Module 4: Human Flourishing in

terms of Science and

Technology
Science, Technology, Society (Agham, Teknolohiya, at Lipunan)

HARVEY H. AUSTRIA, MSc

Content
• Lesson 1: Technology as a way of Revealing
• Flourishing definition
• Technology views
• Martin Heidegger
• Lesson 2: The Good Life – Kant and Aristotle Concepts
Flourishing
• a state where people experience positive emotion and
psychological and social functioning, most of the time living
within an optimal range of human functioning.
• Flourishing is the highest good of human endeavors that lead
towards all actions aim. It is success as a human being. The best
life is one of excellent human activity.
• To understand how human flourished in the context of STS,
views on technology should be discussed.

Source: Younkins, Edward (2003)

 Technology Views – philosophies how
technology is understood and utilized
• Aristotlelianism - views technology as basically a means to an
end. Technology is the organizing of techniques in order to meet
the demand that is being posed by humans (product).
• Technology Pessimism - Jacques Ellul (1912-1994). (1)
Technological progress has a price; (2) Technological progress
creates more problems, (3) Technological progress creates
damaging effects, and (4) technological progress creates
unpredictable devastating effects
 Technology Views – philosophies how
technology is understood and utilized
• Technology Optimism - believe that technology can alleviate all
the difficulties and provide solutions for problems that may
come. It holds that even though technological problems may
arise, technology will still be the solutions to it.
• Existentialism - the existence or the mode of being of someone
or something which is governed by the norm of authenticity. It
investigates the meaning of existence or being and is always
faced with the selection must make with which the existence will
commit.
Lesson 1: Technology
as a way of Revealing
Martin Heidegger
(1889-1996)
Martin Heidegger: The Question Concerning Technology Presentation - Marie Cambe
• Martin Heidegger, German philosopher, examined the two usual
definitions of technology; a) means to an end and b) a human activity.
• He also captured the instrumental definition of technology
• He further studied the Aristotle’s four causes: (1) Causa materialis, (2)
Causa formalis, (3) Causa finalis, and (4) Causa efficiens
• He explained that technology as a mode of revealing does not stop and
continues to be seen in modern technology but not in the bringing-forth
sense. This is a nonstop revealing. Modern technology is revealed by
challenging nature, instead of bringing forth, it is setting upon challenges
or demands on nature in order to: Unlock and expose and Stock pills for
future use.
 Society in the face of Science and Technology
• Man tends to find his happiness in the works of modern technology
• Smartphones, tablets, laptops come in different shapes and sizes with distinct
features seem to be the measure of man's value.
• Social media lessened face to face interactions.
• People keep working hard to update their gadgets
• Man finds another need that can only be answered by a new product.
• New products also tend to replace man in the society as the demand for manual
labor is becoming less and less because of the availability of machineries.

• A balance has to be struck between technology being instrumental and

anthropological
Lesson 2: The Good
Life: Aristotle and
Kant Concepts
Aristotle's Eudaimonia Explained – Philosophy vibe
PHILOSOPHY - The Good Life: Kant - Wireless Philosophy
Greatest Inventions that bridged the gap
transportation, communication, power production,
medicine and cuisine
• Steam Engine
• Airplane
• Smartphones
• Television
• Radio
• Computer
• Automobile
• Internet
References
The Question Concerning Technology by Martin Heidegger
A return to the Beginning by Daniel McNamara, SJ, in Stellar Origins, Human Ways
Book VI and Bk X Nichomachean ethics of Aristotle
What Is and What should be the role of scientific culture in modern society – Richard Feynman in the Pleasure of
Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard Feynman 1999 Perseus Books. USA pp97-115
The Concepts of the Public Good: A View from the Filipino Philosopher by Rolando Gripaldo in the Making of a Filipino
Philosopher and Other Essays, 2009, National Bookstore pp 82-101
6. Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing in Ethics and Human Dignity by Christopher Ryan Maboloc). Manila, 2010. Rex
Bookstore pp 15-23
That Sugar Film (2015) (documentary) Ppt: towards a green economy: pathways to sustainable development and
poverty eradication–UNEP
ttps://interestingengineering.com/8-inventions-of-20th-century-that-changed-the-world
https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/04/25/human-flourishing-eudaimonia-an-antidote-to-extinction/
https://www.philosophybasics.com/branch_eudaimonism.html
https://classicalwisdom.com/philosophy/pursuit-philosophical-happiness/
Post Module Activity
For you, what is the greatest invention of
mankind and why?

Follow our usual instructions, due date is June 14, 2023