CHAPTER 6
FORM
THE ETHICAL DILEMMAS OF ROBOTS
ROBOTS
• It is commonly accepted that robots contain some combination of
the following attributes: mobility, intelligent behavior, sense, and
manipulation of the environment.
• The term “robot” truly extends to more than just androids.
• The commonly accepted first use of the word was in 1920 in the
form of a play written by Karel Capek.
• An artificial people that are given the ability to think.
• They are designed to be happy as servants.
• The use of the word “robot” in Capek's play comes from the Slavic
languages‟ word for “work,” which is robota.
ROBOTA
Slavic languages word for “work”.
R.U.R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)
• The play was written by Karel Capek.
• Involves the development of artificial people.
The word “robot” was not used until 1920, the idea of mechanical
humans has been around as far back as Greek mythology. One example
that closely relates to the servant robots seen in Capek's play is the
servants of the Greek god Hephaestus, the god of fire and the forge. It
is recorded that Hephaestus had built robots out of gold which was “his
helpers, including a complete set of life-size golden handmaidens who
helped around the house”.
Social Robots are hunks of metal tethered to computers, which need
their human designers to get them going and to smooth the hiccups
along the way. (Henig, 2007)
SOCIAL ROBOT
• A social robot is a robot capable of interacting with humans and
other robots.
• These are developed using artificial intelligence and are often
equipped with sensors, cameras, microphones, and other
technology so they can respond to touch, sounds, and visual cues
much like humans would
HOW ARE SOCIAL ROBOTS USED?
• Tutoring
Provide learners with a fun, interactive way to practice and master
new learning skills.
• Telepresence
Provide remote meeting attendees with a physical presence in a
business meeting.
• Companionship
Provides emotional support to the young, elderly, or disabled.
• Customer engagement
Provide potential customers with information about products and
services, store hours, and pricing.
In an article written in 2008, Brooks explains that it is no longer a
question of whether human-level artificial intelligence will be developed,
but rather how and when. While it is true that androids are not the only
robots that have a great impact on man’s lives, and their development
introduces a set of unique ethical issues which industrial robots do not
evoke.
MATTER & FORM ACCORDING TO ARISTOTLE
MATTER
• From the greek hyle, matter is the stuff which is formed in one way
or another.
• From the Greek word for 'essence' (ousia), Aristotelian form is
that which gives a thing its shape, structure, and order,
making it what it is.
MATERIALISM
• Materialism does not entertain any notion of organisms having
a 'form ' or ' soul', rather, organisms are made simply of
various types of ' matter '.
• Rejected by Aristotle
Matter
• Biological material such as what plants, animals, and humans
consist of
• Mechanical and electronic components which make up
modern-day robots.
FORM
Whatever it is that makes a human a human, a plant a plant, and an
animal an animal. Each of these have a specific 'form ' which is not the
same as its ' matter ', but is a functioning unity which is essential to each
living organism in order for it to be just that, living.
Aristotle-form & matter
Embraced by various religions, perhaps most notable by the Roman
Catholic Church
Materialism
Often find itself at odds with most religious views in the world
In 1942, Isaac Asimov introduced to the world of science fiction what are
known as the Three Laws of Robotics which were published in his
short story “Runaround. ”
1. First, a robot may not injure a human being or, through
inaction, allow a human being to come to harm.
2. Second, a robot by human beings, except where such orders
would conflict with the First Law.
3. Third, a robot must protect its own existence as long as such
protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law.
South Korea is considered one of the most high-tech countries in the
world and they are leading the way in the development of such a code.
Known officially as the Robot Ethics Charter, it is being drawn up "to
prevent human abuse of robots and vice versa ".
Robot Ethics Charter
The main focus of the charter is said to be on the social problems the
mass integration of robots into society is bound to create.
CHAPTER 7
THE INFORMATION AGE
INFORMATION AGE
• Began around the 1970s and is still going on today.
• Also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, or New Media Age.
• The era brought about a time period in which people could access
information and knowledge easily.
PRE-GUTENBERG PERIOD
• The only source of both religious and worldly information was the
village Catholic priest in the pulpit. News passed from one person
to another, often in the form of rumor.
• Written documents were rare and often doubted by the common
people as forgeries. What counted in important matters was oral
testimony based on oaths taken in the name of God, to tell the truth.
• Books, all hand-copied, were rare, expensive, and almost always
in Latin. They were so valuable that universities chained them to
reading tables. Most people passed their lifetime without ever
gazing at a book, a calendar, a map, or written work of any sort.
• Memory and memorization ruled daily life and learning. Poets,
actors and story tellers relied on rhyming lines to remember vast
amounts of material. Craftsmen memorized the secrets of their
trades to pass on orally to apprentices
• Scribes, often monks living in monasteries, each labored for up to
a year to copy a single book, usually in Latin. The scribes copied
