STS: WEEK 7 – THE QUESTIONS CONCERNING TECHNOLOGY

OUTLINE
I. Martin Heidegger Table 1. Aristotles’ Four Main Causes
a. 3 BIG IDEAS OF HEIDEGGER 4 MAIN CAUSES DESCRIPTION
ABOUT HUMAN EXISTENCE 1. Causa Materialis The material by which the
b. SOME VIEWS ON TECHNOLOGY or the Material silver chalice was made of
i. ARISTOTLES’ 4 CAUSES Cause silver.
II. TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING
a. MODERN TECHNOLOGY
2. Causa Formalis The form or the shape that
or the Formal gave the silver chalice its
MARTIN HEIDEGGER Cause image.
-a German philosopher of the 20th century who is
best known for his contributions to phenomenology, 3. Causa Finalis or The purpose of the primary
Final Cause use by which the silver
hermeneutics and existentialism.
chalice was made for: to be
-his masterpiece is the “Being and Time” which used during the Holy
became a key document of existentialism and Communion as a vessel for
delivered a huge impact to philosophy, literary theory, the wine that represents the
and the likes. blood of Christ.
-he hated TV, airplanes, pop music, and processed 4. Causa Efficiens The agent that has caused
food, although he did not hate technology or Efficient for the silver chalice to
Cause come about the silversmith.
-most of his life, he lived away from the modern
civilizations.
-he is fond of using complex and metaphorical words
to describe even simple things. VIEWS ON TECHNOLOGY
1. Technological Pessimism – although tech is
-he stated that human flourishing is finding the real
progressive and beneficial in many ways, it is also
purpose of our existence and one example is helping
doubtful in many ways. (Jacques Ellul)
someone (no man is an island), that way, we can
overcome “thrownness”. • Technology progress has a price
3 IDEAS OF HEIDEGGER
1.
Human Existence (finding the mission in • Technology progress creates more problems
life) • Technology progress creates damaging
DES SEIN – BEING (To exist in the world) effects
DAS NICHTS – The Nothing
2. All beings are connected • Technology progress creates unpredictable
GEWORFENITEIT – THROWNESS devastating effects
3. We forgot to be FREE and LIVE FOR
Ex. of problems:
OURSELVES
“The mode of being of someone which is • Robotics – caused a divide among the
governed by the norm of “AUTHENTICITY” society
SOME VIEWS ON TECHNOLOGY
• Nuclear weapon – misunderstood
(The real essence of technology so we could
establish our relationship with technology) • Info Tech (internet) – cyber-attacks, it has a
price which is our privacy.

Aristotelianism – tech will be judged as either good
or bad based on the value given to the product based
on its use and effect to the society (Aristotle)
Overuse of technology has a detrimental
effect on our body
• Social media platforms – can manipulate
information (fake news)

-We cannot blame the tech alone (ex. knife). We can

only judge it when we’ve already used it, and on how
we used it.
2. Technological Optimism – tech can alleviate all
difficulties and provide solutions for problems that
may come

3. Technocratism – tech as the supreme authority an

everything

Technology

- It could be an instrument (means to an end)

or a process (human activity)

- Technology serves as a means to an end

- It provides convenience, knowledge and

ensured good quality of life.

TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING

“Technology is a way of bringing forth.”

“It shows so much more about the human person and

the world.”

TECHNOLOGY

- It is a POEISIS (bringing forth of something)

that discloses ALETHEIA (reveals the
TRUTH through TECHNE (art).

MODERN TECHNOLOGY

- It is characterized as challenging forth.

- It challenges nature and demands of its
resources.
- Forcibly extracted for human consumption
and storage