Science, Technology, Society

UNIT 3
and Human Condition

This unit explains the importance of technology and human

flourishing to a person’s life. It shows understanding of the human
condition and perceives the danger of technology over human.

 How do we define good life?

 How does the controlling power of technology pose danger to
human?
 What is the relation of human flourishing to the progress of
science and technology?


 Reflect and express philosophical idea on good life and flourishing

 Critique human flourishing vis-à-vis the progress of science and
technology
 Examine shared concerns that make up the good life in order to
come up with innovative and creative solutions to contemporary
issues guided by ethical standards
Diagnostic Assessment

A. Tell whether the statement shows an ADVANTAGE or DISADVANTAGE of technology.

________1. Travelling has become faster than before.

________2. Mobile phones are generating bad consequences for children.
________3. Illnesses are created due to development of atomic energy and atomic
bomb.
________4. Man is doing illegal things using technology.
________5. It increased the standard of living of man.

A. TRUE or FALSE. Write the word TRUE if the statement is correct and FALSE if it
is incorrect.

________1. Deep desire to master technology is what causes it to slip out of hand.
________2. Modern technology is responsible for man’s happiness.
________3. Epicurus believes that happiness is the highest desire and ambition of all
human being.
________4. Danger comes with technology’s continuous revealing.
________5. Nietzsche believes that “happiness is an ideal state of happiness.
________6. Technological optimism believed that technology can alleviate all the
difficulties and provide solutions for problems that may come.
________7. Heidegger believed that technology is by no means technological.
________8. Eudaimonia refers to a state of having a good indwelling spirit.
________9. Good action means correctly applying a norm, premise, presupposition
rule, standard, or law
________10. Aristotle declared that, “the unexamined life is not worth living for”.
UNIT 3: LESSON 1 SELECTED VIEWS ON TECHNOLOGY

Guide Questions:
1. What is your idea about “technology as a way of revealing”?
2. How do you consider technology, constructive or destructive?

Technology has always been defined as means to an end and a human activity. It has
long filled the world that many views on how or ways as to how technology is understood.
Some of those views were presented below:
Martin Heidegger on Science and Technology
Martin Heidegger, a well-known German philosopher, examined the two usual
definitions of technology: means to an end and a human activity. These are some of the
key points from him:
 “Technology is by no means technological”. The problem begins when humans see
it only as a means to an end and disregard the fact that there is a good technology
and bad technology.
 It only invites man to a continual desire to master it which unconsciously may be
taking technology go out of hand. He argued that the problem does not fall on
making technology better but on how man sets upon technology, his thoughts that
makes him blind to the real essence of technology.

Aristotle’s Four Causes

Heidegger further studied Aristotle’s Four causes and illustrated it using a silver
chalice which he said owes its make up from the four causes.
1. Causa Materialis or the Material Cause
- Material by which the silver chalice was made of: silver
2. Causa Formalis or Formal Cause
- Form or the shape that gave the silver chalice its image
3. Causa Finalis or Final Cause
- The purpose or primary use by which the silver chalice was made for: to
be used during the Holy Communion as a vessel for the wine that
represents the blood of Christ
4. Causa Efficiens or Efficient Cause
- The agent that has caused for the silver chalice to come about: the
silversmith

Heidegger’s Technology as a Way of Revealing

Heidegger believed that the genuine substance or the real essence of technology
is found in enframing. This is the continuous bringing forth into unconcealment that which
is concealed. This is a non-stop revealing and continues to demand for something to be
brought out into the open. This bringing forth into the open is a two-way relationship: the
concealed is calling out for someone to set upon it and bring it to unconcealment and the
one who receives the call sets upon and acts upon to unconceal the concealed. To further
illustrate this, he gave some examples through contrasting ancient and modern
technology.
 First, he talked about the ancient windmill which only
relies on the wind blowing and does not store energy while the
modern windmill unlocks the energy which can be for immediate
use and can also be stored up for future use.
Second, was about the peasant planting seeds who only
waits for the bringing forth of the planted seed because there is
no challenge set upon the soil. Modern cultivation on the other
hand, challenged the field that has caused for agriculture to be
revolutionized. Now, food is not only produced for immediate use
but can be stored as well for future use and could cater more
population.
Third, is the wooden bridge that is built to join riverbanks
for hundreds of years without challenge being set upon the river.
On the other hand, the hydroelectric plant that was set on Rhine
River dammed the river into the hydroelectric plant so that
electrical energy can be stored and distributed.

