Reviewer in sts

Lesson 1
DEFINITION OF TERMS
What is Science?
The word ‘science’ came from the Latin word ‘scientia’ meaning knowledge. It is a systematic and
organized body of knowledge, which is based on the scientific method. This step-by-step and empirical
process or method is used by scientists to construct an accurate representation of the world.
Science is a human attempt to understand the natural world with or without concern for practical uses
of that knowledge.
Science tries to discover facts and relationships and then tries to create theories, which make sense of
these facts and relationships
What is Technology?
The word ‘technology’ came from the Greek words ‘techne’ (skills, craftsmanship, art) and ‘logos’ (study
of). It is the application of science, as a human attempt, to change the world.
It is the human activity involved with the creation and utilization
SCIENCE drives TECHNOLOGY by making new technology or innovation through scientific
breakthroughs.

In summary:
 SCIENCE – explores the purpose of acquiring knowledge
 TECHNOLOGY – explores the purpose of making something useful from that knowledge

What is Society?
The word ‘society’ came from the Latin word ‘socius’ meaning friendship or companionship. It is
described as a web of social relationships.
It is a large group of individuals who share the same geographical territory, culture, social structure, and
are expected to abide by the same rules, laws, and regulations.

STS Interaction Through Time

 Pre-Industrial Revolution
 SCIENCE – Aristotelian Philosophy
 TECHNOLOGY – None
 SOCIETY – St. Thomas Aquinas led the foundation for science and religion to coexist

 First Industrial Revolution

SCIENCE – power generation, new materials, Newtonian mechanics, economics
 TECHNOLOGY – machines in mining, manufacturing, construction, transportation, and
communication
 SOCIETY – English society (art, culture, and economy)

 Modern Times
 SCIENCE – Modern Genetics
 TECHNOLOGY – Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) as food source
 SOCIETY – food security and health concerns
HISTORY OF SCIENCE (Antiquity to 20 Century)
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ANCIENT TIME (3600 BC – 500 AD)

For most of human history, questions about the world were answered by religious authorities.
 Mathematics was born in Egypt. The Babylonians were the first to apply it to Astronomy.
The pre-Socratic philosophers in Ancient Greece were the first to develop a Systematic Science.
 THALES OF MILETUS (624-546 BC)
 In the 7 century, he was dubbed “The Father of Science”.
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 He was the first to posit non-supernatural explanations for earthquakes, lightning, etc.
 He predicted solar eclipse, droughts, and made a fortune doing so.

 ANAXIMANDER (610-546 BC)

 He believed that life came from water and mud.
 He proposed that humans evolved from lower life forms (speculation was later vindicated
by Charles Darwin 2400 years later).

 EMPEDOCLES (490-430 BC)

 He discovered air using a straw and a glass of water.
“Empedocles discovered the invisible. – Carl Sagan

 DEMOCRITUS (460-370 BC)

 He was first to theorize that matter is made of atoms (the word ‘atom’ means uncuttable in
Greek)

 ERATOSTHENES (276-194 BC)

 He accurately measured the size or circumference of the earth using two sticks.
 He created the first map of the world.

 PYTHAGORAS (570-495 BC)

 He started a school dedicated to Mathematics and its application to nature.
 Pythagorean Theorem

 HERACLITUS & PARMENIDES

 They said that nature loves to hide.
 They started major debates on questions – ‘What justifies reason, knowledge or experience?
and Is nature fundamentally permanent or damaging?’

 THE BIG THREE OF GREEK PHILOSOPHY

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle
 Socrates – Socratic Method
 Plato – Student of Socrates; Idealistic
 Aristotle – Student of Plato; Tutor of Alexander the Great; Empirical
CHEMISTRY
The first five basic elements were:
1. Earth 4. Water
2. Air 5. Aether/Ether
3. Fire

 HIPPOCRATES & GALEN

 They developed the first scientific approach to Anatomy and Medicine.
They used experiments and records to heal the sick.

