses few writer fails to use
and conclusion topic sentences topic sentences
uses topic sentences and the writer and/or transitions. and/or transitions.
but less effective uses some
transitions. topic sentences
and adequate
transitions.
Effectively utilizes Evidence is Evidence chosen Little or no
present, but does not support evidence is used.
is believable and Superficial. ideas/claims. Quotes
convincing. Quotes are used, are irrelevant.
but not well
blended.
 Reflections Conscious and thorough Thoughtful Basic Ideas lack Does not address
understanding of the understanding of the understanding of development; the prompt or gives
writing prompt and the writing prompt. the writing misunderstanding of a basic plot
subject matter. Analysis is believable prompt and the prompt or text; little summary without
Creative/original ideas and convincing, a few subject matter. to no reflection on commentary
and insights; extensive, assertions may lack No in-depth the text.
insightful commentary. specific examples, but reflection.
are still logical.

Mechanics and Conventions
Language use
Demonstrates a mastery Demonstrates control Demonstrates Demonstrates Demonstrate a lack
of writing conventions of the conventions control of the emerging control of of control of
includes a variety of that do not hinder conventions conventions with conventions with
sentences marked by comprehension, with infrequent some errors that frequent errors that
varying opening words includes some variety errors, includes hinder make
and structure; effective in transitions and minimal variety comprehension, lacks comprehension
syntax and grammar. sentence structure. in sentence variety in sentence difficult.
structure and structure and
transitions. transitions.

V. Post-Assessment:
Instructions: Define the following terms based on what you have learned.

4. De-development
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

5. Human Flourishing
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

6. Paradigm
_______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________

VI. Topic Summary:

In this lesson, you have learned the following:

 Hickel’s concept of de-development is an alternative to narrowing

the gap between rich and poor countries.
 Technology changes us and the world around us in countless
ways.
 De-developing framework is about shifting the idea of
development from economic growth to life expectancy and
happiness.

VII. References:
 Quinto, E. J., & Nieva, A. D. (2019). Human Flourishing in
Progress and De- Development. In E. J. Quinto, & A. D. Nieva,
Science, Technology and Society (p. 81). Quezon City,
Philippines: C & E Publishing.
 Quinto, E. 2018. Science, Technology and Society. C&E Publishing,
Inc.
 Dasas, L. 2018. General Biology. Phoenix Publishing House Inc
 Olivar, J. 2017. Earth and Life Science. Phoenix Publishing House
Inc
 Lesson 3

Information Society

I. Learning Outcomes:
In this lesson, you should be able to:
1. enumerate the characteristics and determining components of
information society by Schement and Curtis;
2. discuss the basic categories of information society, their measurability
and metaphors;
3. elaborate the dimensions of information society according to Graham
Bell;
4. differentiate industrial society from information society; and trace and
connect the concepts of information system through a concept map.

II. .Pre-Assessment: Fill in the blanks.

1. The expression _________ information society signifies that the

dynamics and direction of pan-human activity point more and more
markedly beyond the Earth’s confines.
2. The concept __________ signals the translation of information society
onto settlement level reminding us that urbanisation played a
significant part in the emergence of information society.
3. The expression ____________ is used to refer to mass proliferation in
the skill of producing original knowledge.
4. The concept of the ______________ raises long standing problems of
the environment and natural resources, with social innovation and
action planning determining the future development of the information
society by providing normative viewpoints with regard to sustainability.
5. The concept and issues of the __________address all the significant
components of the supranational system of organisation.