Photo taken from:

https://images.app.goo.gl/LpRWZsZe1kgbfjup9

The Danger of Non Stop Revealing

The mode of revealing does not stop in modern technology. It continually calls
man to respond to what is presented to him or to the demand for a better and efficient
means to an end. Revealing opens up a relationship between man and the world but an
opening up of something means a closing down of something which means as something
is revealed, another is concealed.
Another danger is when man falls into a misinterpretation of that which is
presented to him. That is when he sees himself in the object before him rather than seeing
the object itself. There is also a tendency for man to be fully engrossed with the enframing
that he fails to weigh the results and consequences of his setting upon an object which
may be destructive not only to himself but even to the surroundings and other people. This
happens when he starts to believe that everything in the human condition can be
answered by technology and that even man’s happiness is dependent on the continuous
modernization of technology.

Thoughts to Ponder:
As a student, how can you help in spreading awareness about the danger of technology in such a
way that technology is not condemned in the process?
UNIT 3: LESSON 2 HUMAN FLOURISHING and THE GOOD LIFE

Guide Questions:
1. How do you define happiness?
2. How do you describe human flourishing in relation to progress of science and technology?

The progress of human civilization throughout history mirrors the development of

science and technology. His/her continues pursuit of flourishing and good life, brought
favorable and unfavorable conditions as an individual and as part of the society. Human
person as the bearer and beneficiary of science and technology continue to flourish and
seek meaning in the world that he/she builds. There are selected views on human
flourishing that we could consider to reflect on:

Human Flourishing in different views:

 On Aristotle’s Viewpoint
- Suggest that each man’s life has a purpose and that the function of one’s life is to
attain that purpose
- Happiness (earthly) is the highest desire and ambition of all human beings. To achieve
it, one must cultivate the highest virtues within oneself
- He believed that human beings have a natural desire and capacity to know and
understand the truth, to pursue moral excellence and to instantiate their ideals in the
world through action.
- These actions are geared towards one’s proper and desired end- flourishing,
happiness, or eudemonia. Eudaimonia- “eu” means “good” and “daemon” means
“spirit”
- Refers to a state of having a good indwelling spirit or being in a contented state of
being healthy, happy and prosperous
- Refers to the right actions as those that result in the well-being of an individual
- Any theory that places the personal happiness of an individual and his/her complete
life ate the core of ethical concern

 On Nietzsche’s Viewpoint
- Happiness is an ideal state of laziness (do not have any worries or distress in life)

 On Epicurus’s Viewpoint
- Believed that balance and temperature were created space for happiness
- Focused on the real source of happiness
- Claimed that pleasure is the norm of morality-hedonism but reiterates that intelligent
choice and practical wisdom to measure pleasure against pain to attain well-being

The Good Life

Our pursuit of the good life lets us do certain things that will make us happy and
contented. Attaining this goal is not limited to material things and efforts but may also
consider other basis depending on how people defines good life. The question ow is

Difference between Right and Good

 Right action means correctly applying a norm, premise, presupposition rule, standard,
or law
 Being good involves having the character and personal qualities that were justified by
reason as having moral worth. Moral refers to an individual’s own principles regarding right
and wrong.

Views on Good Life

 Socrates declared that, “the unexamined life is not worth living for”, the idea of
worthwhile living should be filtered with experience and vice versa.
 Aristotle viewed the good life as life or relationships
- It is the nature of the man to seek good life with a for others rather than experiencing it
by himself.
 Martin Heidegger dealt more on how we live an “authentic life” rather than “good life”.
- Living an authentic life means living with deep acceptance on the facticity of “death” and
resulting to a “life lived according to what it has clearly decided as its meaning and
purpose”.

Visit the following links and references:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCh407iUMuE
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjbwDSVeBn4

Thoughts to Ponder:
To what extent does scientific advancements affect human flourishing and their idea of
good life?
UNIT 3: LESSON 3 WHEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY CROSS

Guide Questions:
1. What are the positive and negative effects of technology to society?
2. What are the impacts of technological advancement on education today?

