LESSON 4:

INDIGENOUS SCIENCE and

TECHNOLOGY in the PHILIPPINES
LESSON OBJECTIVES:

•discuss the concept of indigenous

science and

•discuss the contribution of indigenous

science in the development of science
and technology in the Philippines
 Indigenous Knowledge System
• Indigenous knowledge is the local knowledge -
knowledge that is unique to a given culture or society.IK
contracts with the international knowledge system
generated by universities, research instituions and
private firms. It is the basis for local-level decision
making in agriculture, health care, food preparation,
education, natural-resource management, and a host of
the other activities in rural communities.
• Indigenous knowledge is used synonymously with
“traditional” and “local” knowledge to differentiate the
knowledge developed by a community from the
international knowledge systems sometime called
“WESTERN” system, generated through universities,
government research centres and private industry. IK refers
to knowledge of indigenous people as well as any other
defined community.

The unique, traditional. local knowledge existing within and

developed around specific conditions of women and men
indigenous to a particular geographic area.
Some examples of indigenous knowledge that are taught
and practiced by the indigenous people are:

• predicting weather conditions and seasons using knowledge

in observing animals' behavior and celestial bodies.

•using herbal medicine preserving foods.

•classifying animals into families and groups based on cultural

properties.

•preserving and selecting good seeds for planting.

•using indigenous technology in daily lives.

•building local irrigation systems.

•classifying different types of soil for planting based on

cultural properties.

•producing wines and juices from tropical fruits; and

•keeping the custom of growing plants and vegetables in the

yard.
 Indigenous Science
Indigenous science is part of the indigenous
knowledge system practiced by different groups of
people and early civilizations.
• It includes complex arrays of knowledge, expertise,
practices, and representations that guide human
societies in their enumerable interactions with the miliu:
agriculture, medicine, naming and explaining natural
phenomena ,and strategies for coping with changing
environments (Pawilen, 2005)

•Ogawa (1995) claimed that it is collectively lived in and

experienced by the people of a given culture
•Indigenous beliefs also develop desirable a values that are
relevant or consistent to scientific attitudes as identified by
Johnston (2000),namely :

(1) motivating attitudes

(2) cooperating attitudes
(3) practical attitudes
(4) reflective attitudes

• Sibsibi (2004) also pointed out the indigenous science

provides the basics of astronomy, pharmacology, food
technology, or metallurgy, which were derived from traditional
knowledge and practices.
Simple framework for understanding indigenous
science
1. SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS
• observing, comparing, classifying, measuring, problem
solving, inferring, communicating, and predicting.

2. COMMUNITY CULTURE AND VALUES

• land is a source of life.
• Earth is revered as “Mother Earth”.
• All living and nonliving things are interconnected and interdependent with
each other.
• Human beings are stewards or trustee of the land and other natural
resources,
Responsibility to preserve.
• Nature is a friend to human beings, it needs respect and proper care.
3. TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

• practiced and valued by people and communities: ethno-

biology, ethno-medicine, indigenous farming methods, and
folk astronomy.
CHAPTER 2: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND
SOCIETY AND THE HUMAN CONDITION

Lesson1: Human flourishing

LESSON OBEJECTIVES

At the end of this lessons, the student should be able to:

• Identify different conceptions of human flourishing

• Determine the development of the scientific method
and validity of science; and
• Critic human flourishing vis-à-vis progress of science
and technology to be able to define for themselves the
meaning of good life.
EUDAIMONIA
• “good spirited”
• coined by Greek philosopher Aristotle
• Describes the pinnacle of happiness that is attainable by
humans.
• “human flourishing”

NICOMACHEAN ETHICS
• Phronesis
• Friendship
• Wealth
• Power
• 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.
 DIFFERENCE CONCEPTIONS OF HUMAN
FLOURISHING
EASTERN WESTERN
• Focus is community-centric • More focused on the individual
• Individual should sacrifice • Human flourishing as an end
himself for the sake of society • Aristotelian view
• Chinese Confucian system • Aims for Eudaimonia as the
• Japanese Bushido ultimate good
• Encourage studies of literature,
sciences, and art for a greater
cause
 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.

 SCIENCE AS METHODS AND RESULTS
• Science stems from objectivity brought upon by a rigid method
• Claim to reason and empiricism

STEPS IN SCIENTIFIC METHOD

1.Observe
2.Determine the problem
3.formulate hypothesis
4.Conduct experiment
5.Gather and analyze
6.Formulate conclusion and provide recommendation
Verification Theory

• Earliest criterion that distinguished philosophy andscience.

• Proposes that a discipline is a science if it can beconfirmed or

interpreted in the event of analternative hypothesis being
accepted.

• Epoused by a movement in the early 20th centurycalled Vienna

Circle.

• It gives premium to expiricism and only takes into account of

results which measurable and experiments which repeatable.
Falsification Theory

• Current prevalent methodology in science.

• Asserts that as long as an ideology is not proven tobe false and

can best explain a phenomenon overalternative theories- ACCEPT
THE IDEOLOGY.

• Emergence of theories rejected by verificationtheory.

• Karl Popper- known proponent of this view.

• Believed in theories of Marx’s theory of SocialHistory and

Sigmund Freud Psychoanalysis- nottestable and thus not falsifiable.
Science as Social Endeavor

• Several philosophers such as Paul Thagard, Imre

Lakatos, HelenLongino, David Bloor, and Richard Rorty,
among others, presented an alternative demarcation
that explores the social dimension of science and
effectively, technology.

• Science cease to belong solely to gown-wearing,

bespectacled scientist at laboratories.
Science as Education

• There are distinct portions of entrance exams in the

secondary and tertiary levels that are dedicated to
science and mathematics.

• STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,

Mathematics) offering schools accommodating
Grades 11 and 12.
How is Science perceived by those who graduated from
this field?

Graduates from scientific fields typically have a deep

appreciation for empirical evidence and the scientific
method.
 How much is too much?

• In 2000 world leaders signed the millennium development goals

(MDG) that targets eight concerns, one of which states that they
should be able to forge a global partnership for development.
• Economists believe that growth is the primary indicator of
development, as both
go hand in hand, and have put forth their resources in trying to
achieve such.
• Joseph Hickel contemplated on, suggesting that developed
countries should not
push forth more growth but instead adopt “de-development” policies
or else or else, everybody loses
 GROUP 2
CAPAROS,

THANK YOU ! KHURIEN

CATALUNA,
CHLOE
GOCELA, MARY
GIL
LIBRE, JULIET
MARAON,