MODULE 2

Science, Technology and Society and the Human Condition

This module will introduce students to different philosophical foundations that will aid
in examining the functions, roles, and impacts of science and technology on society.
Furthermore, it also aims to introduce students to the concept of human flourishing
amidst rapid scientific progress, globalization, and technological development.

Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

1. Articulate historical events that have significant contribution on the evolution

of science, technology and development of the society.
2. Promote awareness on the proper use and benefits of technological
breakthroughs for the society and environment.

Section 1.

Technology as a Way of Revealing

- This section tackles the essence of technology based on Martin Heidegger‟s

work, The Question Concerning Technology.
- It discusses the key concepts related to Heidegger‟s work and how the
concepts relate to an understanding if the essence of technology.

Who is Martin Heidegger (1889-1976)?

- Acknowledged as one of the most important philosophers of the 20th century.

- German philosopher who was part of the Continental tradition philosophy.
- His stern opposition to positivism and technological world domination
received unequivocal support from leading postmodernists and post-
structuralists of the time, including Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault, and
Jean-Francois Lyotard.
- His membership to the Nazi Party made him controversial, as his philosophical
work was affected by his political affiliation, with critics saying that his
philosophy would always be rooted in his political consciousness.
- His philosophical work centered on ontology or the study of „being‟ or dasein
in German.
- His philosophical works are often described as complicated, partly due to his
use of complex compound German words, such as Seinsvergessenheit
(Forgetfulness of Being), Bodenständigkeit (Rootedness-in-Soil), and
Wesensverfassung (Essential Constitution).
 Related Readings and Videos

1. An Introduction to Heidegger: Being and Time

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDAyhsZ-Gs4

2. PHILOSOPHY - Heidegger
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br1sGrA7XTU&t=19s

3. The Question Concerning Technology (Martin Heidegger) (Article)

Link: https://bit.ly/3h81GEb

The Essence of Technology

The essence of technology can be captured in its definition. In his treatise, The
Question Concerning Technology, Martin Heidegger explains the two widely
embraced definitions of technology: (1) instrumental and (2) anthropological.

1. Instrumental Definition – Technology is a means to an end.

- Technology is not an end in itself, it is a means to an end.
- In this context, technology is viewed as a tool available to individuals,
groups, and communities that desire to make an impact on society.
- Technology is an instrument aimed at getting things done.

2. Anthropological Definition – Technology is a human activity.

- Technology defined as a human activity.
- To achieve an end is, by itself, a human activity.
- The production or invention of technological equipment, tools and
machines, the products and inventions, and the purpose and functions
they serve are what define technology.
 Technology as a Way of Revealing

- True can only be pursued through the correct  What is correct leads
to what is true.
- In this sense, Heidegger envisioned technology as a way of revealing.
- Bringing forth  can be understood through the ancient Greek
philosophical concept – poeisis .

POEISIS
- To bring something out concealment.
- By bringing something out of concealment, the
truth of that something is revealed.

ALETHEIA
- Unclosedness, unconcealedness, disclosure, truth.

TECHNE
- Human ability to make and perform.
- Encompasses knowledge and understanding.

Technology as Poeisis: Does Modern Technology Bring Forth or Challenge Forth?

- Heidegger posited in The Question Concerning Technology that both

primitive crafts and modern technology are revealing.
- However, he stated that modern technology is revealing not in the
sense of poeisis or bringing forth.
- Modern technology „challenges‟ nature  modern technology
challenges nature by extracting something from it and transforming,
storing, and distributing it.

Enframing, the Modern Technology’s Way of Revealing

Enframing

- A way of ordering (or framing) nature to better manipulate it.

 - Happens because of how humans desire for security, even if it exploits
nature.

Modern Technology

- Challenges humans to enframe nature.

The Dangers of Technology

- The dangers of technology lie in how humans let themselves be

consumed by it.
- The Brazilian novelist, Paulo Coelho, once remarked that it is boastful
for humans to think that humans to think that nature needs to be saved
when Mother Nature would remain even if humans cease to exist.
Hence, in facing the dangers of technology, the fear of disappearing
from the face of the Earth should concern people more potently than
the fear of the Earth disappearing.
- To be able to recognize the dangers of technology, one must have
critical and reflective thinking on its use:
o Example. Social media has connected people in the most
efficient and convenient way imaginable, but it also has
brought issues and controversies along with it such as invasion of
privacy, online disinhibition, and proliferation of fake news.

