Chapter3: Technology vs. Humanity

Lesson1: Artificial Intelligence (AI)/Robotics and Social Media
Lesson2: The Good Life
Lesson3: Biodiversity and Healthy Society
 

Introduction
Since 1940s, the development of the digital computer has been demonstrated that it can be
programmed to perform complex tasks such as discovering proofs for mathematical theorems. Yet, despite
these continuing advances in computer processing speed and memory capacity, there are still no programs
that can match human flexibility over wider domains and in tasks requiring everyday knowledge.

At the end of an independent study, the students must be able to:

1.   define Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Social Media and its importance and uses
2.   determine the goal of a good life and,
3.   discuss the school of thought of happiness.
 
Let’s Understand
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to
perform tasks commonly associated with intelligent beings. The term is frequently applied to the project of
developing systems endowed with the intellectual processes characteristic of humans, such as the ability to
reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience.

A more elaborate definition characterizes AI as “a system’s ability to correctly interpret external data,
to learn from such data, and to use those learning to achieve specific goals and tasks through flexible
adaptation.

On the other hand, human intelligence is characterized by highly cognitive processes such as
concept-formation, understanding, decision-making, communication and problem-solving. It is also markedly
influenced by subjective factors such as motivation. Human intelligence is commonly measured through IQ
tests which typically covers working memory, verbal comprehension, processing speed, and perceptual
reasoning (http://www.differencebetween.net/science).

AI and human intelligence delve into cognitive functions such as memory, problem-solving, learning,
planning, language, reasoning and perception. Regarding their differences, AI is an innovation created by
human intelligence and it is designed to do specific tasks much faster with less effort. On the other hand,
human intelligence is better at multi-tasking and it can incorporate emotional elements, human interaction, as
well as self-awareness in the cognitive process. The following discussions further explore such distinctions.
 Importance and uses of Artificial Intelligence
 Origin. AI is an innovation created by human intelligence; its early development is credited to Norbert
Weiner who theorized on feedback mechanisms while the father of AI is John McCarthy for coining the term
and organizing the first conference on research projects regarding machine intelligence. On the other hand,
human beings are created with the innate ability to think, reason, recall, etc.
‚ Speed. As compared to humans, computers can process more information at a faster rate. For instance, if
the human mind can solve a math problem in 5 minutes, AI can solve 10 problems in a minute.

ƒ Decision Making. AI is highly objective in decision making as it analyzes based on purely gathered data.
However, humans’ decisions may be influenced by subjective elements which are not based on figures alone.

„ Accuracy. AI often produces accurate results as it functions based on a set of programmed rules. As for
human intelligence, there is usually a room for “human error” as certain details may be missed at one point or
the other.

… Energy Used. The human brain uses about 25 watts while modern computers only generally use 2 watts.

† Adaptation. Human intelligence can be flexible in response to the changes to its environment. This makes
people able to learn and master various skills. On the other hand, AI takes much more time to adapt to new
changes.

‡ Multitasking. The human intellect supports multitasking as evidenced by diverse and simultaneous roles
while AI can only perform fewer tasks at the same time as a system can only learn responsibilities one at a
time.

ˆ Self-Awareness. AI is still working on its ability regarding self-awareness while humans become naturally
aware of themselves and strive to establish their identities as they mature.

‰ Social Interaction. As social beings, humans are much better at social interaction since they can process
abstract information, have self-awareness, and are sensitive to others’ emotions. On the other hand, AI has
not mastered the ability to pick up on pertinent social and emotional cues.

Š General Function. The general function of human intelligence is innovation as it can create, collaborate,
brainstorm, and implement. As for AI, its general function is more on optimization as it efficiently performs
tasks according to how it is programmed.

Ethical Issues in Artificial Intelligence

 Unemployment. A company may stop relying on the human workforce as jobs become automated. What
will happen to the millions of employed individuals then?

‚ Humanity. Artificially intelligent bots are becoming better and better at modeling human conversation and
relationships. Click-bait headlines and video games are evidences of how machines can trigger the reward
centers in the human brain. As artificial bots can channel virtually unlimited resources into building
relationships, one cannot help but think how will machines affect our behavior and interaction?