We cannot deny the fact that science and technology has a profound impact on how
modern man thinks and appreciate things around him. Human has an unending desire for
altering his condition and productivity through technologies- that is because of its accuracy
and precisions. In this sense, human’s need for feeling of satisfaction is being fulfilled and
revolutionized through the introduction of these technologies that promotes quality,
precision and accuracy. Hence providing reasons why and how it serves as basis for
happiness and good life to many. But the question now is, would there be possibility that
technology crosses over the boundaries that could extinguished humanity.? Is it all for the
good of man? What are the advantages and disadvantages of technology?

Aside from its advantages and disadvantages, technology has also its limitations to
humanity. These are some of the factors that define the limits of technology:
ETHICAL DILLEMAS

Technology permeates every aspect of human life and activity. Inevitably, ethics
will also evolve into a burning issue for every individual and organization. Taylor (2019)
featured Dr. Jessica Baron, in collaboration with the John J. Reilly Center for Science,
Technology and Values at the University of Notre Dame, who released the annual list of
emerging ethical dilemmas and policy issues in science and technology for 2020:

1. The Pseudoscience of Skincare

Society is vein—no surprise there. But the skincare market is taking
advantage of that fact, with “skin tech” expected to be worth $12.8 billion in
2020. The subcategory of skin tech includes, but is not limited to: LED masks,
electronic face scrubbers, facial massagers, smart mirrors and skincare
cameras. The problem here is that beauty companies market themselves as
“clinically proven” when that is, in fact, not the case. Most research done by
manufacturers does not meet the scientific method and is not reproducible.
The experts hired to tout these products are not scientists either—they are often
celebs or even dermatologist-celebs who have their own agenda.

2. AI and Gamification in Hiring

Here Baron asks a startling question: are you your data? While hiring
companies can already see a candidate’s social media history, some
companies are going a level beyond and using neurological games and
emotion-sensing recognition as part of their assessments. If taken to the
extreme, this means a machine could decide if you are right for a position
based entirely on your responses to a game of your facial expressions.
Nevermind your resume, your phone interview, your in-person interview, or your
impressive track record—it could all be for naught.

3. Predatory Journals
Researchers estimate there are roughly 8,000 predatory journals, or
journals that lack ethical practices such as peer-review and have extremely low
standards. The thing is, when these journals publish anything, the information
becomes fodder for unknowing researchers and scientists who are duped into
believing it’s the truth. Given the immense amount of pressure on academics
to publish, some become desperate enough to—intentionally or unintendedly—
engage with these predatory journals. As you’ll read later on in this list, fake
data is not something we can afford much more of.

4. The HARPA SAFEHOME Proposal

President Donald Trump’s White House is considering a controversial
plan to monitor the mentally ill as a way to stop mass shootings in the U.S.—a
program that sounds a lot like a real-life Minority Report. HARPA, run by a third-
party pancreatic cancer foundation with no governmental ties, would leverage
data available on phones and smartwatches to detect when mentally ill people
are about to turn violent. Beyond the infringement of civil liberties, research
has not found reliable benchmarks to predict violent behavior, or even classify
the mentally ill versus non-mentally ill.

5. Class Dojo and Classroom Surveillance

ClassDojo is a popular online tool that, through recording in the
classroom, scores children on their behavior, and then shares that with the
class, as well as parents. The system’s company says it is meant to foster
positive behavior in the classroom, but pundits raise more than a few concerns,
including: 1) can the information be hacked; 2) how is good behavior
quantified/defined?; and 3) does it promote anxiety/shame among students?

6. Grinch Bots
Aptly named “Grinch Bots” include online entities that buy up popular
goods as soon as they hit the market in order to control supply and demand.
Once the goods are sold-out, they are resold on the secondary market at an
inflated price. This isn’t a new problem, but there also isn’t a new solution,
either. In 2016, Congress passed the Better Online Ticket Sales (BOTS) Act, but
it hasn’t been very effective. The Stopping Grinchbots Act 2018 was introduced
last year and is currently awaiting more action from the House. However, the
bill would only make it illegal to resell products purchased by automated bots,
and obviously doesn’t apply to the rest of the world.

