1

STS 10
Why we study?

- social aspect

- background and understanding of significance of S and T in the living past and their importance in
the modern world.

Science - can alter our conception of ourselves and our phase.

Scientific Revolution

16th and 17th centuries

 Galileo and other scientist argued that “earth was not at the center of universe”.
 Darwin argued that human is product at natural process and not by divinely wrought miracle.
 Physicists believed that “universe is probabilistic and that is a row as a result of change explosion.
 Tectonic plate has revealed that the continents where live are not stable, and but drift across the
earth and crash into each other.
 Technology that science has had remarkable and dramatic effect in society, environment and system.
 19th century- science based-techniques to transform and revolutionize.
-change in political economy.
-a nuclear war erupted.

19th century continued:

- experience the dramatic and rapid onslaught of computerization and telecommunication which
resulted to unemployment.

- development of modern pharmaceutical can cured disease and yet other disease arise.

“The broader we understand the changes and happenings in this world the greater our ability to ensure the
science and technology are used in ways and direction towards the benefit of human race and society than
leading to sufferings and destructions.

Definition of S and T

Concise Oxford Dictionary - “science as systematic, organize, knowledge this systematic nature sets
science aspect from other type of understanding”

Technology
- applied science
- scientist produces or generate knowledge and technology turn it to important product or devices.
Example: computers, aircraft, carriers, space craft, and other machines to generate nuclear energy
to operate power plants.
No Technology Before:
Technology is input to construct spouse of the wonder of the world.
Example: Pyramid of Egypt and Great Wall of China.
In broader sense:
 2

Technology as a body of reservoir of skills and knowledge by which we control and modify its system,
process and development.
Example: Medicines, surgery and drugs
Origin of STS studies:
Plato - in the fourth century BCE in Georgia
- recognized the value of engineer.
Realism - actual object
- protected about their low status
Francis Bacon (1526), British thinker
- published book “The New Atlantis”
- told imaginary voyage to small island in South Seas.
Philosopher Nicolas de Condorcet
- French revolutionist and mathematician
- “Condorcet Method” – election method (majority of vote).
Boris Hessen
- argued that Newton’s was led to advanced technologies
- technology include: navigation, mining and development of weapon.

A. Nature of Science, Technology, and Society, Scope and Limitation

1. Meaning of Technology
a. Technology as Techniques
- does not refer directly to particular individual devices, machines and so on.
- refer to material product of human making and fabrication
Techniques- are “material artifacts”
 anthropological term or “hardware”
Hardware - product by a person or group of persons.
Categories - tools, devices, machines, implements or utensils (McGinn, 1991)
For general Categories: computers, contact lens, hammers, guns, microscopes, and pianos.
b. Technology as a Technology
- refers to the complex of knowledge, methods, materials
- if applicable used in making a certain kind of technique
- can be used in singular or plural
(Two or more technologies are involved)
Such as: automobile, (breaks technology) carburettor technology engine technology and
transmission technology.
c. Technology as a form of Human Cultural Activity
- art, law, medicine, sport and religion
- engineering- professionalized field

d. Technology as a Total Societal Enterprise

 3

- Complex of knowledge, people skills, organizations, facilities, techniques, physical resources,

methods and technologies that are taken together and in relationship to one another are devoted
to the research
2. Meaning of Science (“systematic theoretical inquiry”)
- logic and mathematics
- substantive science
Example: physics, biology, physiology, sociology.
a. Science as Knowledge
- organized, well-founded body of knowledge of natural phenomena contributions to which have
been made by thousands of men and women.
b. Science as field of systematic inquiry into nature
- to a particular field of systematic inquiry in which such knowledge is sought (seek)
- “the science of physics” as against “the social science”
c. Science as a Form of Human Cultural Activity
- corresponding to the third sense of meaning of technology
- refers to a distinctive form or kind of human cultural activity referred to as scientists, natural
philosopher and savants (persons know a lot about specific subject)
d. Science as a Total Societal Enterprise

- variety of knowledge, people, skills, organizations, facilities, technics, physical resources, methods
and technologies that taken together and relation with one another

- develop to the study and understanding of the natural world.

3. S and T as Form of Activity

- distinctive kinds of human activity

T and S

- depends on the fact that conventional human activity

- can be analyzed in terms of components, inputs, outputs, function, transformative resources,

practitioners and process.

2 types:

- characterized by describing it characteristics inputs, outputs, function and so on.

- differentiated or related by looking at differences and similarities in and relationships between

their various aspect.

Characteristics output of T and S

Two kinds of characteristics output of technological activity

1. technics- refers to various kinds of metal creation (procedure, plans, or analysis) that pertain to
design, production, use, or maintenance of techniques.
 4

2. Technic related - intellectual product would include a program for the computerized operation at a
rapid transit system: a system of controlling qualifies of manufactured product or an analysis and
assessment of the risk of a proposed design for a new technique.

For science:

- Characteristics output or end result is theory based or at least theory- related knowledge at
nature that is, of the material world itself, taken here as including human, as well as individual
and social activities and behavior.

As science

- Some scientific activity yields data or speculative theory as it output, but rates as an
intermediate, transmitted stage.
o Proper organizations, coordination or explanation or that data with a confirmed theory
of
o The confirmation of a speculative theory through an actual experiment that yields
information knowledge.

Root function of T And S

- broader scope
Example: transistor (decisive techniques of 20th century)
- technological extension of human abilities
- does not permit human to do something otherwise infeasible
- role function or purpose of T as an activity
- to expand the realm of practical human possibility.

