L4.

1: The Human Person Flourishing

GEED007। Science, Technology, and Society

apparent in the Chinese Confucian system or the Japanese

OVERVIEW Bushido, both of which view the whole as greater than their
components. The Chinese and the Japanese encourage
In this module, we will get to know how humans studies of literature, sciences, and art, entirely for oneself
get the notion on what it means to flourish. Accordingly, we but in service of a greater cause.
have to rethink of our perception of a good life. Science and
technology have been part of human activity since the The Greek Aristotelian view, on the other hand,
beginning. It has aided us in survival, provided us aims for eudaimonia as the ultimate good; there is no
comfortable living, and allowed us to explore the world. Our indication whatsoever that Aristotle entailed it instrumental
valuation of things became one-dimensional, geared to achieve some other goals. Perhaps, a person who has
toward production of goods for more consumption, which achieved such state would want to serve the community,
we believe should lead us to the good life. This is only one but that is brought upon through deliberation based on his
conception of technology. Advancements in the field values rather than his belief that the state is greater than
expose us to previously unknown predicaments, enforcing him, and thus is only appropriate that he should recognize it
us to search for other approaches. as a higher entity worth of service.

Nevertheless, such stereotypes cannot be said to

A. Human Flourishing Defined be true given the current stance of globalization [modern
concept]. Flourishing borders allowed people full access to
Eudaimonia, literally “good spirited,” is a term cultures that as a result, very few are able to maintain their
coined by renowned Greek philosopher Aristotle (385-323 original philosophies. It is in this regard that we would
BC) to describe the pinnacle of happiness that is attainable tackle human flourishing – in a global perspective and as a
by humans. This has often been translated into “human man of the world.
flourishing” in literature, arguably likening humans to
flowers achieving their full bloom. As discussed in the B. Science, Technology, and Human
Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle’s human flourishing arises Flourishing
as a result of different components such as phronesis,
friendship, wealth, and power. In the Ancient Greek society,
they believe that acquiring these qualities will surely bring In the previous chapters, contributions of science
the seekers happiness, which in effect allows them to and technology have been laid down thoroughly. Every
partake in the greater notion of what we call the Good. discovery, innovation, and success contribute to our pool of
Phronesis is an ancient Greek word for a type of wisdom or human knowledge. Perhaps, one of the most prevalent
intelligence. It is more specifically a type of wisdom relevant themes is human’s perpetual need to locate himself in the
to practical action, implying both good judgement and world by finding proofs to trace evolution. The business of
excellence of character and habits, sometimes referred to uncovering the secrets of the universe answers the
as "practical virtue". question of our existence and provides us something to
look forward to. Having a particular role, which is uniquely
As times change, elements that comprise human ours, elicits our idea of self-importance. It is in this regard
flourishing changed, which are subject to the dynamic that human flourishing is deeply intertwined with goal
social history as written by humans. People found means to setting relevant to science and technology. In this case, the
live more comfortably, explore more places, develop more latter is relevant as a tool in achieving the former or
products, and make more money, and then repeating the echoing Heidegger’s statement, technology is a human
process in full circle. In the beginning, early people relied activity that we excel in as a result of achieving science.
on simple machines to make hunting and gathering easier. Suffice to say that the end goals of both science and
This development allowed them to make grander and more technology and human flourishing are related, in that the
sophisticated machines to aid them in their endeavors that good is inherently related to the truth. The following are two
eventually led to space explorations, medicine innovations, concepts about science which ventures its claim on truth.
and ventures of life after death. Our concept of human
flourishing today proves to be different from what Aristotle C. Science as Method and Results
originally perceived then – humans of today are expected
to become a “man of the world.” He is supposed to situate
himself in a global neighborhood, working side by side For the most part, science’s reputation stems from
among institutions and the government to be able to reach the objectivity brought upon by an arbitrary, rigid
a common goal. Competition as a means of survival has methodology whose very character absolves it from any
become passe’; coordination is the new trend. accusation of prejudice. Such infamy effectively raised
science in a pedestal untouchable by other institutions – its
Interestingly, there exists a discrepancy between sole claim to reason and empiricism – garnering supporters
eastern and western conception regarding society and who want to defend it and its ways.
human flourishing. It has been observed that western
civilization tends to be more focused on the individual, In school, the scientific method is introduced in the
while those from the east are more community centric. earlier part of discussions. Even though the number of
Human flourishing as an end then is primarily more of a steps varies, it presents a general idea of how to do
concern for western civilizations over eastern ones. This is science:
not to discredit our kinsfolk from the east; perhaps in their
view, community takes the highest regard that the individual 1. Observe and determine if there are unexplained
should sacrifice himself for the sake of the society. This is occurrences unfolding.
 2. Determine the problem and identify factors followers are able to employ the verification method in
involved. ascertaining its reliability. The idea is that since one already
3. Through past knowledge of similar instance, has some sort of expectations on what to find, they will
formulate hypothesis that could explain the said interpret events in line with said expectations. American
phenomenon. Ideally, the goal is to reject the null philosopher Thomas Kuhn warned us against bridging the
hypothesis and accept the alternative hypothesis gap between evidence and theory by attempting to interpret
for the study “to count as significant” (can also be the former according to our own biases, that is, whether or
separated from additional steps such as “to not we subscribe to the theory.
generate prediction or “to infer from past
experiments”). Suppose, for instance, this girl, Lea has a
4. Conduct experiment by setting up dependent and (not-so-scientific) theory that her classmate Ian likes her.
independent variables and trying to see how Good, she thought, I like him too. But how do I know that
independent ones affect dependent ones. he likes me?
5. Gather and analyze results throughout and upon
culmination of the experiment. Examine if the data She began by observing him and his interactions
gathered are significant enough to conclude with her. Several gestures she noted include his always
results. exchanging pleasantries with her whenever they bump into
6. Formulate conclusion and provide each other, his big smile when he sees her, and him going
recommendation in case others would want to out of his way to greet her even when riding a jeepney.
broaden the study. Through these observations, she was then able to conclude
that Ian does like her because, she thought, why would
At least in the students’ formative years, the above anyone do something like that for a person he does not
routine is basic methodology when introducing them to like?
experimentation and empiricism – two distinct features that
give science edge over other schools of thought. As it turns out, however, Ian is just generally
Throughout the course of history, however, there exists happy to meet people he knew. He had known Lea since
heavy objections on the scientific procedure [scientific they were in first year and regards her as a generally okay
method]; the line separating science and the so-called person. It is no surprise then that upon learning that Ian
pseudoscience becomes more muddled. basically does this to everyone, Lea was crushed. She
vowed to herself that she would never assure again.
D. Verification and Falsification Theory
Based on above story, is it justified for Lea to think
that Ian does not like her? Not quite. The next criterion also
wars us about the danger of this view.
D.1. Verification Theory