books on processed calfskin called velum and later on paper.
• books in Europe were typically handwritten manuscripts while
paper money, playing cards, posters, and the like were block-
printed from handcarved wooden blocks, inked and transferred to
paper. This earlier method of reproduction was expensive and time
consuming.
Gutenberg Revolution
Johannes Gutenberg
• turned the printing world upside down
• brought on a new era of print with his revolutionary innovation of
movable type in 1445
• His amazing invention made books the internet of the time.
Movable type printing
• uses metal stamps of single letters that could be arranged into
words, sentences, and pages of text.
Printing press
• made it possible to produce books much more quickly and cheaper
than ever before
• Its impact is almost, impossible to really quantify.
• it allowed for the much more rapid spread of accurate information
but, more elusively
• it had an enormous impact on the nations and population in Europe
at large
• When Europe was recovering from the devastating impact of the
Black Death, its impact decimated the population and had led to
the decline in the rise of the church, the rise of the money economy,
and subsequent birth of the Renaissance.
• had dramatic effects on European civilization and its more
immediate effect was to spread information quickly and accurately
and this gradually helped to create a much wider literate reading
public.
• was also a factor in the establishment of a community of scientists
who could easily communicate their discoveries through widely
disseminated scholarly journals, helping to bring on the scientific
revolution.
• Because of the printing press, authorship became more meaningful
and profitable
• Because of printing press, it was suddenly important who had said
or written what, and what the precise formulation and time of
information
Before Gutenberg, all texts had been printed with woodblocks or fixed
text stamps, both of which were complex and time-consuming
processes. Movable type kept the metal stamp letters separate, which
allowed printers to reuse the letters quickly on succeeding pages. As a
result, more pages could be efficiently printed in a shorter amount of time
with much less effort.
By 1463
• printed Bibles cost one-tenth of hand-copied Bibles.
• The demand for books exploded.
By 1500
• Europe had more than 1,000 printers and 7,000 books in print.
Printing Renaissance
• opened the realm of learning and reading to the local populations
as schools were built and books about education were written and
print published.
The arrival of mechanical movable type printing introduced the era of
mass communication, which permanently altered the structure of
society.
Across Europe, the increasing cultural self-awareness of its people led
to the rise of proto-nationalism, accelerated by the flowering of the
European vernacular languages to the detriment of Latin’s status as
lingua franca.
Printed Materials as Agents of Change
Movable Type Printing Press
• It was invented by Gutenberg
• was a disruptive innovation in more ways than one.
• makes printed materials more accessible
• it allows for the spread of knowledge both within elite communities,
like the Catholic Church and the scientific community, and also to
the rest of the general population.
• It brought about new innovations and ideas that lead to changes in
power and standards in both religious and scientific areas of
European culture
• affected the European science and religious community differently
• it allowed for greater accessibility and spread of all kinds of
knowledge throughout a wider population never before seen,
bringing about several new social dynamics that will lead to several
social revolutions.
These included a shift in religious power from the church authority to the
general population, standardization of scientific reporting, and an influx
of new scientific discoveries
The changes between the two are actually intricately intertwined. Both
scientific and religious works were subject to a language change from
Latin to vernacular languages.
Post-Gutenberg Period
• The impact of the Gutenberg printing press was immeasurable.
• It caused nothing less than a dramatic social and cultural
revolution.
• The sudden widespread dissemination of printed works gave direct
rise to the European Renaissance.
Gutenberg’s famous Bible was printed in Latin, his invention of the
movable type press meant that Protestant tracts and the arguments
between Martin Luther and the Catholic Church which led to the
Reformation could be widely disseminated.
The emergence of the internet and the World Wide Web in the 1990s
was initially hailed by many as ushering in new democratic age, driven
by much greater access to information. In reality, while the internet had
a dramatic impact, the revolutionary shifts predicted did not occur.
Paradoxes of Technology
• Empowerment vs. Enslavement
• Fulfills needs vs. Creates needs
• Competence vs. Incompetence
• Engaging vs. Disengaging
• Illusion vs. Disillusion
Chapter 8
Biodiversity and Healthy Society
Biodiversity
• Biological diversity or biodiversity is the variety of life, and refers
collectively to variation at all levels of biological organization.
• The term biodiversity refers to the full abundance or variety of life –
plant, animal and microbial.
• This variety of life occurs at all levels of ecological organization, but
biodiversity generally refers to genetic, species and diversity.
• This is the diversity of life upon which the health of the environment
depends.
• Biodiversity is the foundation of human health
Biodiversity and Healthy Society
1. Biodiversity supports food security, dietary health, livelihood
sustainability
 2. Biodiversity provides important resources for medical
research