B. The Relationship of S and T in Society

- history
- evolved from one of virtual, isolation, and mutual independence-one of ultimate association and
mutually kenetial interdependence

1.Antiquity (ancient times)

Archimedes – a Greek mathematician and scientist

o offered a sophisticated proof for and may also discovered the “law of the lever”

Law of the Lever - mathematically calculable weight-lifting leverage can be guided by using a
proportionally longer lever.

- believed that engineering is ignoble (lowness) in contract to mathematics and theoretical

science.
- “call of the lag” to help defend his native city by using his knowledge of physics to design
“catapults” use to repel a roman invasion in 212 BCE (before the common era)
 5

Technology- is not simply applied science

- Was present in human scene long before science.

- Example: making of physical artefacts.

2.From Antiquity through Renaissance

- to the 17th century
- trajectories of T and S seldom intersected.
- Rare instance: S may have Influence Technological Practice

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

- Painting was hardly more than a sideline.

- Works in scientific field of anatomy, mechanics, and acoustics and in machine design,
architecture and weaponry.

Francis Bacon (1561-1626)

- produce naval canon and magnetic compass

- led or European voyages
- T and S reinsured in a state of mutual isolation
- science would become an important factor in much technological progress.

3.Technology and Modern Technology

T as an activity exists long before the dawn of the era of modern technology in the mid-18 th century.

o Prove to be items of exclusively modern techniques.

T with MT

- merely a linguistic convenience intended to point up the quantitative uniqueness of MT

- by receiving the word technology

Technological Progress - Normally slow and cumulative.

MT evolved gradually out of and is deeply indebted to modern technology.

Science and Modern Science

- Scientific activity existed in the western society long before 16 th and 17th century, age of the
“scientific revolution”
- 6th century, Ionian cosmologist (Greek philosophers)
- explain curious dual phenomenon at flux and change in their everyday experience at the natural
world.
- set against the backdrop at a cosmos that exhibited regularity and order.

Regularity- due to the underlying substantial unity.

Change- From the fact that phenomena of everyday life were comprised of different combination or
changing modes or forms of more primary elements (e.g. water and air) for universe.
 6

- The birth of science as an activity, however rudimentary (basic or simple)

C. Importance of S and T in contemporary society

- Bound up with three concerns of citizens and governments in contemporary society
o Military power
o Economic strength
o Medical well-being

World War 2 outcome depend primarily on superior scientific and technological capabilities of
U.S.A and its allies.

- technical capabilities and resources remain vital to the security of many nations and
governments.
- U.S.A economy started
o Technology has played a major role in increasing the country productivity
- Output - refers as goods and services
- Input - refers to the labor or labor and capital remained.
- Productivity - critical factor to long term economic growth and increasing standard
of living.
o Of the 10 U.S.A industrial corporations with the highest sales in 1987.
o Corporation were S and T companies
o High technology goods- commercial aircraft and product of semi-conductors, computers
and office equipment sector, chemical and crops.

S and T have also played increasing the scope and efficacy medical care in this century.

o Advances in diagnosis
o Surgery to vaccines
o Therapeutic devices
o Rehabilitative apparatus

1. Human Successes and Failures

For success: e.g. landing of man on the moon, folio vaccine, transport aircraft jet, antibiotics,
personal computers, confirmation of big bang theory (origin of universe)

For failures: e.g. Chernobyl and challenges space shuttle disasters, airplane crushes due to
defective engineering, environment degradation and human disease caused in part by
irresponsible scientific and technological practices.

2. Threats to Human Survival

- development or used of their potent product

E.g. nuclear weapon, product designed for chemical biological warfare and product that
threatens sustainability of the ecosystem.
- Properly regulated and controlled.

3. Ethical Dilemmas
 7

- Exploitation of advance scientific knowledge technological devices and system.

E.g. prescription to pregnant woman of supposedly therapeutic drugs that actually proves to be
carcinogenic.

Requires careful analysis

4. Disparities in human well being

S and T- cornucopia (source of something) at some sophisticated material goods by million people
at the industrialized countries.

- however: millions of people in both less and developed countries have not partaken at this lavish
banquet)
5. Social and Cultural Roles

a. Science:
1) Combating irrationality
- 18th century, tasked with activity of reducing and or eliminating the populace belief on myth
superstition, irrational behavior.
- 20th century, to combat the claim is inherent suspense associated with racism, toxism and
ethnocentrisms.
2) Preeminent Source of Cognitive Authorities
- Source of cognitive authority in the western life.
Cognitive- intellectual activity
- Leaders of society - often turned to sacred book for assistance in making important
determination and give rise to popularity of biblical literalism and astronomy

b. Technology:

1) Sustaining the private corporation

T - vital in sustaining the life and existence of modern social institution and private
corporations.8

- Helping the corporation survive and increase their profit and sometimes translate the benefit for
society.
2)Source of personal identity
- Religion, race, class, sex, and nationality
o Less able to serve as compelling source of individual identity.
- Items of technology a person processes, increasing important source of identity.
- Secure an identity by acquiring and exhibiting the right artifacts.

3)Social integration and stratification

MT - use to counteract some tendencies- threaten to weaken family ties and harmony in
community affairs.
- Enhance the promotion of shared political awareness, common value recitation and facilitate
contact between individuals and parties at a distance.
 8

Why S and T is threat to human survival? (Express in 2-3 sentences)