ƒ Inequality. While our economic system is based on compensation for contribution to the economy, owners
in AI-driven companies take a large portion of the economic surplus they create compared to the per hour
wage earners. There is already a widening wealth gap, so how do we distribute fairly the wealth created by the
machines?
„ Racist robots. Though artificial intelligence is capable of a speed and capacity of processing that’s far
beyond that of humans, it cannot always be trusted to be fair and neutral. Google and its parent company
Alphabet are one of the leaders when it comes to artificial intelligence, as seen in Google’s Photos service,
where AI is used to identify people, objects and scenes. But it can go wrong, such as when a camera missed
the mark on racial sensitivity, or when a software used to predict future criminals showed bias against black
people. We shouldn’t forget that AI systems are created by humans, who can be biased and judgmental.

… Security. The more powerful a technology becomes, the more can it be used for nefarious reasons as well
as good. This applies not only to robots produced to replace human soldiers, or autonomous weapons, but to
AI systems that can cause damage if used maliciously. How do we keep AI safe from adversaries?

Robotics and Humanity

Another great product of innovative minds of the people is a robot. Robots are now widely used. For
example, there are so-called service robots. These particular robots do specific tasks but focus mainly in
assisting their masters in their everyday tasks.

The International Federation of Robotics (IFR) and United Nations Economic Commission for Europe
(UNECE) made it their task to formulate a working definition for service robots. A preliminary extract of the
relevant definition is:

ü   A robot is an actual mechanism programmable in two or more axes with a degree of autonomy,
moving within its environment, to perform intended tasks.
ü   A service robot is a robot that performs useful tasks for humans or equipment excluding industrial
automation application.
ü   A personal service robot is a robot that is for personal use.
ü   A professional service robot is a service robot use for commercial task, usually operated by a properly
trained operator.

The earliest
conception of robots can
be traced around 3000
BC from the Egyptians.
However, the earliest
robots as people know
them were created in the
early 1950s by George
Devol.

Revolutionizing
manufacturing the world
over, the Unimate was
the very first industrial
robot. Conceived from a design for a mechanical arm patented in 1954, Devol developed the Unimate
as a result of foresight
The Unimate was the first industrial robot ever built. It was a hydraulic manipulator arm that and business acumen of
could perform repetitive tasks. It was used by car makers to automate metalworking and welding processes.
Joseph Engelberger -
Father of Robotics.
 Just like people living in the society, robots also have their own set of rules and characteristics that
define what a good robot is. These laws were formulated by Isaac Asimov back in the 1940s when he
was thinking of the ethical consequences of robots.

These are the following:

1.   A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2.   A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except such orders would conflict with the
first law.
3.   A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the first
law or second law.

Social Media
What is Social Media?
Social Media are forms of electronic communication such as websites for social networking and micro
blogging through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and
other content, like of videos (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/social%20media).

The Impact of Social Media in our Daily Lives

Decades ago, it was very difficult to find and connect people that you once knew. The social media
sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, are making things easier for people to find and reconnect after years
of being apart. These social media platforms are a great way to see what is happening in the lives of our
family & significant others, meet new people of similar interests, share our thoughts and opinions, and serve as
a new arena of learning, among all other benefits.

Melissa Tyler, a tech writer shares her ideas to us on the impact of social media to our daily lives.
These are as follows:

1.   The Youth
The youth of the world is often the most ready to adapt to and learn to use new technologies, and
they are certainly at the forefront of social media of all types. They have more technological know-how than
many of older generations as well. Social media, therefore, is certainly having a rather large impact on their
daily lives for good and for bad.

Those who spend too much time on social sites, or who take the abuses of online bullies seriously
on the sites could have some issues. For parents, even those of teenagers who are 16 and 17, it is important
to watch to make sure that social media sites do not take over the lives of children. When used appropriately, it
can be a very good thing.

2.   Marketing
Of course, the social media sites are ripe for marketing endeavors as well, and over the past few
years, users have seen an uptick in the amount of advertising on the sites. Many companies are actually
choosing to become a part of the site rather than merely buying advertising. This allows for a closer connection
between the customers and the companies, which could lead to better service and better quality products. As
long as companies are not too overt about ads and promotion, most users do not mind it. In most cases, users
would have to subscribe to the content in the first place.
 3.   Entertainment
Another reason people are spending as much time as they do on social media sites is because they
can be a great form of entertainment. Watch videos that people post to their timelines, view pictures, read
stories, and even play games. Whether using a smart phone, a tablet, or a traditional computer, more and
more people are utilizing social media in their daily lives. Few things have quite as much impact and affect as
social media over the past few years. The sites are certainly a step toward world globalization
(https://linguagreca.com/blog/2013/05/impact-of-social-media-in-our-lives/).