MIDDLE AGES (500 AD – 1500 AD)

Science continued through the Roman Empire.
When the empire fell and the Dark Ages ensued, Science in the West ceased to progress.
 While there were some European scientists in the middle ages, they were generally isolated and
marginalized.
 Most scientific advancements from 500-1300 CE (Common Era) were made in the Islamic world.
 Medicine, Astronomy, and Chemistry were considerably developed in these regions.
 Avicenna (circa 1000 CE) pioneered the techniques that lead to the modern hospital.
 In the 12 century, Europe Scholasticism (heretics) tried to reconcile ancient Greek thought with
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biblical dogma (start of the end of the Dark Ages).

RENAISSANCE
 means ‘rebirth’
 from 1400 to 1700 AD

St. Thomas Aquinas

 He said that reason is God’s greatest gift.
 He reconciled reason and faith.
 open scientific inquiry
 Patron Saint of Teachers

He suggested two laws:

1. Secular (natural) law
2. Religious (eternal) law

 He endorsed “Natural Theology” (Knowing God by studying).

 This led to a social revolution wherein people started to think or reason out.
 Free discussion was encouraged, weakening the church’s sovereignty.
 Thinkers turned away from the church and went back to antiquity for inspiration.
 Thus, there was a RENAISSANCE or rebirth (in Greek - humanism).
 The universe is once again a rational comprehensive place.

 FRANCIS BACON
He said that, ‘Being a genius is like being able to run fast. You travel far, but unless you have a map, you’ll
be lost.’ He provided a map – the first scientific method. empirical observation and experimentation
rational analysis, mathematical modeling, and deductive reasoning

SCIENTIFIC REVOLUTION There is a shift back to the idea that human reason, not faith, has the power to
discover the ultimate truth. The best minds flocked to Astronomy.

nicolaus Copernicus proposed the heliocentric (sun-centered) view of the universe. The Copernican
Revolution challenged the Ptolemaic or geocentric view that dominated for 1400 years.

THE COPERNICAN REVOLUTION

Copernicus said that, ‘We have to rethink our place in the universe’.
We are not at the center, but does that mean we are not special?

COPERNICANISM
Copernicus system could explain things that the Ptolemaic system could not.
Copernicans were deemed heretics and burned at the state.
Lesson 2. Intellectual Revolutions that defined Society
The three major intellectual revolutions that defined society are:
1. COPERNICAN REVOLUTION – postulated by Nicolaus Copernicus
2. DARWINIAN REVOLUTION – postulated by Charles Darwin
3. FREUDIAN REVOLUTION – postulated by Sigmund Freud

What is Copernican Revolution?

Claudius Ptolemy, a famous philosopher and astronomer, stated that planets, as well as the moon and the
sun, revolve or circulate around the Earth. He believed that Earth is the center of the solar system. This
concept is known as geocentrism.
In the 16 century, however, Nicolaus Copernicus, a polish astronomer and mathematician,
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challenged the geocentric model by Ptolemy. He proposed a new concept known as heliocentrism,
which suggested that the sun is actually the center of the solar system and not the Earth. His
proposition started the birth of modern astronomy.

What is Darwinian Revolution?

Charles Darwin is the Father of Evolution. He introduced the theory of evolution, which postulated that
populations undergo a process known as natural selection wherein only the fittest individuals survive.
The Darwinian Revolution was considered one of the most controversial intellectual revolutions of its
time.

What are the factors of natural selection?

 Variation
 Overproduction
 Survival of the Fittest
 Heritability

What is Freudian Revolution?