III. Lesson Map:

The figure above shows evolution of society from hunting society to

information

IV. Core Content:

ENGAGE: TOWARDS GETTING TO KNOW INFORMATION SOCIETY

By the turn of the millennium the use of the concept information society
had already become widespread and was not only an everyday term in
the social science vocabulary but was a term preferred by those involved
in political planning, political marketing and in the world of business. In
addition, it had triumphantly penetrated the language of the written and
electronic media. However, it is exactly because of this sudden popularity
that the content(s) of the expression has become “diluted”, and its use is
now laden with contradictions and vagueness. What is more, some
overambitious counter concepts have been proposed. If there were a
generally accepted interpretation or definition based on the best
arguments in the professional and scientific literature of information
society, it might be easier to clarify the contentious questions and to
restructure the sphere of problems that has become increasingly chaotic.
However, there are numerous information society theories stemming from
different areas of science built on diverging traditions. Thus, instead of a
systematization based on “shared or common codes” there is a constant
battle going on between individual and original information society
concepts. The situation is exacerbated further by the concept of the
information society having developed separately from the very outset
from that empirical Reality which is information society, and when it was
finally connected through numerous alternative expressions it was already
public ally accepted. This is why information society studies became
established at a very late stage, just before the turn of the millennium,
with one of its first tasks being to carry out a satisfactory “logical
systematisation” in regard to the subject explored. All this could be the
basis for serious professional discussions and debates and for the result to
inform current higher education curricula.

EXPLORE: TOWARDS GETTING TO KNOW INFORMATION

SOCIETY

Let us take a closer look at the term “information society”. It must sound
familiar since we have most probably heard the term either on television
or on the news, spoken by a politician or an informatics company
representative. Do we know what it means exactly? To answer this
question we need, through a thorough inspection of libraries, the Internet,
the Web and our immediate surroundings, to explore three relevant fields
to grasp the essence of this concept.

1. First of all, we approach the issue on the level of everyday life and
examine common dilemmas and the so-called introductory discourses
that, in an ideal case, could lead us to a more meaningful level of
understanding.

2. Secondly, we put the concept itself under examination and deconstruct

the assumptions underlying the two component parts “information” and
“society”.

3. Finally, social science research has already been conducted in this field,
thus we look through its literature and research practices in order to
discover the meaning of the concept. Write an essay of what you have
found out in a long bond paper.

EXPLAIN: A CONCEPT AND WHAT LIES BEHIND

DEFINING THE INFORMATION SOCIETY
In the case of a highly abstract concept such as the information society
short definitions may emphasize completely different aspects while one of
the dimensions of the group of phenomena of information and knowledge
is the central element of organisation. We have chosen the following
definitions from among fifty others:

• A society that organises itself around knowledge in the interest of social

control, and the management of innovation and change.(Daniel Bell)

• A new type of society, where the possession of information (and not

material wealth) is the driving force behind its transformation and
development […] (and where) human intellectual creativity flourishes.
(Yoneji Masuda)

• The information society is an economic reality and not simply a mental

abstraction ...The slow spread/dissemination of information ends […] new
activities, operations and products gradually come to light. (John Naisbitt)
• A society where […] information is used as an economic resource, the
community harnesses/exploits it, and behind it all an industry develops
which produces the necessary information ... (Nick Moore)

• A social structure based on the free creation, distribution, access and

use of information and knowledge […] the globalisation of various fields of
life. ((Hungarian) National Strategy of Informatics, 1995)

• A new type of society in which humanity has the opportunity to lead a

new way of life, to have a higher standard of living, accomplish better
work, and to play a better role in society thanks to the global use of
information and telecommunication technologies.” (Béla Murányi)