Question/ Reflection:
 Do you have social media accounts? List all
your social media accounts and list out the
pros and cons for each.
 Among them, what is the most beneficial to
you and why?

- The real threat of technology comes from its essence, not its activities
or products
- Ultimately, the essence of technology is by no means anything
technological (Heidegger, 1977).

Art As Saving Power

- But where danger is, grows the saving power also (Friedrich Holderlin,
1977)
 - Because the essence of technology is nothing technological, essential
reflection upon technology and decisive confrontation with it must
happen in a realm that is, on the one hand, akin to the essence of
technology and, on the other, fundamentally different from it. Such a
realm is art. But certainly only if reflection on art, for its part does not
shut its eyes to the constellation of truth after which we are questioning
(Heidegger, 1977).

Questioning as the Piety of Thought

- Heidegger concluded that:

o The closer we come to danger, the more brightly do the ways
into the saving power begin to shine and the more questioning
we become.
- Heidegger emphasized the importance of questioning in the midst of
technology; Furthermore, to him, there is an unparalleled wisdom
gained when humans are able to pause, think, and question what is
around them.
- Questioning is the piety of thought. Through questioning, humans:
o Are able to reassess their position in the midst of technology and
the greater scheme of things.
o Bear witness to the crises that a complete preoccupation with
technology brings, preventing them from experiencing the
essence of technology.

Activity. Look for two photos showing how humans (a) bring forth, and (b)
challenge forth nature. Include a brief description for each and an
explanation why you have chosen the photos. Include references for the
photos used.
Section 2

Human Flourishing in Progress and De-development

This section focuses on Jason Hickel‟s development framework focused on de-

development. Here, Hickel‟s concept of de-development is discussed as an
alternative to narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor countries.

Related Reading

“Forget „developing‟ poor countries it‟s time to „de-develop‟ rich

countries” byJason Hickel

Link: https://bit.ly/2D2s03G

After reading the article, try to answer the following questions on your own:

1. What is the framework of de-development of rich countries about?

2. How is the de-development framework different from traditional frameworks
of development?
3. According to Hickel, how can rich countries de-develop?
4. Why does Hickel frown upon pundits using terms such as degrowth, zero
growth, or de-development an alternative framework?
5. Some people might think that de-development is about giving things up.
How does Hickel explain that this is not the case?
Section 3

The Good Life

This section introduces concepts from Nichomachean Ethics (Aristotle) and examines
issues in contemporary science and technology using theJ same philosophical lens.

This also tackles the concepts of eudaemonia and arête, and how these can be
used to assess one‟s relationship and dealings with science and technology.
Furthermore, this section seeks to answer the question, “Are we living the good life?”

Question/ Reflection:

 What, for you, is the definition of a good life?

 What steps will you take in order to achieve this

Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics and the Good Life

Questions:

1. What standard could be used to define the good life?

2. How can the standard serve as a guide toward living a good life in the midst
of scientific progress and technological advancement?
- In the documentary, The Magician’s Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case Against
Scientism, C.S. Lewis stated that “science must be guided by some ethical
basis that is not dictated by science itself.”
- One such basis is Aristotle‟s Nichomachean Ethics

Activity:

Watch The Magician’s Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case Against Scientism.
At the end of this section relate it to Aristotle‟s Nichomachean Ethics.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPeyJvXU68k
 Aristotle (384- 322 B.C.)

- Greek philosopher and scientist

- A student of Plato
- His work, Nichomachean Ethics (NE), is a treatise
on the nature of moral life and human happiness
based on the unique essence of human nature.
- In NE 2:2, he explained that every action aims at
some good. However, some actions aim at an
instrumental good, while some at intrinsic good.
- He made it clear that the ultimate good is better
than the instrumental good because the latter is
good as a means to achieve something else
while the former is good in itself.

References:

Aristotle Bust Image. Retrieved at

https://www.google.com/search?q=aristotle&sxsrf=ALeKk02nJDuZRvckTXgvk58ABZJpVvVy4Q:15988
37963157&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiXsuPGp8TrAhUQCqYKHYgECPEQ_AUoAXo
ECA0QAw&biw=1517&bih=675#imgrc=kGPwTAF0BytncM
Section 4

When Technology and Humanity Cross

This section discusses quintessential documents that protect human rights and ensure
the well-being of the human person in the face of scientific and technological
developments

Human rights in the face of scientific and technological advancement are some of
the most important factors in a person‟s journey towards eudaimonia or the good
life. Exercising the right to accept or reject, minimize or maximize, and evaluate and
decide on the scope and function of science and technology indicates human
flourishing in science and technology.