Additional Readings
The Impact of the Internet on Society: A Global Perspective by Manuel Castells, September 8, 2014
https://www.technologyreview.com/2014/09/08/171458/the-impact-of-the-internet-on-society-a-global-perspective/

The Good Life

Through the years, many attempted to answer the old and basic philosophical question, “What is the
good life?” “How to live a good life?” “What qualifies a good existence?”. Philosophers seek understanding of
the relationship between the world and the reality to fully grasp one’s flourished soul. In an attempt to
understand reality and the external world, man must understand himself, too.

In this module, we will shed light to these questions and find truth about what “a good life” is as what
every individual strives to attain throughout his or her life.

What is Meant by a Good Life?

There are three ways by which we can understand what is meant by a “a good life” or “living well”.
These are the Moral Life, Life of Pleasure and Fulfilled Life (Westacott, 2018).

What Does It Mean to Live the Good Life?

By Emrys Westacott

What is “the good life”? This is one of the oldest philosophical questions. It has been posed in different
ways—How should one live? What does it mean to “live well”?—but these are really just the same question. After
all, everyone wants to live well, and no one wants “the bad life.”

But the question isn’t as simple as it sounds. Philosophers specialize in unpacking hidden complexities, and
the concept of the good life is one of those that needs quite a bit of unpacking.

The Moral Life

One basic way we use the word “good” is to express moral approval. So when we say someone is living well
or that they have lived a good life, we may simply mean that they are a good person, someone who is courageous,
honest, trustworthy, kind, selfless, generous, helpful, loyal, principled, and so on.

They possess and practice many of the most important virtues. And they don’t spend all their time merely
pursuing their own pleasure; they devote a certain amount of time to activities that benefit others, perhaps through
their engagement with family and friends, or through their work, or through various voluntary activities.

This moral conception of the good life has had plenty of champions. Socrates and Plato both gave absolute
priority to being a virtuous person over all other supposedly good things such as pleasure, wealth, or power.
 In Plato’s dialogue Gorgias, Socrates takes this position to an extreme. He argues that it is much better to
suffer wrong than to do it; that a good man who has his eyes gouged out and is tortured to death is more fortunate
than a corrupt person who has used wealth and power dishonorably.

In his masterpiece, the Republic, Plato develops this argument in greater detail. The morally good person,
he claims, enjoys a sort of inner harmony, whereas the wicked person, no matter how rich and powerful he may be
or how many pleasure he enjoys, is disharmonious, fundamentally at odds with himself and the world.

It is worth noting, though, that in both the Gorgias and the Republic, Plato bolsters his argument with a
speculative account of an afterlife in which virtuous people are rewarded and wicked people are punished.

Many religions also conceive of the good life in moral terms as a life lived according to God’s laws. A
person who lives this way—obeying the commandments and performing the proper rituals—is pious. And in most
religions, such piety will be rewarded. Obviously, many people do not receive their reward in this life.

But devout believers are confident that their piety will not be in vain. Christian martyrs went singing to their
deaths confident that they would soon be in heaven. Hindus expect that the law of karma will ensure that their
good deeds and intentions will be rewarded, while evil actions and desires will be punished, either in this life or in
future lives.

The Life of Pleasure

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus was one of the first to declare, bluntly, that what makes life worth
living is that we can experience pleasure. Pleasure is enjoyable, it’s fun, it’s...well...pleasant! The view that
pleasure is the good, or, to put I another way, that pleasure is what makes life worth living, is known as hedonism.

The word “hedonist,” when applied to a person, has slightly negative connotations. It suggests that they
are devoted to what some have called the “lower” pleasures such as sex, food, drink, and sensual indulgence in
general.

Epicurus was thought by some of his contemporaries to be advocating and practicing this sort of lifestyle,
and even today an “epicure” is someone who is especially appreciative of food and drink. But this is a
misrepresentation of Epicureanism. Epicurus certainly praised all kinds of pleasures. But he didn’t advocate that
we lose ourselves in sensual debauchery for various reasons:

•   Doing so will probably reduce our pleasures in the long run since over-indulgence tends to cause health
problems and limit the range of pleasure we enjoy.
•   The so-called “higher” pleasures such as friendship and study are at least as important as “pleasures of
the flesh."
•   The good life has to be virtuous. Although Epicurus disagreed with Plato about the value of pleasure, he
fully agreed with him on this point.