7. Project Nightingale
Dubbed Project Nightingale, this partnership sees Ascension, the
second-largest health care system in the U.S., collaborate with Google to host
health records on the Google Cloud. With roughly 2,600 hospitals, doctors’
offices and other related facilities spread over 21 states, it holds 10s of millions
of patient records. Both companies signed a HIPAA (Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act), meaning Google can’t do anything with the
records other than provide a cloud hosting service. However, The Wall Street
Journal reported that neither doctors nor patients had been informed of what
was happening with these records and that roughly 150 Google employees had
access to the data. As data increasingly moves to the cloud and other storage
options, and companies such as Microsoft and Apple also launch health
projects, we have be ensure our data is protected.

8. Student Tracking Software

Universities are increasingly using predictive analytics to—essentially—
stalk a candidate. Some college websites use software that reveals the name,
age, ethnicity, address and contact information of a candidate, as well as which
specific college sub-pages he/she visited and how long was spent on each web
page. The college then uses these factors to determine an “affinity score” that
decides how likely a candidate is to accept an offer from the college. But, Baron
 says, when colleges assign scores to students based on income and interest,
it strips applications of much of their context and it also discriminates against
low-income students or those without dedicated Internet access. The analytics
have the potential to harm a prospective student’s college admission based on
an algorithm that assumes ideal candidates.

9. The Corruption of Tech Ethics

When CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing went mainstream in 2012, researchers
immediately called a moratorium due to the high-power potential of the system.
There were then nationwide meetings, international meetings, multiple groups
got involved—overall, it went exactly as it was supposed to. Now, however, the
legitimacy of the ethical researcher is taking a hit as lawyers, business people,
journalists and others muddy the waters. Ethics officers need to have rigorous
training and understand the frameworks for ethical decision making.
Otherwise, ethics turns into a merry-go-round.

10. Deep fakes

Manipulating video and audio to make it appear as something it is not is
not new. However, the recent application of deep learning to create hard-to-
identify fakes is more sophisticated, and more concerning. States are
attempting to build legislation against deep fakes, and companies like
Facebook and Microsoft want to help develop tools to spot them. But these
days, just about anyone can download deep fake software to create fake videos
or audio recordings that look and sound like the real thing—and nothing gets
deleted from the Internet.

Source : Taylor, M. (n.d.). Top 10 ethical dilemmas in science for 2020. News | Discovery & Design in the
Lab. https://www.laboratoryequipment.com/558920-Top-10-Ethical-Dilemmas-in-Science-for-2020/

Thoughts to Ponder:
Utilizing the technological advancements, what are the new challenges in the
promotion and protection of human rights?
UNIT 3: LESSON 4 WHY THE FUTURE DOES NOT NEED US

Guide Questions:
1. How does technology transform the human experience?

Human interest on technology allows them to expand the range of human

experiences. Everyday newer and newer advances are happening. Technological change
has a large responsibility for many of the secular trends and become basis for human
condition. It also influences other aspects of society and out individual lives in many direct
and indirect ways such as governance, entertainment, human relationships, perspectives
and even human nature. People are able to shape the world with it. On the other hand,
the development of society along with science and technology gives rise to more and more
complex issues that exposes challenges and questions on how human expresses
rationality and his nature through science and technology. Is this advances in science
and technology makes human and society more reliable than technology or the other way?
Will the future still need us – human?

Read the essay written by Bill Joy, Chief Scientist and corporate executive officer of
Sun Microsystems, entitled “Why the future does not need us” and ponder on the
statement quoted in Forbes.com:
Formative Assessment

A. Using the word TECHNOLOGY, make an acrostic that will summarize the argument
of Martin Heidegger on the essence of technology incorporating the current situation
of your society.

T
E
C
H
N
O
L
O
G
Y

B. Answer the following questions comprehensively:

1. As a student, how can you help spread awareness about the danger of technology in
such a way that technology is not condemned in the process?

2. It is said that technological advances have provided immense improvements in our

lives, but often with a hidden cost. How does Heidegger’s argument relate to this?

