CHAPTER II

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
AND SOCIETY AND THE
HUMAN CONDITION

LESSON 1:
THE HUMAN FLOURISHING IN TERMS OF
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

PREPARED BY:
CRISTY LYN P. FLORES
INSTRUCTOR
 Lesson 1: The Human Flourishing in Terms of
Science and Technology

What is Happiness?
In psychology, happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being which can
be defined by, among others, positive or pleasant emotions ranging from
Dearcontentment
Sir/Madam,to intense joy.
To behaviorists, happiness is a cocktail of emotions we experience when we do
something good or positive.
To neurologists, happiness is the experience of a flood of hormones released in the
brain as a reward for behavior that prolongs survival.
The hedonistic view of well-being is that happiness is the polar opposite of
suffering, the presence of happiness indicates the absence of pain. Because of this,
hedonists believe that the purpose of life is to maximize happiness, which
minimizes misery.
Eudaimonia, a term that combines the Greek words for "good" and "spirit" to
describe the ideology. Eudaimonia defines happiness as the pursuit of becoming a
better person. Eudaimonists do this by challenging themselves intellectually or by
engaging in activities that make them spiritually richer people.

Aristotle
--> Aristotle believed that human flourishing requires a life with other people. Aristotle
taught that people acquire virtues through practice and that a set of concrete virtues
could lead a person toward his natural excellence and happiness.
--> According to Aristotle, there is an end of all of the actions that we perform which
we desire for itself. This is what is known as eudaimonia, flourishing, or happiness,
which is desired for its own sake with all other things being desired on its account.
Eudaimonia is a property of one's life when considered as a whole. Flourishing is the
highest good of human endeavors and that toward which all actions aim. It is success
as a human being. The best life is one of excellent human activity.

Eudaimonia
“good spirited”
Coined by Aristotle
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Describes the pinnacle of happiness that is attainable by humans.
Manager
“human flourishing”
From Nicomachean Ethics (philosophical inquiry into the nature of
the good life for a human being.)
 Lesson 1: The Human Flourishing in Terms of Science and Technology

– Human flourishing arises as a result of different components such as

Phronesis
Friendship
Wealth
Power
• In ancient Greek society, they believe that acquiring these will surely bring
Dear Sir/Madam,
the seekers happiness, which in effect allows them to partake in the greater
notion of what we call the Good.
• As time changes, elements that comprise human flourishing changed.
• People found means to live more comfortably, explore more places,
develop more products, and make more money.
• Humans of today are expected to become “man of the world”.
• Supposed to situate himself in a global neighborhood, working side by
side among institutions and the government to be able to reach a common
goal.

Principles of Human Flourishing

Dignity of the Human person - innate personal values or rights which
demands respect for all people, regardless of race, social class, wealth
etc.
Common Good - sacrificing self-interest to provide for the basic human
needs of everyone makes the whole community flourish.
Preferential Option for the Poor - when decisions are made by first
considering the poor.
Subsidarity - when all those affected by a decision are involved in
making it.
Universal Purpose of Goods - the Earth's resources serve every person's
needs, regardless of who "owns" them.
Stewardship of Creation - duty to care for the Earth as a (God-given)
gift is a personal responsibility for the common good.
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Promotion of Peace - everyone has the duty to respect and collaborate
Manager
in personal relationships, and at national and global levels.
Participation - everyone has the right and the duty to take part in the
life of a society (economic, political, cultural, religious)
Global Solidarity - recognition that we are all interconnected, part of
one human family.
Lesson 1: The Human Flourishing in Terms of Science and Technology

DIFFERENT CONCEPTIONS
OF HUMAN FLOURISHING
Eastern
• Focus
Dear is community-centric
Sir/Madam,
• Individual should sacrifice himself for the sake of society
• Chinese Confucian system
• Japanese Bushido
• Encourage studies of literature, sciences, and art for a greater cause

Western
More focused on the individual
Human flourishing as an end
Aristotelian view
Aims for eudaimonia as the ultimate good

Science, Technology and Human Flourishing

Every discovery, innovation, and success contributes to our pool of
human knowledge.
Human’s perpetual need to locate himself in the world by finding proofs
to trace evolution.
Elicits our idea of self-importance
Technology is a human activity we excel in as a result of achieving
science.
Good is inherently related to the truth.

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Manager
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing
WHAT ARE THE STEPS OF SCIENTIFIC METHOD?

Science as Method
Science is an organized way of studying things and finding answers to
questions. Scientific method is an approach to seeking knowledge that
involves
Dear forming and testing hypothesis. This methodology is used to answer
Sir/Madam,
questions in a wide variety of disciplines.

1. Observe and identify using your senses the unexplainable occurrences

around you.
2. Identify the problem and identify the possible factors involved.
3. Formulate hypothesis that could explain the said occurrences. Ideally the
goal is to reject the null hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis
for the study to be significant and beneficial to the society.
4. Conduct experiment by setting up dependent and independent variables
and see how the independent variable affects the dependent variable.
5. Gather and analyze the data once your experiment is complete. Collect
your measurements and analyze them to see if they support you
hypothesis or not. Accept or reject the hypothesis of modify the hypothesis
if necessary.
6. Formulate conclusion and provide recommendation in case others would
like to extend and broaden the study you have conducted.

WHY ARE DIVERSITY AND COLLABORATION IN THE SCIENTIFIC

COMMUNITY IMPORTANT TOWARDS HUMAN FLOURISHING?
Science as a Social Endeavor

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Manager
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing

The following are the importance of diversity and collaboration in

the scientific community towards human flourishing

1. Collaboration and diversity balance possible biases. Scientists benefits

from other scientists and practitioners with different sets of beliefs,
cultural backgrounds, and values to balance out possible biases that

Dearmight happen if science were practiced by a small group of humanity.