Models Instead of Definitions

Models instead of definitions We shall now introduce three “classical”
divisions, then propose a more complete, synthetic model. In his “high-
definition” analysis, which, to this day, is the most often quoted analysis
of information society, Daniel Bell surveys the characteristic differences
reflected by the social-historical phases – simplified into three main
periods – along nine distinctive aspects. These are as follows: Economic
sector, resources bringing about change, strategic resources, technology,
knowledge-base, methodology, time perspective, planning, guiding
principle.
In contrast to Masuda, Schement and Curtis reduce the “essential
components” to six categories. The categories related to goods, industry
and work incorporate a number of the already known possible elements
but entirely new ones, such as interconnectedness, media environment
and community, also appear in their work and are even represented as
being equal to goods, industry and work.
Vital Issues of Information Society
In light of what we have said above we share the view that the essential
issues of information society should be studied in the context of
civilisation theory. This means that all civilisation issues that generate
discourse are par exellence regarded as issues of information society,
since they come into being in the context of today’s information societies.
This is reflected by the collocations typically used in information society
literature.
• The concept and issues of the global information society address all the
significant components of the supranational system of organisation. In
fact, there are a great number of problems that were raised independently
of one another, but primarily those of identity, international
communication, international organisations, the “world wide web”,
supranational regulation, migration processes, multiculturalism and global
knowledge management are comprehended in this discourse.
• The concept of the sustainable information society raises long standing
problems of the environment and natural resources, with social innovation
and action planning determining the future development of the
information society by providing normative viewpoints with regard to
sustainability. In certain cases the demand for “green information society”
arises.
• The umbrella term the safety of the information society comprehends
many problem areas ranging from the issue of society becoming “fragile”
as a result of being at the mercy of technology, through questions of the
preservation and preservability of the accumulated knowledge of mankind
to the anthropogenic threats our civilisation is exposed to. Ulrich Beck’s
famous term risk society was coined in response to these problems. 44
LÁSZLÓ Z. KARVALICS
• The expression “space-oriented information society signifies that the
dynamics and direction of pan-human activity point more and more
markedly beyond the Earth’s confines. What is more, the history of
information society has manifold connections with space research, since
its beginnings overlap with satellite information transmission, an important
technological solution enabling the emergence of the information society,
while today’s high-tech achievements in remote manipulation, data
transmission and astronomy aptly reflect the inquisitive nature and the
dynamics of information society.
• The electronic Orwellian world versus digital Athens debate questions
what direction the new information means will take the relationship
between authority and the citizen. Will the world shift towards the “brave
new world” of being observed and controlled or towards a new democracy
of digital agoras?
• The concept intelligent city signals the translation of information society
onto settlement level reminding us that urbanisation played a significant
part in the emergence of information society.
• TheCorpus Digitale discourse raises the issues pertaining to the
recording, preservation and access to pan-human knowledge.
• The expression creative information society is used to refer to mass
proliferation in the skill of producing original knowledge. This is presented
in the business literature as productivity while others regard it as
generating an employment revolution for the individual. The birth of a
“creative class”, as Richard Florida (2002) calls it
• The concept post-information society, which emerged in recent years,
has proposed numerous future scenarios to describe possible futures
surpassing the current institutions and technologies; biotechnological
revolution, new generation of artificial intelligence, visions of the fusion of
man and machine into functional systems.

QUESTIONS:

1. List the proto-concepts of information society and explain why an

umbrella term needed to be introduced.

2. Where and when did the concept of information society come into
being? How did its meaning become more narrowly focused at a later
stage?

3. In which “sub-systems” does the emergence of the information

society seem most measurable?

4. Add some more vital issues of information society to the examples

listed in this lesson.

EXTEND: DEEPENING MY UNDERSTANDING

Answer the following:

5. Differentiate industrial society from information society.

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
6. Elaborate the dimensions of information society according to Graham
Bell.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
7. Discuss the basic categories of information society, their measurability
and metaphors.
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
8. Enumerate the characteristics and determining components of
information society by Schement and Curtis.
 _________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________

EVALUATE: MAKING A CONCEPT MAP

Instructions: Make your own concept map of information society based

on what you have learned from the entire lesson.

V. Post-Assessment: Fill in the blanks.

1. The expression _________ information society signifies that the

dynamics and direction of pan-human activity point more and more
markedly beyond the Earth’s confines.
2. The concept __________ signals the translation of information society
onto settlement level reminding us that urbanisation played a
significant part in the emergence of information society.
3. The expression ____________ is used to refer to mass proliferation in
the skill of producing original knowledge.
4. The concept of the ______________ raises long standing problems of
the environment and natural resources, with social innovation and
action planning determining the future development of the information
society by providing normative viewpoints with regard to sustainability.
5. The concept and issues of the __________address all the significant
components of the supranational system of organisation.

6. Summary
In this lesson, you have learned the following:
  “Information society” is a term used to describe the most recent
stage of social history.

7. References
 Masuda, Yoneji (1980): The Information Society as Post-Industrial
Society (The World Future Society, Tokyo, IIS, Washington D. C.)
 Toffler, Alvin (1980): The Third Wave (William Morrow and
Company, New York)

Lesson 4

Nanotechnology

I. Learning Outcomes:
In this lesson, you should be able to:
1. define Nanotechnology;
2. enumerate the positive and negative impacts of nanotechnology on the
environment and society; and
3. propose a Nano-based IT product that will help the society.

