Natural Science Module 4

As times change, elements that comprise human flourishing changed, which

are subject to the dynamic social history as written by humans. People found means
Name: _____________________________________________________________
to live more comfortably, explore more places, develop more products, and make
Year and Course: _______________ more money, and then repeating the process in full circle. In the beginning, early
people relied on simple machines to make hunting and gathering easier. This
development allowed them to make grander and more sophisticated machines to aid
LEARNING OBJECTIVES them in their endeavors that eventually led to space explorations, medicine
innovations, and ventures of life after death. Our concept of human flourishing today
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to: proves to be different from what Aristotle originally perceived then- humans of today
1. identify different conceptions of human flourishing;
are expected to become a "man of the world.” He is supposed to situate himself in a
2. determine the development of the scientific method and validity of science; and
global neighborhood, working side by side among institutions and the government to
3. critic human flourishing vis-a-vis progress of science and technology to be able to
be able to reach a common goal. Competition as a means of survival has become
define for themselves the meaning of a good life.
passé; coordination is the new trend.
CHAPTER 1I Interestingly, there exists a discrepancy between eastern and western
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY AND THE HUMAN CONDITION conception regarding society and human flourishing. It has been observed that
LESSON 1
western civilization tends to be more focused on the individual, while those from the
HUMAN FLOURISHING east are more community-centric. Human flourishing as an end then is primarily more
of a concern for western civilizations over eastern ones. This is not to discredit our
INTRODUCTION kinsfolk from the east; perhaps in their view, community takes the highest regard that
the individual should sacrifice himself for the sake of the society. This is apparent in
Eudaimonia, literally "good spirited," is a term the Chinese Confucian system or the Japanese Bushido, both of which view the whole
coined by renowned Greek philosopher Aristotle (385-323 as greater than their components. The Chinese and the Japanese encourage studies of
BC) to describe the pinnacle of happiness that is attainable literature, sciences, and art, not entirely for oneself but in service of a greater cause.
by humans. This has often been translated into "human The Greek Aristotelian view, on the other hand, aims for eudaimonia as the ultimate
flourishing" in literature, arguably likening humans to good; there is no indication whatsoever that Aristotle entailed it instrumental to
flowers achieving their full bloom. As discussed in the achieve some other goals. Perhaps, a person who has achieved such state would want
Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle's human flourishing arises to serve the community, but that is brought upon through deliberation based on his
as a result of different components such as phronesis, values rather than his belief that the state is greater than him, and thus is only
friendship, wealth, and power. In the Ancient Greek appropriate that he should recognize it as a higher entity worthy of service.
society, they believe that acquiring these qualities will
surely bring the seekers happiness, which in effect allows them to partake in the Nevertheless, such stereotypes cannot be said to be true given the current
greater notion of what we call the Good. stance of globalization. Flourishing borders allowed people full access to cultures that
as a result, very few are able to maintain their original philosophies. It is in this regard
that we would tackle human flourishing-in a global perspective and as a man of the
world.

APRIL 4, 2022
Science, Technology, and Human Flourishing 5. Gather and analyze results throughout and upon culmination of the
experiment. Examine if the data gathered are significant enough to conclude
In the previous chapters, contributions of science and technology have been results.
laid down thoroughly. Every discovery, innovation, and success contributes to our 6. Formulate conclusion and provide recommendation in case others would
pool of human knowledge. Perhaps, one of the most prevalent themes is human's want to broaden the study.
perpetual need to locate himself in the world by finding proofs to trace evolution. The
business of uncovering the secrets of the universe answers the question of our At least in the students' formative years, the above routine is basic
existence and provides us something to look forward to. Having a particular role, methodology when introducing them to experimentation and empiricism, two distinct
which is uniquely ours, elicits our idea of self-importance. It is in this regard that features that give science edge over other schools of thought. Throughout the course
human flourishing is deeply intertwined with goal setting relevant to science and of history, however, there exists heavy objections on the scientific procedure; the line
technology. In this case, the latter is relevant as a tool in achieving the former or separating science and the so-called pseudoscience becomes more muddled.