3. Biodiversity provides important resources for traditional and
modern medicine
4. Biodiversity plays a role in the regulation and control of
infectious diseases
5. Biodiversity has social, cultural and spiritual importance within
communities
Threats to Biodiversity
• Habitat loss
• Overharvesting
• Invasive species
• Climate change
Exotic species
• These are species that have been intentionally or
unintentionally introduced by humans into an ecosystem in
which they did not evolve.
• Most exotic species introductions probably fail because of the
low number of individuals introduced or poor adaptation to the
ecosystem they enter
Invasive species
• It can threaten other species through competition for
resources, predation, or disease
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
Biotechnology
• It is a set of techniques that involves the use of biological
processes and living organisms for industry, agricultural or
other activities
• Its purpose is to modify the natural and biological processes
of living organisms without necessarily altering the genes or
genetic construct of the living organisms.
• It has four major industrial processes based on biological
systems, namely cell and tissue culture, fermentation, enzyme
technology, and genetic engineering – also referred to as
modern technology.
Genetic engineering or recombinant DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
technology
• It differs from other forms of biotechnology as it allows the
isolation and transfer of genes coding specific characteristics
between living organisms to produce a new living organism
that expresses the desired characteristics of both organisms.
Genetically modified organisms or GMOs
• the common term used for genetically engineered organisms
• has become the common term consumers and popular media
use to describe foods that have been created through genetic
engineering.
Intended Uses of GMOs
• Biomedical
• Farm/Food Animals
• Agriculture
Genetic engineering is a process that involves:
• Identifying the genetic information – or “gene” – that gives an
organism (plant, animal or microorganism) a desired trait.
• Copying the information from the organism that has the trait
• Inserting that information into the DNA of another organism
Some Genetically Modified Organisms developed in the Philippines
• Longer-lasting papayas
• Protein enriched copra meal (PECM) as feed protein for
tilapia, milkfish and shrimp aquaculture
• Tomato Leaf Curve Virus (ToLCV)- resistant Variety
Potential benefits of GM crops
• Better nutritional qualities
• Engineering pest or disease resistance in important crops
• Edible vaccines
• Antibodies engineered and produced in plants
• Crops which can extract and detoxify pollutants from the
environment
• Crops which produce less toxic residues
• Production of alternative polymers
Risk Related to the Use of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
• Genetic Contamination/Interbreeding
• Competition with Natural Species
• Increased Selection Pressure on Target and Non-target Organisms
• Ecosystem Impacts
•
Impossibility of Follow-up
• Horizontal Transfer of Recombinant Genes to Other
Microorganisms
• Loss of Management Control Measures
• Long-term Effects
• Antibiotic Resistance and Horizontal Gene Transfer
Chapter 9
The Nano World
Nano
• It is a prefix used in the metric scale to represent one billionth.
• Nano comes from the Greek word for dwarf, so in combination with
technology, it becomes dwarf technology.
Nanometer (nm)
• It is one billionth of a meter.
Nanotechnology
• Applies science and materials at the nanoscale.
• People refer to nanotechnology as “tiny tech” or “nanotech”.
• It represents the scaling down of technology to a new scale,
generally agreed to be in the range of 1 to 100 nm.
One of the main reasons for the explosion of interest in nanotechnology
is the unique properties and behavior of matter at the nanoscale
Applications of Nanotechnology in All Fields of Science
• Electronics
Single electron transistor (SET), spin valves and magnetic tunnel
junctions (MT)s are based on nanotechnology.
Flat-panel television or computer monitors are products of
nanotechnology.
• Energy
Carbon nanomaterial (CNM) has been used in improving the
efficacy of lithium secondary batteries, supercapacitors and in
hydrogen storage.
• Environment
Use of nanomaterials as hydrogen storage or efficient oil filters may
reduce pollution from vehicles.
Nanomaterials-based sensors would be smart sensors, i.e., they
will be able to detect and rectify problems.
• Automobiles
Nanosensors will help in assessing emissions from the vehicle and
help in controlling pollutants.
Car paints/coatings using nanoparticle are being used to provide
smooth, thin attractive coatings that are scratch resistant, can repel
dirt and are anti-reflective.
Use of efficient nanomaterial catalysts is one solution that can
convert harmful emissions into less harmful gases.
• Agriculture and Food
Application in combating plant diseases
• Industries
Semiconductors and magnetic nanostructures have found
maximum use in industries pertaining to semiconductor fabrication,
electronics and nanostructure-based electro- optical devices.
• Textiles
Special threads and dyes used in the textile industry are products
of nanotechnology.
Use of silver (Ag) nanoparticles in washing machines remove the
germs from clothes while washing.
• Cosmetics
Nanoliposomes are used as vesicular delivery systems. Liposomes
are concentric bilayer vesicles. The first liposomal cosmetic was
the anti-aging cream “Capture” manufactured by Dior.
Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) are nm-sized particles with a solid
lipid matrix. SLNs are tested in perfume formulations.
• Domestic Appliances
Nanoporous aerogel insulator is excellent for insulating walls.