D.2. Falsification Theory

The earliest criterion that distinguishes philosophy
and science is verification theory. The idea proposes that a
discipline is science if it can be confirmed or interpreted in Perhaps the current prevalent methodology in
the event of an alternative hypothesis being accepted. In science, falsification theory asserts that as long as an
that regard, said theory gives premium to empiricism and ideology is not proven to be false and can best explain a
only takes into account those whose results are phenomenon over alternative theories, we should accept
measurable and experiments conducted are repeatable. the said ideology. Due to its hospitable character, the shift
This was espoused by a movement in the early twentieth to this theory allowed emergence of theories otherwise
century called the Vienna Circle, a group of scholars who rejected by verification theory.
believed that only those which can be observed should be
regarded as meaningful and reject those which cannot be It does not promote ultimate adoption of one
directly accessed as meaningless. Initially, this proved to be theory but instead encourages research in order to
attractive due to general consensus from people, which determine which among the theories can stand the test of
happened to see for themselves how the experiment falsification. The strongest one is that which is able to
occurred, solidifying its validity and garnering supporters remain upheld amidst various tests, while being able to
from esteemed figures. make particularly risky predictions about the world. Karl
Popper is the known proponent of this view. He was
Its shortcomings, however, proved to be a notorious for stating that up-and-coming theories of the
somewhat too risky – several budding theories that lack time, such as Marx’s Theory of Social History and Sigmund
empirical results might be shot down prematurely, causing Freud’s Psychoanalysis, are not testable and thus not
slower innovation and punishing ingenuity of newer, novel falsifiable, and subsequently questioning their status as
thoughts. Celebrated discoveries in physics, for instance, scientific. Albeit majority of scientists nowadays are more
are initially theorized without proper acknowledgement of inclined to be Popperian in their beliefs, this theory, similar
their being. Einstein’s theory on the existence of to the theory above, presents certain dangers by
gravitational waves would, following this thought, be interpreting otherwise independent evidence in light of their
dismissed due to lack of evidence almost a hundred years pet theory.
ago. Quantum mechanics would not have prospered if the
scientific society during the time of Edwin Schrodinger did To illustrate, previous story is restated:
not entertain his outrageous thought that the cat in the box
is both dead and alive, which can only be determined once Ian is generally everybody’s friend. He likes to be
you look in the box yourself. around people and generally aspires to become
everybody’s friend. However, there is this one girl, Lea, who
Aside from above critique, this theory completely seemed to not like him when he is around. Every time he
fails to weed out bogus arguments that explain things waves at her, she turns away, and when they are in the
coincidentally. A classic example is astrology, whose same room, she avoids his glances. Through this, he
concluded that Lea does not like him and does his best to
G. Science as Education
show her that he is not a 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 Aforementioned discussion notes that there is no such
jeepney and saw her walking past. When they are able to thing as a singular scientific method, offering instead a
talk to each other, he found out that Lea is just really shy variety of procedures that scientists can experiment with to
and is not accustomed to people greeting her. He then was get results and call them science. Discoveries in physics,
able to conclude that his initial impression of her not liking specifically in quantum mechanics, appeared to have
him (as a person) is wrong and thus said proposition is debunked the idea of objectivity in reality, subscribing
rejected. instead to alternative idea called intersubjectivity. With
objectivity gone, it has lost its number one credence.
Although there is no happy ending yet for Lean Nevertheless, there still exists a repressing concept that
and Ian, we can thus see how in this case, falsification comes about as a result of unjustified irreverence of
method is prone to the same generalizations committed by science – our preference of science-inclined students over
the verification method. There is no known rule as to the those which are less adept.
number of instance that a theory is rejected or falsified in
order for it to be set aside. Similarly, there is no assurance There are distinct portions in entrance exams in the
that observable event or “evidence” are indeed secondary and tertiary levels that are dedicated to science
manifestations of a certain concept or “theories.” Thus, and mathematics. In the Philippines, a large distribution of
even though, theoretically, falsification method is more science high schools can be found all over the country,
accepted, scientists are still not convinced that it should be forging competition for aspiring students to secure a slot