3. Reflect on the question below. Provide possible explanation for answering YES and for
answering No. Write your answer on the space provided below.
 C. Reflect on the question below. Provide the possible explanation for answering Yes
and for answering No. Write your answer on the space provided below.

Should we stop doing Science?

Scientific research may lead to benefits and advances, but they seem to go hand-in-
hand with death and destruction. Should we quit while we’re ahead?
Source: https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg23531331-500-the-ethics-issue-should-we-stop-doing-science/

Yes. We should stop doing science No. We should not stop doing science
because…… because…
Summative Assessment

A. How do you define your own happiness?

- On a separate file, submit an output that would show what happiness means to you.
Provide a short explanation about it. (at least 2 to 3 paragraphs)
- Format: MS word, Times New Roman 12, 1.5-line spacing, Normal margin, justified
- You can add pictures that would represent your answer. (Ex. Picture of your family,
friends, pet, etc.)

Rubric for Summative Assessment Part A (Own Happiness)

Criteria 5 4 3 2 1 Score
Creativity Output was Output is Some parts Few parts Output is
appropriately creatively of the of the not
and presented output are output are creatively
creatively creatively creatively presented
presented presented presented
Content The output The output The output The output The output
clearly shows shows shows some shows few shows no
relationship relationship relationship relationship relationship
to the main to the main to the topic to the topic at all
topic topic
Originality The output The output The output The output The output
clearly shows shows shows some shows few does not
original original original original show
insight and insight and insight and insight and original
ideas ideas ideas ideas insight and
ideas

B. Movie review
Watch the movie “A I” (2001) then make your own review about it. Please consider the
given parts in constructing your movie review.

Parts of the Movie review:

I. Summary (Write your own summary, use your own words)
II. Reflection (Share your insights, learning after watching it)
III. Answer the following guide questions:
1. How does technology affect the characters of the movie?
2. Discuss some benefits and risks experienced by the character due to the advent
of technology.
(See attached rubric for scoring)
 Rubric for Summative Assessment Part B (A.I. Movie review)

Criteria 5 3 1 Score
Organization of Discussed the Somewhat Did not discuss
ideas of summary summary with all discussed the the summary of
the key points/ summary of the the movie in an
events in the movie in an organized
movie in an organized manner manner
organized manner
Clarity of ideas/ Gives a lot of Gives few details Gives little details
insights details about the about the movie. about the movie.
movie. You use a You uses few
lot of examples examples from the
from the movie to movie to
emphasize your emphasize your
point point
Answering the Explain the Somewhat explain Does not answer
guide questions answers to the the answers to the the guide
questions directly questions questions
and comprehensively comprehensively
comprehensively

References
Bautista, D. S., Burce, N.S., Dungo, J.M., Garcia, C.S., Imson,J.B., Labog, R.A., Salazar,
F.B. & Santos, J.L. (2018). Science, Technology and Society. MaxCor Publishing House,Inc.
Gripaldo, R. (2009) The Concepts of the Public Good: A View from the Filipino Philosopher,
in the making of a Filipino Philosopher and Other Essays. National Bookstore pp. 82-
101
Maboloc, C. (2010) Eudemonia and Human Dignity. Rex Bookstore pp.15-23
Sandra, G.B. (2014) Existentialism: Martin Heidegger, “The question concerning
technology” (part 1) Retrieved from https:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rzYhOOOw40
Imson, J. B., Labog, R. A., Salazar, F. B., & Gonzales, M. M. (2019). Science Technology and
Society. Mutya Publishing House Inc.
McNamara, SJ, D. J., Valverde, V. S., & Beleno III, R. B. (2018). Science, Technology, and
Society. C & E Publishing Inc.
Staff, W. (2000, April 1). Why the future doesn't need us. WIRED.
https://www.wired.com/2000/04/joy-2/
Taylor, M. (n.d.). Top 10 ethical dilemmas in science for 2020. News | Discovery & Design
in the Lab. https://www.laboratoryequipment.com/558920-Top-10-Ethical-Dilemmas-
in-Science-for-2020/
Time. (n.d.). Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy | An encyclopedia of philosophy articles
written by professional philosophers. https://iep.utm.edu/time/