Sir/Madam,
2. Diversity and collaboration stimulate problem solving. Two heads are
better than one. Science benefits greatly from a community. Problems
arise from different sectors of society. A diverse community is better
able to generate new research methods, explanations and ideas, which
can help science over challenging obstacles and shed new light on
problems for the betterment of the society.
3. Diversity and collaboration facilitate specialization. Scientists have
different strengths and different interests. Not only do people from
different backgrounds choose to investigate different questions, but
they may have different approaches in the same question. They may
have different questions on a certain topic. They may have different
respondents to validate their hypothesis. The have different methods
that are based on their interests.
4. Diversity and collaboration are inspiration and motivation. Interactions
in society encourage innovation and development of ideas about new
lines of evidence, new applications, new questions, and alternate
explanations about a technology. Some people are driven by the thrill of
competition like the runners run faster, politicians’ campaign harder,
and students study more for college exams when they know that they
are competing against others. Scientists are not exempted. Some
scientists are motivated by the sense of competition offered by
community. Likewise, the community offers scientists the prospect of
recognition from the other well-known scientists.
5. Diversity and collaboration divide labor. Science is too wide for an
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individual on his or her own to handle. Collaborations and division of
Manager
labor are increasingly important today, as our scientific understanding,
techniques, and technologies expand. There is simply more to know
than ever before and as we learn more about the world, more research
is performed at the intersections of different fields
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing

WHAT ARE THE HUMAN CONDITIONS BEFORE AND

AFTER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY?

Dear Sir/Madam,

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing

Dear Sir/Madam,

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing

Dear Sir/Madam,

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing

Dear Sir/Madam,

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing

Dear Sir/Madam,

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing

Dear Sir/Madam,

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing

Dear Sir/Madam,

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 2: Technology as a Way of Revealing

Dear Sir/Madam,

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 3: The Good Life

What is meant by a good life?

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

What is the Good Life?

Dear Sir/Madam, The various meaning of “living well”
By: Emrys Westacott

What is “the good life?” This is one of the oldest philosophical questions. It has
been posted 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 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.

Moral life
One basic way in which we use the word “good” is to express moral
approval.
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, Georgais, 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 uses wealth and power dishonourably.
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.
Many religion 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
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commandments and performing the proper rituals, is pious. And in most
Manager
religions such piety will be rewarded.
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.
 Lesson 3: The Good Life
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.
The view that pleasure is the good, or to put it another way, that
pleasure is what makes life worth living, is known hedonism.
It suggests that they are devoted to what some have called the
Dear“lower” pleasures such as sex, food, drink and sensual indulgence in
Sir/Madam,
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.
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” pleasure such as friendship and study
are at least as important as “pleasure 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 concept 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 pleasure: 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
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Manager
is one that contains many “feel goo” experiences.
 Lesson 3: The Good Life

The Fulfilled Life

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
Dear gives
Sir/Madam,
us 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 an
instrumental value.
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 a
reasonably long life.
Prosperity: They should be comfortably off
Friendship: They must have good friends
They should enjoy respect of others.
They need good luck.
They must exercise their unique human abilities
and capacities.

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 3: The Good Life

THE MEANINGFUL LIFE

A lot of 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 the children
have turned into teenagers, parents typically have lower levels of
happiness and higher levels of stress. But even though having
Dear Sir/Madam,
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; protecting the environment. Or they may be thoroughly
immersed in and engaged with some particular community: e.g. a
church; a soccer team; 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.

Sacha Dubois
Manager
 Lesson 3: The Good Life

MATERIALISM
The first materialists were the atomists in Ancient Greece. The atomist
philosophers thought that universe and matter are only 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
Dear Sir/Madam,
(around 460-370 B.C.). This belief aims that comfort, pleasure, and
wealth are the only highest goals.

(Leucippus and Democritus, 460-370 BC)

HEDONISM
Epicurus continued the theory of materialism, which does not buy any
notion of afterlife. The hedonists see the end goal of life in 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.

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Manager

(Epicurus)
 Lesson 3: The Good Life

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 BC). Stoicism asserts
that virtue (e.g. wisdom) is happiness and
judgment should be based acts on behaviour
Dear
ratherSir/Madam,
than words. People do not have any control
and must not rely on external events, only foe
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
intellectual enterprise.

THEISM
The ultimate basis of happiness for theists is the communion with God. They
believe that they can find the 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 (believe 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.

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.
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(Humanism logo of IHEU)

 Lesson 3: The Good Life

WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF A GOOD LIFE?

“Aristotle was the originator of the concept of eudaimonia (from
daimon – true nature). He deemed happiness to be a vulgar idea,
stressing that not all desires are worth pursuing as, even though
Dear Sir/Madam,
some of them may yield pleasure, they would not produce wellness.
Aristotle thought that true happiness is found by leading a virtuous
life and doing what is worth doing. He argued that realizing human
potential is the ultimate human goal”

Boniwell (2008) emphasized that feeling good is not good enough

for a good life. Each person must realize his/her potentialities which
would lead him/her to the greatest fulfilment – daimon.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN ACHIEVING

GOOD LIFE?
According to Vergragt (2006), in his essay about how technology
could contribute to a sustainable world, technology will support and
enhance a “good life” for all citizens without compromising the
earth’s ecosystem or the prospects of later generations. As Stutz
(2006) stated, a good life requires essentially basic human needs
are met and aspirations for freedom, belonging, and self-realization
are fulfilled as much as possible. Vergragt also noted that
technological innovation in the context of the good life and how it
can be supported or threatened, depending on the way
technological innovations are influenced and steered by human
decisions
Sacha and institutions.
Dubois
Manager