Today, this hedonistic conception of the good life is arguably dominant in Western culture. Even in
everyday speech, if we say someone is “living the good life,” we probably mean that they enjoying lots of
recreational pleasures: good food, good wine, skiing, scuba diving, lounging by the pool in the sun with a cocktail
and a beautiful partner.

What is key to this hedonistic conception of the good life is that it emphasizes subjective experiences. On
this view, to describe a person as “happy” means that they “feel good,” and a happy life is one that contains many
“feel good” experiences.
The Fulfilled Life
If Socrates emphasizes virtue and Epicurus emphasizes pleasure, another great Greek thinker, Aristotle,
views the good life in a more comprehensive way. According to Aristotle, we all want to be happy.

We value many things because they are a means to other things. For instance, we value money because
it enables us to buy things we want; we value leisure because it gives us time to pursue our interests. But
happiness is something we value not as a means to some other end but for its own sake. It has intrinsic value
rather than instrumental value.

So for Aristotle, the good life is a happy life. But what does that mean? Today, many people automatically
think of happiness in subjectivist terms: To them, a person is happy if they are enjoying a positive state of mind,
and their life is happy if this is true for them most of the time.

There is a problem with this way of thinking about happiness in this way, though. Imagine a powerful
sadist who spends much of his time gratifying cruel desires. Or imagine a pot-smoking, beer-guzzling couch potato
who does nothing but sit around all day watching old TV shows and playing video games. These people may have
plenty of pleasurable subjective experiences. But should we really describe them as “living well”?

Aristotle would certainly say no. He agrees with Socrates that to live the good life one must be a morally
good person. And he agrees with Epicurus that a happy life will involve many and varied pleasurable experiences.
We can’t really say someone is living the good life if they are often miserable or constantly suffering.

But Aristotle’s idea of what it means to live well is objectivist rather than subjectivist. It isn’t just a matter of
how a person feels inside, although that does matter. It’s also important that certain objective conditions be
satisfied.

For instance:
•   Virtue: They must be morally virtuous.
•   Health: They should enjoy good health and reasonably long life.
•   Prosperity: They should be comfortably off (for Aristotle this meant affluent enough so that they don’t
need to work for a living doing something that they would not freely choose to do.)
•   Friendship: They must have good friends. According to Aristotle human beings are innately social; so the
good life can’t be that of a hermit, a recluse, or a misanthrope.
•   Respect: They should enjoy the respect of others. Aristotle doesn’t think that fame or glory is necessary;
in fact, a craving for fame can lead people astray, just as the desire for excessive wealth can. But ideally,
a person’s qualities and achievements will be recognized by others.
•   Luck: They need good luck. This is an example of Aristotle’s common sense. Any life can be rendered
unhappy by tragic loss or misfortune.
•   Engagement: They must exercise their uniquely human abilities and capacities. This is why the couch
potato is not living well, even if they report that they are content. Aristotle argues that what separates
human beings from the other animals is the human reason. So the good life is one in which a person
cultivates and exercises their rational faculties by, for instance, engaging in scientific inquiry, philosophical
discussion, artistic creation, or legislation. Were he alive today he might well include some forms of
technological innovation.

If at the end of your life you can check all these boxes then you could reasonably claim to have lived well,
to have achieved the good life. Of course, the great majority of people today do not belong to the leisure class as
Aristotle did. They have to work for a living.

But it’s still true that we think the ideal circumstance is to be doing for a living what you would choose to do
anyway. So people who are able to pursue their calling are generally regarded as extremely fortunate.
The Meaningful Life
Recent research shows that people who have children are not necessarily happier than people who don’t
have children. Indeed, during the child-raising years, and especially when children have turned into teenagers,
parents typically have lower levels of happiness and higher levels of stress. But even though having children may
not make people happier, it does seem to give them the sense that their lives are more meaningful.

For many people, the well-being of their family, especially their children and grandchildren, is the main
source of meaning in life. This outlook goes back a very long way. In ancient times, the definition of good fortune
was to have lots of children who do well for themselves.