Sigmund Freud is the founding father of psychoanalysis. Psychoanalysis is the study, which explains
human behavior. In this study, Freud explained that our behavior and emotions are affected or
influenced by conscious and unconscious factors.
He also argued that a person’s personality is affected by three conflicting elements: id (subconscious;
pleasure principle; driven by instincts), ego (conscious; reality principle; balances between id and
superego), and superego (social conscience; driven by moral standards).
 Development of Science in Mesoamerica
 Predicted eclipses
 Astrological cycles in planting and harvesting
 Mayan calendar; Inca calendar; Aztec calendar
 Hydraulics
 Weaving looms
 Roads paved with stones
 Stone buildings
 Irrigation systems
 Calendar with 12 months
 First suspension bridge
 Quipu (ancient accounting tool)
 Inca textiles

 Development of Science in Asia
 Iron manufacturing
 Ayurveda (Medicine in India)
  Astronomy
 Standard measurement of length
 Solar and lunar eclipses
 Acupuncture

 Development of Science in Middle East
 Science experiments
 Optics
 Algorithm and Algebra

 Development of Science in Africa

 Geometry
 Center of alchemy
 Human Anatomy and Pharmacology
 Astronomy
 Mathematics

What is information intellectual revolution?

Our view of the world has been constantly changed through various scientific revolutions. Today, as
we begin to inhabit the ‘infosphere’, we are experiencing an information revolution. Indeed, we are
now in the midst of the ‘information revolution’, which led us to the age of the internet. Information
is known as the key that transforms to knowledge. The positive changes in the development of any
nation can be brought by the amount of information received, stored, processed, retrieved, and
disseminated.

Lesson 3. Science and Technology and Nation Building

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND INNOVATION (STI)

 plays a key role in economic and social progress
 a significant driver of the long-term growth of the country’s economy
 Technology adoption enables the country and its people to benefit from innovations created
in other countries, and allows it to keep up and even leap frog obsolete technologies. This can
lead to notable improvements in the productivity of firms in industry, agriculture, and
services.
 It can lead to the making of new public goods and services (or new methods of delivering
public goods and services) that will help address the needs of society, especially of the poor
and vulnerable people, including in the areas of health, education, energy, disaster resiliency,
and climate change adaptati
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES ACROSS HISTORY
The development of S&T affect the development of the Philippines as a nation.

PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD
Scientific advancements began even before the Spaniards came to the Philippines.
The following are the notable S&T development during this period:
 use of certain medicinal plants and herbs
 implementation of farming and animal raising
 modes of transportation: terrestrial or aquatic

COLONIAL PERIOD
Spaniards supported the Philippines with modern means of infrastructures like walls, roads, and
bridges.
 The following are the notable S&T development during this period:
 health and education systems
 S&T development

POST-COLONIAL PERIOD
The Philippines, under different administrations, continued to pursue programs in S&T after
achieving independence from the colonizers.
During Ferdinand Marcos’ time, PAG-ASA was established on placed of the abolished Weather
Bureau, NAST, etc. He saw that continued development of S&T is the key to nation building.

Lesson 4. The Human Flourishing in Terms of Science and Technology

What is human flourishing?

 It is the highest good of human attempt to achieve his or her goal.
 It is often connected to the Greek term ‘eudaimonia’ that literally means ‘good spirited’.
 According to a renowned Greek philosopher, Aristotle, eudaimonia is described as the peak of
human’s happiness, which can be achieved.
 It means achieving the best conditions possible for a human being in every sense.

Who is Aristotle again?

 son of Nicomachus
 from Stagira, Macedonia, Greece
 student of Plato
 formed a love of philosophy and logic
 became the tutor of Alexander of Macedon (later named Alexander the Great)
 returned to Athens and established his own school (Lyceum)
 wrote about 200 works
 studied literary theory, government, and logic
 known as the Father of Biology

According to Aristotle, human flourishing arises as a product of various factors such as phronesis
(wisdom), friendship, wealth (time, talent, treasure), and power.
He said that active exercise of a person’s distinctive capacity or rationality is needed for every person to
live happily, successfully, and well as he or she engages in activities as a human being.

Aristotle’s human flourishing vs Today’s

 Today, humans are expected to become man of the world.
 Humans are in a global neighborhood, working side by side among institutions to reach a common
goal.
 Coordination is the new trend, and competition as a means of survival is out of date.