II. Pre-Assessment:
Instructions: Answer the following base on your own understanding.

1. What is Nanotechnology?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Nanotechnology?

_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

III. Lesson Map:

 The figure above shows the numerous uses of Nanotechnology.

IV. Core Content:

ENGAGE: INTRODUCTION TO NANOTECHNOLOGY

Imagine a world where microscopic medical implants patrol our arteries,

diagnosing ailments and fighting disease; where military battle-suits deflect
explosions; where computer chips are no bigger than specks of dust; and where
clouds of miniature space probes transmit data from the atmospheres of Mars or
Titan.
Many incredible claims have been made about the future’s Nano technological
applications, but what exactly does Nano mean, and why has controversy
plagued this emerging technology?

Nanotechnology is science and engineering at the scale of atoms and molecules.

It is the manipulation and use of materials and devices so tiny that nothing can
be built any smaller.

QUESTION: How do you think Nanotechnology changes the world from tiny things to
big things?

EXPLORE: NANO AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Instructions: List down the positive and negative impacts of Nanotechnology.

NANOTECHNOLOGY
Advantages Disadvantages
 EXPLAIN: NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology: a small solution to big problems

Invisible particles that fight cancer cells, faster microprocessors that consume
less energy, batteries that last 10 times longer or solar panels that yield twice as
much energy. These are just some of the many applications of nanotechnology,
a discipline with all the ingredients to turn into the next industrial revolution.

N a n o t e c h n o l
s m a r t
objects.

N a n o t e c h n o
f o r
c o n t e m p o r a

industry. This field, which flourished between the 60s and 80s, has surged in the
last two decades with a booming global market whose value will exceed 125,000
million dollars in the next five years according to the Global Nanotechnology
Market (by Component and Applications) report by Research & Markets which
presents forecasts for 2024.

WHAT IS NANOTECHNOLOGY?

This technological branch manipulates the molecular structure of materials to

change their intrinsic properties and obtain others with revolutionary
applications. This is the case of grapheme — modified carbon harder than steel,
lighter than aluminum and almost transparent — or nanoparticles used in areas
such as electronics, energy, biomedicine or defence.
 In 1959 the American Nobel prize and physicist Richard Feynman was the first to
speak about the applications of nanotechnology at the California Institute of
Technology (Caltech). With the 21st century, this area consolidated, was
marketed and came into its own. It includes other areas such as micro-
manufacturing, organic chemistry and molecular biology. In the United States
alone, for example, more than 18 billion dollars were invested between
2 0 0 1 a n d 2

Initiative) to turn this sector into a driver of economic growth and

competitiveness.

The advantages brought by innovations in nanotechnology come with a price.

With rapid developments in nanotechnology, its adverse effects become more
visible.
 EXTEND: PASTE YOUR NANO-IDEA!

Activity 1.8!
Instructions: Research on a nano product available in the market today. Make
a poster of the product related to your course and write a 50-words description
about the product, particularly explaining how it was produced using
nanotechnology.
 EVALUATE: OUR SHARE TO A NANO SAFE WORLD

Activity 1.9!
Instructions: Propose a nano-based I.T product you want to come up with.

1. Name of the Product Proposal

2. Proponents

i. Names:

ii. Email:

iii. Telephone:

iv. Organization:

3. Date

4. Problem Statement (100-200 words):

5. Product Statement (200-300 words):

6. Additional information

i. Timetable for implementation::

Scoring Rubric:

V. Post-Assessment:
Instructions: Answer the following base on what you have understood from the
lesson.

1. What is Nanotechnology?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
 2. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Nanotechnology?
_________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________

VI. Summary:
In this module, you learned that:
 Technology have both positive and negative impacts in the society.
 Few of technology’s positive impact are the smartphone revolution,
robotics and intelligence, etc.
 Science is the pillar in advancing our technology
 Nanotechnology brings innovation
 Negative formulation won’t get us anywhere
 Some identified potential hazard of Nanotechnology are the
environmental effect of mineral-based nanoparticles found in
cosmetics, paints, clothing and other products that could be carried
down by organic pollutants

VII. References:
 Quinto, E. Science, Technology and Society. C&E Publishing, Inc.
 Olivar, J. Earth and Life Science. Phoenix Publishing House Inc
 Dasas, L. General Biology. Phoenix Publishing House Inc