But obviously, there can be other sources of meaning in a person’s life. They may, for instance, pursue a
particular kind of work with great dedication: e.g. scientific research, artistic creation, or scholarship. They may
devote themselves to a cause: e.g. fighting against racism or protecting the environment. Or they may be
thoroughly immersed in and engaged with some particular community: e.g. a church, a soccer team, or a school.

The Finished Life

The Greeks had a saying: Call no man happy until he’s dead. There is wisdom in this. In fact, one might
want to amend it to: Call no man happy until he’s long dead. For sometimes a person can appear to live a fine life,
and be able to check all the boxes—virtue, prosperity, friendship, respect, meaning, etc.—yet eventually be
revealed as something other than what we thought they were.

A good example of this Jimmy Saville, the British TV personality who was much admired in his lifetime but
who, after he died, was exposed as a serial sexual predator.

Cases like this bring out the great advantage of an objectivist rather than a subjectivist notion of what it
means to live well. Jimmy Saville may have enjoyed his life. But surely, we would not want to say that he lived the
good life. A truly good life is one that is both enviable and admirable in all or most of the ways outlined above.

https://www.thoughtco.com

Happiness as the Ultimate Goal of a Good Life

In the eighteenth century, John Stuart Mill declared the Greatest Happiness Principle by saying that an
action is right as far as it maximizes the attainment of happiness for the greatest number of people. At a time
when people when people were skeptical about claims on the metaphysical, people could not make sense of
the human flourishing that Aristotle talked about in the days of old. Mill said that individual happiness of each
individual should be prioritized and collectively dictates the kind of action that should be endorsed. Consider
the pronouncements against mining. When an action benefits the greatest number of people, said action is
deemed ethical. Does mining benefit rather than hurt the majority? Does it offer more benefit rather than
disadvantages? Does mining result in more people getting happy rather than sad? If the answers to the said
questions are in the affirmative, then the said action, mining, is deemed ethical.

The ethical is, of course, meant to lead us to the good and happy life. Through the ages, as has been
expounded in the previous chapters, man has constantly struggled with the
external world in order to reach human flourishing. History has given birth to
different schools of thought, all of which aim for the good and happy life.

Schools of Thought of Happiness

1.   Materialism
 The first materialists were the atomists in Ancient Greece. The atomist philosophers thought that
universe and matter are made up of atoms “atomos” or seeds. These are indivisible particles, assembled by
chance and in a purely mechanical way. The founders of this theory was the Greek philosopher Leucippus and
his disciple Democritus (around 460-370 B.C.). This belief aims that comfort, pleasure, and wealth are the only
highest goals.
Leucippus  and  Democritus,  460-­370  BC  
2.   Hedonism
Epicurus continued the theory of materialism, which does not but any notion of afterlife.
The hedonists see the end goal of life is attaining pleasure. For hedonists, since life is limited, one
must indulge itself with pleasures --- “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die”. They strive to
maximize their total pleasure, the difference of pleasure and pain, and if the pleasure was finally
gained, happiness remains fixed.
Epicurus  
3.   Stoicism
Stoicism is one of the schools of thought in philosophy created for those
who live their lives in the real world. It was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium
(early 3rd century B.C.). Stoicism asserts that virtue (e.g. wisdom) is happiness
and judgement should be based acts on behavior rather than words. People do
not have any control and must not rely on external events, only for themselves
and their responses. This philosophy, helps a person to overcome destructive
emotions and acts on what can be acted upon. Stoicism also differs from other
schools of thought with its purpose as a practical application rather than Marcus  Aurelius,  one  of  the  principal  leaders  
intellectual enterprise. of  Stoicism  

4.   Theism
The ultimate basis of happiness for theists is the communion with God. They
believe that they can find meaning of their lives by using God as the creator of their
existence. Theism is a belief that one or more gods exist within the universe, and that
gods are often omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (all-
pervasive). This belief incorporates Monotheism (belief in one god) and Polytheism (belief
in many gods). The Abrahamic faiths such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, as well as
Hinduism are all theistic religions.

5.   Humanism
Humanism is another school of thought that affirms that human beings have the
right and responsibility to give meaning and shape their own lives. “It is not theistic and
does not accept supernatural views of reality”--- IHEU, International Humanist and Ethical
Union.