Fishing rods are made stronger and lighter using silica
nanoparticles to fill spaces between carbon fibers.
Antimicrobial titanium oxide nanoparticles are used in various
applications as part of a film that uses energy in light to kill bacteria
on surfaces by photocatalytic activity.
• Diagnostics and Therapeutics
Nanomedicine researchers are looking at ways that
nanotechnology can improve vaccines.
Commercial applications have adapted gold nanoparticles as
probes for the detection of targeted sequences of nucleic acids.
Gold nanoparticles are being clinically investigated as potential
treatments for cancer and other diseases.
Nanotechnology is being studied for both the diagnosis and
treatment of atherosclerosis.
Researchers created a nanoparticle that mimics the body’s “good”
cholesterol, known as HDL (high-density lipoprotein), which helps
to shrink plaque.
Nanotechnology in the Philippines
In 2011, the government announced a 10-year strategic plan/road map
for the development of the R&D strategy of nanotechnology covering at
least six industrial sectors – the semiconductor, information technology,
energy, agriculture, medicine, and environmental protection.
Nanotechnology has been identified as one of the priority areas of
research identified by the Department of Science and Technology-
Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and
Development (DOST-PCASTRD).
PCASTRD (Philippine Council for Advanced Science and
Technology Research and Development)
• Their mandate is to develop, integrate, and coordinate national
research. Flagship projects include chemical sensors and
biosensors based on nanostructured solar energy devices.
• PCASTRD also provides funds for scholarships and research
fellowships.
• PCASTRD has also proposed to include nanotechnology as part of
all science and engineering degrees.
Risks
• Element malfunction
• Invasion of privacy
• Security and safety of person
• Difficult to recycle
• Consume more energy during recycling
• Increases environmental problems
• Contains active or waste products
Nanotechnology and Education
Education and training in nanotechnology require special laboratory
facilities that can be quite expensive. The cost of creating and
maintaining nanotechnology facilities is a major challenge for
educational institutions.
Economic and political implications of potential technology
These issues include the economic value of a new materials and new
industries created through nanotechnology, as well as economic
dislocations caused by shifts in investment and the decline of industries
and companies tied to displaced technologies.
Nanotechnology and Employment
Workers involved in nanotechnology compared to other industries
appears clear that this technology is high tech and highly sophisticated,
which deepens the trend to reducing workforces and automating the
processes of production and services
Nanotechnology products that are already on the market allow us to
identify three common characteristics:
1. the products have multiple functions that previously required more
than one product (multifunctional)
2. the products remain useful longer
3. the products use fewer raw materials
Some products combine two or three of these characteristics. Taken
together, this means that manufacturing these products will lead to
decreased demand for workers. In addition, these innovations reduce
the demand for traditional products that compete with them.
Chapter 10
Gene Therapy
Cells
• are the basic building blocks of all living things
• The human body is composed of trillions of them.
• Within our cells, there are thousands of genes that provide the
information for the production of specific proteins and enzymes that
make muscles, bones, and blood, which in turn support most of our
body’s functions.
Gene Therapy
• Scientists can do one of several things depending on the problem
that is present.
• Scientists can replace a gene that causes a medical problem with
one that doesn’t, add genes to help the body fight or treat diseases
or turn off genes that are causing problems.
• can be used to modify cells inside or outside the body
• is used to modify cells outside the body, blood, bone marrow, or
other tissue can be taken from the patient, and specific types of
cells can be separated out in the lab
Vector
• A vehicle that scientists use to genetically engineered to deliver the
gene.
• The vector containing the desired gene is introduced into these
cells.
Viruses
• Have a natural ability to deliver genetic material into cells, and
therefore, can be used as vectors.
• Can be used to carry therapeutic genes into human cells, however,
is modified to remove its ability to cause infectious disease.
Approaches to Gene Therapy
1. Gene Modification
Researchers have used the following methods to modify defective
genes:
• Replacement treatment: Replacing a natural gene with a
non-natural gene through homologous recombination.
• Modifier gene therapy: Restoring natural function to a
defective gene through selective reverse mutation.
• Adjustment of the expression of a specific gene.
2. Gene transfer method
There are 3 physical, chemical, and biological methods of gene
transfer.
3. Gene transfer to specific cell line Two Central Approaches to deal with the climate change problem
This line is divided into 2 general categories: somatic gene 1. The first task is to address the root cause by reducing greenhouse
therapy and sex cell gene therapy. gas emissions from human activity.
2. The second task in responding to climate change is to manage its
4. The adoption of the most appropriate genetic engineering impacts.
(gene injection)
Other forms of genetic engineering include gene targeting and the
elimination of specific genes through nuclease engineering.