Western vs Eastern (on human flourishing)

 Eastern – community-centric
 Western – tends to be individualistic

Lesson 5. Technology as a Way of Revealing

 The essence of technology is not something we make; it is a mode of being, or of revealing.
 This means that technological things have their own novel kind of presence, endurance, and
connections among parts and wholes.
 They have their own way of presenting themselves and the world in which they operate.
 Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)
 He is a German philosopher.
 He is one of 20 century’s most influential philosophers.
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 His work is most readily associated with phenomenology and existentialism.

 He said that technology is very important as it plays a key role in understanding our current time.
 His text, “The Question Concerning Technology” (1954, English Translation 1977), has been very
influential in philosophy of technology.

Overview of Heidegger’s ‘The Question Concerning Technology”

 Heidegger starts his essay with our everyday understanding of technology as instrumentality, as a
way of getting things done.
 He asks what we mean by "instrumentality" and moves into a discussion of "cause."
 According to Heidegger, the essence of technology is by no means anything technological.
 Enframing is the concept of Gestell, which was applied by Heidegger to his exposition of the
essence of technology. He claims that enframing stems from the human drive for a ‘precise’ and
‘scientific’ knowledge of the world.
 Heidegger reminds us that the essence of technology precedes the historical emergence of both
modern science and modern machine production.
 The examination of "cause," in turn, leads him to a discussion of poeisis as a bringing forth, a
revealing of something that was concealed.
 Heidegger also introduced the idea of ‘standing reserve’, which is closely related to
‘instrumentality’ with which the essay begins. Technology's instrumental orientation to the world
transforms the world into "standing reserve." We might say that for technology, nothing in the
world is "good" in and of itself, but only "good for" something.
 At the close of the last section, he introduced another Greek term – ‘aletheia’, which literally means
‘unveiling’, or ‘revealing’. It also means ‘truth’.
 Indeed, Heidegger said that although we cannot escape the fate of technology, we must have a
‘free’ and constantly critical (questioning) relationship with the technology that is constantly
making new incursions into our lives.
 Although technology is the highest danger, it has also the power to resolve its environmental and
societal negative impacts.

THREE CLAIMS OF MARTIN HEIDEGGER

1. Technology is “not an instrument”, it is a way of understanding the world.
2. Technology is “not a human activity”, but develops beyond human control.
3. Technology is “the highest danger”, risking us to only see the world through technological
thinking.

Lesson 6. The Good Life

According to Westacott (2018), we can understand the meaning of good life by three ways. These
are moral life, life of pleasure and fulfilled life.

A. MORAL LIFE
“Good life” means moral approval. People with good life are good person, courageous, honest,
trustworthy, kind, selfless, generous, helpful, loyal, principled, and so on.

Socrates in Gorgias
He argued it is 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 uses wealth and power dishonorably.
 Plato
This morally good person enjoys a sort of inner harmony whereas the wicked person, no matter how
rich and powerful he maybe or how may pleasures he enjoys, is disharmonious, fundamentally at odds
with himself and the world.

B. THE LIFE OF PLEASURE

Greek philosopher Epicurus says that pleasure is enjoyable, fun, and is what makes life worth
living.
Hedonism is a belief that pleasure is the most vital principle in determining the morality of a
potential course of action.
Living the good life means enjoying lots of recreational pleasures, good food, good wine, scuba
diving, and other subjective experiences. A person is happy when they feel good and have many
“feel good experiences”.

Epicure – someone who is appreciative of

food and drink

C. THE FULFILLED LIFE BY ARISTOTLE

1. Virtue – morally virtuous
2. Health – enjoy good health and reasonably long life
3. Prosperity – comfortably off (Aristotle - affluent enough so that they don’t need to work for a
living doing something that they would not freely choose to do)
4. Friendship - good friends; innately social
5. Enjoy respect of others
6. Need good luck, common sense