Further, humanists see themselves not only as the stewards of creation but as
individuals who have control for themselves as well as the world outside them. Most
scientists dwell on this thought that the world is a place for discovery in seeking ways on
how to improve the lives of its inhabitants. As a result, scientists eventually turn technology to ease the
difficulty of life, that is, to live comfortably.
Biodiversity and Healthy Society
 
Introduction  
The  issue  of  biodiversity  in  the  ecosystem  is  vital.  The  source  of  essential  goods  and  ecological  
services  that  constitute  the  source  of  life  is  completely  dependent  on  biological  diversity  of  
fauna  and  flora.  Likewise,  the  ecological  standpoint  of  biodiversity  across  health  care  services  is  
dynamic  –  diversity  in  life  forms  equates  to  protection,  production,  and  safety  of  health.  

 
“the  value  of  biodiversity  the  value  of  everything”  
(Rainforest  Conservation  Fund,  n.d.)  

“If  we  pollute  the  air,  water  and  soil  that  keep  us  alive  and  well,  and  destroy  the  biodiversity  that  
allows  natural  systems  to  function,  no  amount  of  money  will  save”  

 
“Climate  change,  if  unchecked,  is  an  urgent  threat  to  health,  food  supplies,  biodiversity,  and  
livelihoods  across  the  globe”.  

 
“The   value   of   biodiversity   is   that   it   makes   our   ecosystems   more   resilient,   which   is   a  
prerequisite  for  stable  societies;  its  wanton  destruction  is  akin  to  setting  fire  to  our  lifeboat”  
 Cherish  Every  single  piece  of  resources  that  we  are  taking  from  our  nature  
because  we  humans  depends  on  the  natural  resources  given  to  us  by  our  
surroundings.  
 
Don`t  let  these  resources  disappear  in  just  one  snap!  
 

 
  
A.   What  is  biodiversity?  
Ø   the  shortened  form  of  two  words  "biological"  and  "diversity".  It  refers  to  all  the  
variety  of  life  that  can  be  found  on  Earth  (plants,  animals,  fungi  and  micro-­‐
organisms)  as  well  as  to  the  communities  that  they  form
and  the  habitats  in  which  they  live.  

 
Ø   the  variability  among  living  organisms  from  all  sources,  including  terrestrial,  
marine  and  other  aquatic  ecosystems  and  the  ecological  complexes  of  which  they  
are  part;  this  includes  diversity  within  species,  between  species,  and  of  
ecosystems.
 
Ø   is  the  source  of  the  essential  goods  and  ecological  services  that  constitute  the  
source  of  life  for  all  and  it  has  direct  consumptive  value  in  food,  agriculture,  
medicine,  and  in  industry  (Villaggio  Globale,  2009).
 
Ø   the  variety  of  all  forms  of  life,  from  genes  to  species,  through  to  the  broad  
scale  of  ecosystems.
Ø   the  vast  variety  of  the  life  forms  in  the  entire  earth.  It  encompasses  all  kinds  of  life  
forms,  from  the  singled-­‐celled  organism  to  the  largest  multi-­‐  celled  organism.
Ø   The  variability  among  living  organism  from  all  sources,  including:  
terrestrial,  marine,  and  aquatic  ecosystem.
 
B.   Why  biodiversity  is  important  in  ecosystem?  
1.   Maintains  the  natural  balance  of  ecosystems  and  increases  
ecosystem  productivity;;  each  species  in  an  ecosystem  has  a  specific  
niche—a  role  to  play  
2.   Supports  a  larger  number  of  plant  species  
3.   Protects  freshwater  resources  
4.   Promotes  soils  formation,  soil  contents  and  protection  
5.   Provides  for  nutrient  storage,  nutrient  cycles  and  recycling  
6.   Influences  environmental  condition  such  as  water  cycles,  weather  patterns,  and  
climate.  
7.   Gives  resilience—from  the  microbes  that  contribute  to  the  formation  of  the  
human  biome  to  the  genes  that  help  us  adapt  to  stress  in  the  environment  
8.   Supports  all  forms  of  livelihoods  
9.   Helps  regulate  disease,  and  is  necessary  for  physical,  mental,  and  spiritual  health  and  
social  well-­‐being  
10.   40  per  cent  of  the  world’s  economy  and  80  per  cent  of  the  needs  of  the  poor  are  
derived  from  biological  resources.  
 11.   the  richer  the  diversity  of  life,  the  greater  the  opportunity  for  medical  discoveries,  economic  
development,  and  adaptive  responses  to  such  new  challenges  as  climate  change.  
 