Stem Cell Therapy

• It is any treatment that uses stem cells as the primary way of
curing or reducing the severity of a disease or disorder.

Two main ways stem cells can be used:

1. As a transplant
2. As a target for a drug or other biologic

Two fundamental moral principles that people esteem very highly:

1. one principle enjoins the prevention or alleviation of suffering
2. other enjoins us to respect the value of human life

Harvesting and culturing of embryonic stem cells has considerable

potential to bring about remarkable potential benefits in the way of
alleviating debilitating medical conditions. It satisfies the first principle to
a very great degree.

There is a case to be made that the harvesting of human embryonic

stem cells violates the second principle in that it results in the destruction
of human life with value (i.e. human embryos).

Accordingly, both principles apparently cannot simultaneously be

respected in the case of embryonic stem cell research.

Chapter 11
Climate Change, Energy Crisis, and Environmental Awareness

Climate Change
• It is a broad range of global phenomena created predominantly by
burning fossil fuels, which add heat-trapping gases to Earth’s
atmosphere.
• These phenomena include the increased temperature trends
described by global warming, but also encompass changes such
as sea level rise; ice mass loss; shifts in flower/plant blooming; and
extreme weather events.

On Earth, human activities are changing the natural greenhouse

Causes
1. Greenhouse gas emissions
2. Earth's Natural Climate Cycle
3. Solar Influences

Climate change could affect our society through impacts on a number of

different social, cultural, and natural resources.

Climate change may especially impact people who live in areas that are
vulnerable to coastal storms, drought, and sea level rise or people who
live in poverty, older adults, and immigrant communities.

Impacts on Vulnerability and Equity

• Geographical Location
• Ability to Cope
• Indigenous People
• Urban People
• Impacts on Economic Activities ad Services

In 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCC) was adopted as the basis for a global response to the problem.
The Philippines signed the UNFCCC on 12 June 1992 and ratified the
international treaty on 2 August 1994. Presently, the Convention enjoys
near-universal membership with 194 Country Parties.

UNFCC has set out an overall framework for intergovernmental efforts

to consider what can be done to reduce global warming and to cope with
whatever temperature increases are inevitable.