Protecting the well-being and upholding the dignity of the human person must be at
the core of continued scientific and technological progress and development. Such
is the focus of a human rights- based approach to science, technology and
development.

“…seeks to place a concern for human rights at the heart of how the international
community engages with urgent global challenges. The UN Development
Programme characterizes this approach as one that ‘leads to a better and more
sustainable outcomes by analysing and addressing the inequalities, discriminatory
practices and unjust power relations which are often at the heart of the
development problems. It puts the people (the right bearers) and the corresponding
obligations of the state (the duty bearer) in the center of the national development
debate, and it clarifies the purpose of capacity development.”

- S. Romi Mukherjee, Senior Lecturer in Political Theory and the History of

Religions, Paris Institute of Political Studies

Mukherjee identifies science as a “socially organized human activity which is value-

laden and shaped by organizational structures and procedures.”

Some of the most important documents that center on human rights- based
approach to science, development, and technology, as listed by Mukherjee:

Universal Declaration of Human Rights -Affirms everyone‟s right to participate in

(Article 27) and benefit from scientific advances; to
be protected from scientific misuses
-The right to the benefits of science
comes under the domain of culture so it
is usually examined from a cultural rights
perspective.
UNESCO Recommendation on the Status - Affirms that all advances in scientific
of Scientific Researchers – 1974 (Article 4) and technological knowledge should
solely geared towards the welfare of the
global citizens; calls upon member states
to develop necessary protocol and
policies to monitor and secure this
objective.
- Countries are asked to show that S&T
are integrated into policies that aim to
endure a more humane and just society.
UNESCO Declaration on the Use of - Encompasses issues such as pollution-
Scientific Knowledge – 1999 (Article 33) free production, efficient resource use,
biodiversity protection, and brain drains

Human Rights-Based Approach to Science, Technology and Development

- Sets the parameters for the appraisal of how science, technology, and
development promote human well-being.
- Discussion on human rights in the face of the changing scientific and
technological contexts must not serve as merely decorative moral
dimension of scientific and technological policies
- This approach can form the very heart of sustainable futures.

Human Rights

- Should be integral to the journey toward the ultimate good.

- Should guide humans not only to flourish as an individual members of
the society, but also to assist each other in flourishing collectively as a
society.
- May function as the golden mean, particularly by protecting the weak,
poor, and vulnerable from the deficiencies and excesses of S&T.
- By imposing moral and ethical duties to S&T to uphold human rights,
there can be a more effective and sustainable approach to bridge
the gap between rich and poor countries on both tangible (ex.
services and natural resources) and intangible (ex. well-being and
human dignity) aspects.
Activity. Read the article, Is Google Making us Stupid ? by Nicholas Carr (Link:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-making-us-
stupid/306868/). Answer the following questions after reading:

1. Do you agree that Google is making humans stupid?

2. What moral and ethical duty must be imposed upon the „duty-bearer,‟ in this
case, Google, in protecting the well-being and dignity of humans?
3. What responsibilities do the „right-holders,‟ in this case, Google users, carry in
ensuring a human rights-based approach to the use of the internet?

Section 5

Why the Future Does Not Need Us

This section tackles the dangers of S&T unchecked by moral and ethical standards. It
primarily by moral and ethical standards. The section is based on William Joy‟s
article, Why the Future Does Not Need Us?, in evaluating contemporary human
experience in the midst of rapid development in science and technology.

Activity. Read Why the Future Does Not Need Us? by William Joy. (Link:
https://www.wired.com/2000/04/joy-2/) , then complete the metacognitive reading
report.

1. Difficult concepts
a.
b.
c.

2. Learning Insights
a. Before reading the article, I thought that…
b. However, after reading the article, I learned that…
3. What is the article about? Do you agree with the author‟s statements in the
article?

Module 2 References:

Quinto, EJM & Nieva, AD. 2019. Science, Technology and Society –Outcome-Based
Module. C & E Publishing , Inc. pp 1-pp217.