C.   Changes  in  biodiversity  
A  change  in  biodiversity  could  have  erratic  effects  not  only  in  wildlife  or  marine  life  
but  also  in  human  beings.  Humans  inhabiting  the  forest  would  disturb  the  natural  
order  of  life.  Trees  and  plants  would  be  affected  in  the  land-­clearing  operations  
where  the  houses  would  be  built.  The  animals,  insects,  and  all  types  of  life  forms  in  
the  cleared  area  would  either  be  displaced  or  most  likely  be  killed.  Human  wouldn`t  
have  enough  natural  resources  that  they  will  use  in  their  daily  living.  The  forest  and  
some  of  the  natural  resources  will  be  destroyed  due  to  some  illegal  human  activities  
and  extinction  of  the  flora  (plant)  and  fauna  (animal)  will  take  place.  
The   loss   of   these   life   forms   could   affect   the   entire   ecosystem   governing   that  
environment.  The  food  chain  might  be  damaged.  If  the  ecosystem  is  not  well  taken  
care  of,  biodiversity  encounters  changes  that  may  impact  human  health  on  such  
different  levels.  
 
D.   Threats  to  biodiversity  
1.   Habitat  loss  and  destruction  
2.   Alteration  in  ecosystem  composition  
3.   Over-­‐exploitation  
4.   Pollution  and  contamination  
5.   Global  climate  change  
 
E.   Benefits  of  human  in  biodiversity  
Biodiversity  provides  numerous  ecosystem  services  that  are  crucial  
to  human  well-­being  at  present  and  in  the  future  ......  Longer  term  changes  in  
climate  affect  the  viability  and  health  of  ecosystems,  influencing  shifts  in  the  distribution  of  
plants,  pathogens,  animals,  and  even  human  settlements.  Man  has  to  consider  the  entire  
Earth  as  a  single  unit.  A  loss  of  single-­celled  species  or  a  family  of  wild  grass  can  have  
adverse  effects  in  the  entire  biosphere.  Biodiversity  seen  in  macro  level  seems  to  be  still  
vast  and  rich,  yet  if  we  look  at  it  in  micro-­  level,  per  species,  we  have  lost  too  much.  
Eventually,  in  the  near  future,  this  biodiversity  loss  will  have  a  great  negative  effect  
especially  to  us  humans.  
F.   Health,  Biology  and  Diversity  
1.   Almost  all  living  organism  are  dependent  to  their  environment  to  live  and  reproduce.  
2.   The  basic  needs  of  the  organism:  air,  water,  food,  habitat  
3.   Human  illnesses  related  with  the  environment:  Parkinson’s  disease,  heart  disease,  cancer,  
chronic  asthma.  
 
  

Let’s Continually Learn

Movie Viewing: AI

Videos on Village of the Water Mills and Modern Good Life

Let’s Apply
Class Activity: Survey on Level of Happiness

Grading Rubrics:
Content 10 points
Presentation (Format and Style) 10 points
Time of Accomplishment 5 points
TOTAL 25 points
 References  

Reason  and  Meaning.  Aristotle  on  the  Good  Life.  (2013).  Accessed  August  12,  2020.  http://www.reason-­and-­
meaning.com  
 
Serafica,  J.  P.  J.,  Paliwen,  G.  T.,  Caslib,  B.  N.,  Alata,  E.  J.  P.  (2018).  The  Good  Life.  Science,  Technology  and  
Society.  Rex  Book  Store,  Inc.  Manila,  Philippines.  Pp75-­83.  
 
Stanford  Encyclopedia  of  Philosophy.  (2020).  Form  vs.  Matter.  Accessed  August  12,  2020.  
https://good.life.form.vs.matter/stanfordencyclopediaofphilosophy.html  
 
Westacott  E.  (2020).  What  does  it  mean  to  live  the  good  life?  Accessed  August  12,  2020.  
https://www.thoughtco.com  
Prieto,  N.  G.,  Vega,  V.  A.,  Felipe,  E.F.,  &  Meneses,  J.  L.,  (2019).  The  Good  Life.  Science,  Technology,  and  
Society.  Lorimar  Publishing,  Inc.  Quezon  City,  Metro  Manila,  Philippines.  pp  39-­47.