echoing Heidegger's statement, technology is a human activity that we excel in as a
result of achieving science. Suffice to say that the end goals of both science and
Verification Theory
technology and human flourishing are related, in that the good is inherently related to
The earliest criterion that distinguishes philosophy and science is verification
the truth. The following are two concepts about science which ventures its claim on
theory. The idea proposes that a discipline is science if it can be confirmed or
truth.
interpreted in the event of an alternative hypothesis being accepted. In that regard,
said theory gives premium to empiricism and only takes into account those results
Science as Method and Results which are measurable and experiments which are repeatable. This was espoused by a
For the most part, science's reputation stems from the objectivity brought movement in the early twentieth century called the Vienna Circle, a group of scholars
upon by an arbitrary, rigid methodology whose very character absolves it from any who believed that only those which can be observed should be regarde as meaningful
accusation of prejudice. Such infamy effectively raised science in a pedestal and reject those which cannot be directly accessed as meaningless. Initially, this
untouchable by other institutions-its sole claim to reason and empiricism-garnering proved to be attractive due to general consensus from people, which happened to see
supporters who want to defend it and its ways. for themselves how the experiment occurred, solidifying its validity and garnering
supporters from esteemed figures. Its shortcomings, however, proved to be a
In school, the scientific method is introduced in the earlier part of discussions. somewhat too risky-- several budding theories that lack empirical results might be
Even though the number of steps varies, it presents a general idea of how to do shot down prematurely, causing slower innovation and punishing ingenuity of newer,
science: novel thoughts. Celebrated discoveries in physics, for instance, are initially theorized
without proper acknowledgment of their being. Einstein's theory on the existence of
1. Observe and determine if there are unexplained occurrences unfolding. gravitational waves would, following this thought, be dismissed due to lack of
2. Determine the problem and identify factors involved. evidence almost a hundred years ago. Quantum mechanics would not have prospered
if the scientific society during the time of Edwin Schrödinger did not entertain his
3. Through past knowledge of similar instance, formulate hypothesis that could outrageous thought that the cat in the box is both dead and alive, which can only be
explain the said phenomenon. Ideally, the goal is to reject the null determined once you look in the box yourself.
hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis for the study "to count as Aside from above critique, this theory completely fails to weed out bogus
significant" (can also be separated into additional steps such as "to generate arguments that explain things coincidentally. A classic example is astrology, whose
prediction" or "to infer from past experiments"). followers are able to employ the verification method in ascertaining its reliability.
4. Conduct experiment by setting up dependent and independent variables, and The idea is that since one already has some sort of expectations on what to find, they
trying to see how independent ones affect dependent ones. will interpret events in line with said expectations. American philosopher Thomas
Kuhn warned us against bridging the gap between evidence and theory by attempting to remain upheld amidst various tests, while being able to make particularly risky
to interpret the former according to our own biases, that is, whether or not we predictions about the world. Karl Popper is the known proponent of this view. He was
subscribe to the theory. Below is a short story illustrating this point: notorious for stating that up-and-coming theories of the time, such as Marx's Theory
of Social History and Sigmund Freud's Psychoanalysis, are not testable and thus not
Suppose, for instance, this girl, Lea has a (not-so- falsifiable, and subsequently questioning their status as scientific. Albeit majority of
scientific) theory that her classmate Ian likes her. Good, she scientists nowadays are more inclined to be Popperian in their beliefs, this theory,
thought, I like him too. But how do I know that he likes me? similar to the theory above, presents certain dangers by interpreting anotherwise
independent evidence in light of their pet theory.

She began by observing him and his interactions with her. To illustrate, previous story is restated:
Several gestures she noted include his always exchanging Ian is generally everybody's friend. He likes to be around
pleasantries with her whenever they bump into each other, his big people and generally aspires to become everybody's friend. However,
smile when he sees her, and him going out of his way to greet her there is this one girl, Lea, who seemed to not like him when he is
even when riding a jeepney. Through these observations, she was around. Every time he waves at her, she turns away, and when they are
then able to conclude that Ian does like her because, she thought, in the same room, she avoids his glances. Through this, he concluded
why would anyone do something like that for a person he does not that Lea does not like him and does his best to show her that he is not a
like? threat. He began greeting her whenever they pass by each other at the
corridor, even going so far as calling her attention when he was in the
As it turns out, however, Ian is just generally happy to meet jeepney and saw her walking past. When they are able to talk to each
people he knew. He had known Lea since they were in first year other, he found out that Lea is just really shy and is not accustomed to
and regards her as a generally okay person. It is no surprise then people greeting her. He then was able to conclude that his initial
that upon learning that Ian basically does this to everyone, Lea was impression of her not liking him (as a person) is wrong and thus said
crushed. She vowed to herself that she would never assume again. proposition is rejected.

Based from above story, is it justified for Lea to think that Ian does not like Although there is no happy ending yet for Lea and Ian, we can thus see how in
her? Not quite. The next criterion also warms us about the danger of this view. this case, falsification method is prone to the same generalizations committed by the
verification method. There is no known rule as to the number of instance that a theory
Falsification Theory is rejected or falsified in order for it to be set aside. Similarly, there is no assurance
Perhaps the current prevalent methodology in that observable event or evidences" are indeed manifestations of a certain concept or
science, falsification theory asserts that as long as an theories." Thus, even though, theoretically, falsification method is more accepted,
ideology is not proven to be false and can best explain a scientists are still not convinced that it should be regarded as what makes a discipline
phenomenon over alternative theories, we should accept the scientific.
said ideology. Due to its hospitable character, the shift to
this theory allowed emergence of theories otherwise Science as a Social Endeavor
rejected by verification theory. It does not promote ultimate Due to inconclusiveness of the methodologies previously cited, a new school
adoption of one theory but instead encourages research in of thought on the proper demarcation criterion of science emerged. Several
order to determine which among the theories can stand the philosophers such as Paul Thagard, Imre Lakatos, Helen Longino, David Bloor, and
test of falsification. The strongest one is that which is able Richard Rorty, among others, presented an alternative demarcation that explores the
social dimension of science and effectively, technology. Sciences cease to belong training based on specialized curricula. Although arguable as these schools also take
solely to gown- wearing, bespectacled scientists at laboratories. The new view great consideration in providing holistic education by assuring that other non-science
perpetuates dimension which generally benefits the society. For instance, far-off courses are covered, adeptness in science and mathematics are the primary condition
places in South America where many of the tribes remain uncontacted, do not regard to be admitted. This preference is also reflected on the amount of STEM (Science,
western science as their science. Whatever their science is, it can be ascertained that it Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)-offering schools accommodating Grades 11
is in no way inferior to that of globalized peoples' science. Thus, it presents an and 12. Among all the clusters being offered, STEM trumps the remaining clusters in
alternative notion that goes beyond the boundaries of cold, hard facts of science and terms of popularity and distribution, with Accounting and Business coming in as a
instead projects it in a different light, such as a manifestation of shared experience close second. One might infer that there are more demand in this field as students are
forging solidarity over communities. preconditioned that the field would latter land them high-paying jobs and a lucrative
career after graduation.
Science and Results How is science perceived by those who graduated from this field? A Couple
For the most part, people who do not understand science are won over when of years ago, a student entered a class all curious and excited. When he was made to
the discipline is able to produce results. Similar to when Jesus performed miracles report on Paul Feyerabend's work How to Defend Society Against Science one day, he
and garnered followers, people are sold over the capacity of science to do stuff they looked dissident, staunchly refusing to consider the author's ideas on science and
cannot fully comprehend. In this particular argument, however, science is not the only critiquing him instead. When asked why, he reasoned out that he had come from a
discipline which is able to produce results-religion, luck, and human randomness are science high school and was trained to regard science in a distinct accord. As isolated
some of its contemporaries in the field. For some communities without access to a case as it may seem, it somewhat suggests that the aforementioned kind of academic
science, they can turn to divination and superstition and still get the same results. environment has made students unwelcoming of objections against science.
Science is not entirely foolproof, such that it is correct 100% of the time. Weather Reminiscent of Paul Feyerabend's sentiment above, he muses how the educational
reports, for one, illustrate fallibility and limitations of their scope, as well as their system can hone and preserve students' capacity to entertain other options and decide
inability to predict disasters. The best that can be done during an upcoming disaster is for themselves the best among all presented. It will thus reinforce their imagination
to reinforce materials to be more calamity proof and restore the area upon impact. It and allow some level of unorthodoxy, bringing forth novel discoveries that otherwise
can be then concluded that science does not monopolize the claim for definite results. would not be considered had they stuck to the default methodology. Innovations are
brought forth by the visionaries, not the prude legalists, and several notable figures in
Science as Education science even consider themselves as outsiders.

Aforementioned discussion notes that there is no such thing as a singular If one is really in pursuit of human flourishing, it would make sense for them
scientific method, offering instead a variety of procedures that scientists can to pursue it holistically. Simply mastering science and technology would be
experiment with to get results and call them science. Discoveries in physics, inadequate if we are to, say, socialize with people or ruminate on our inner self.
specifically in quantum mechanics, appeared to have debunked the idea of objectivity Aristotle's eudaimonic person is required to be knowledgeable about science, among
in reality, subscribing instead to alternative idea called intersubjectivity. With other things of equal importance. They are supposed to possess intellectual virtues
objectivity gone, it has lost its number one credence. Nevertheless, there still exists a that will enable them to determine truth from falsehood or good reasoning from poor
repressing concept that comes about as a result of unjustified irreverence of science – reasoning. A true eudaimon recognizes that flourishing requires one to excel in
our preference of science-inclined students over those which are less adept. There are various dimensions, such as linguistic, kinetic, artistic, and socio-civic. Thus, he
distinct portions in entrance exams in the secondary and tertiary levels that are understands that he should not focus on one aspect alone.
dedicated to science and mathematics. In the Philippines, a large distribution of
science high schools can be found all over the country, forging competition tor
aspiring students to secure a slot and undergo rigorous science and mathematics
How Much Is Too Much? APPLICATION AND ASSESSMENT
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 THINK ABOUT THESE QUESTIONS…
global partnership for development. Inasmuch as the institutes imposing them do so Use one whole sheet of paper and answer the following questions.
in good faith, the primary goal to achieve growth for all might prove to be fatal in the
long run. 1. Is our reverence of science justified? Explain.
Economists believe that growth is the primary indicator of development, as 2. Were we successful so far in trying to tie down technology with what we
both go hand in hand, and has put forth their resources in trying to achieve such. conceive as human flourishing?
Technology has been a primary instrument in enabling them to pursue said goal, 3. What do you think constitutes human flourishing?
utilizing resources, machineries, and labor. What is missing in this equation is that
growth presents an illusory notion of sustainability-the world's resources can only ACTIVITY
provide so much, it cannot be expected to stretch out for everybody's consumption 1. Choose three (3). State a brief history or discovery that brought about the
over a long period of time. Moreover, growth is not infinite-there is no preordained invention or discovery of the things stated below. State their contributions in
ceiling once the ball starts rolling. If the MDG convention's intent was to get our scientific development. Be creative.
everyone in the growth ship, that ship will surely sink before leaving the port. The
same analogy applies to the capacity of nature to accommodate us, which Joseph a. Gravity
Hickel contemplated on, suggesting that developed countries should not push forth b. Telescope
more growth but instead adopt "de-development" policies or else, everybody loses. c. Processed Food
The rapid pace of technological growth allows no room for nature to recuperate, d. Microscope
resulting in exploitation and irreversible damages to nature. Right now, we are e. Radio
experiencing repercussions of said exploits in the hands of man-made climate change, f. Benzene Ring
which would snowball and affect majority of flora and fauna, driving half of the latter g. Large Hadron Collider
extinct in less than a hundred year from now. If this continues in its currently h. Guns
alarming rate, we might bring about our own extinction. i. Internet
j. Cellphones
SUMMARY
Human flourishing is defined as being "good spirited" in the classical
Aristotelian notion. Humans generally have a notion on what it means to flourish;
albeit in the advent of science and technology, they chose to hinge their ends REFERENCE
alongside the latter's results. While it is true that science equips its knowers some Alata, E.J.P., Caslib, B.N.,Jr., Pawilen, G.T., Serafica, J. P.J., (2018). Science,
details about the world, its main claim to objectivity and systematic methodology is at Technology, and Society, Rex Book Store,INC.
the very least flawed. However, that does not stop institutions to favor those who
excel in said discipline. Finally, the economic perception of enrichment, otherwise
known as growth, is heavily fueled by technology and should be impeded. We have to
rethink of our perception of a good life apart from one presented in this regard.