regarded as what makes a discipline scientific. and undergo rigorous science and mathematics training
based on specialized curricula. Although arguable as these
schools also take great consideration in providing holistic
E. Science as a Social Endeavor
education by assuring that other non-science courses are
covered, adeptness in science and mathematics are the
Due to inconclusiveness of the methodologies primary condition to be admitted. This preference is also
previously cited, a new school of thought on the proper reflected on the amount of STEM (Science, Technology,
demarcation criterion of science emerged. Several Engineering, Mathematics) – offering schools
philosophers such as Paul Thagard, Imre Lakatos, Helen accommodating Grades 11 and 12. Among all the clusters
Longino, David Bloor, and Richard Rorty, among others, being offered, STEM trumps the remaining clusters in terms
presented an alternative demarcation that explores the of popularity and distribution, with Accounting and Business
social dimension of science and effectively, technology. coming in as a close second. One might infer that there are
Sciences cease to belong solely to gown-wearing, more demand in this field as students are preconditioned
bespectacled scientists at laboratories. The new view that the field would later land them on high-paying jobs and
perpetuates a dimension which generally benefits the a lucrative career after graduation.
society. For instance, far-off places in South America where
many of the tribes remain uncontacted, do not regard How science perceived by those who graduated from
western science as their science. Whatever their science is, this field? A couple of years ago, a student entered a class
it can be ascertained that it is in no way inferior to that of all curious and excited. When he was made to report on
globalized people’s science. Thus, it presents an alternative Paul Feyerabend’s work How to Defend Society Against
notion that goes beyond the boundaries of cold, hard facts Science one day, he looked dissident, staunchly refusing to
of science and instead projects it in a different light, such as consider the author’s ideas on science and critiquing him
a manifestation of shared experience forging solidarity over instead. As isolated a case as it may seem, it somewhat
communities. suggests that the aforementioned kind of academic
environment has made students unwelcoming of
objections.against science. Reminiscent of Paul
F. Science and Results
Feyerabend’s sentiment above, he muses how the
educational system can hone and preserve students’
For the most part, people who do not understand science capacity to entertain other options and decide for
are won over when the discipline is able to produce results. themselves the best among all presented. It will thus
Similar to when Jesus performed miracles and garnered reinforce their imagination and allow some level of
followers, people are sold over the capacity of science to unorthodoxy, bringing forth novel discoveries that otherwise
do stuff they cannot fully comprehend. In this particular would not be considered had they stuck to the default
argument, however, science is not the only discipline which methodology.
is able to produce results – religion, luck, and human
randomness are some of its contemporaries in the field. For Innovations are brought forth by the visionaries, not the
some communities without access to science, they can turn prude legalists, and several notable figures in science even
to divination and superstition and still get the same results. consider themselves as outsiders. If one is really in pursuit
Weather reports, for one, illustrate fallibility and limitations of human flourishing, it would make sense for them to
of their scope, as well as their inability to predict disasters. pursue it holistically. Simply mastering science and
The best that can be done during an upcoming disaster is technology would be inadequate if we are to, say, socialize
to reinforce materials to be more calamity proof and restore with people or ruminate on our inner self. Aristotle’s
the area upon impact. It can be then concluded that eudaimonic person is required to be knowledgeable about
science does not monopolize the claim for definite results. science, among other things of equal importance. They are
supposed to possess intellectual virtues that will enable
them to determine truth from falsehood or good reasoning
from poor reasoning. A true eudaimon recognizes that
flourishing requires one to excel in various dimensions,
such as linguistic, kinetic, artistic, and socio-civic. Thus, he
understands that he should not focus on one aspect alone.
 H. How is it 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. Inasmuch as the institutes
imposing them do so in good faith, the primary goal to
achieve growth for all might prove to be fatal in the long
run.

Economists believe that growth is the primary indicator

of development, as both go hand in hand, and has put forth
their resources in trying to achieve such. Technology has
been a primary instrument in enabling them to pursue said
goal, 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
provide so much, it cannot be expected to stretch out for
everybody’s consumption over a long period of time.
Moreover, growth is not infinite – there is no preordained
ceiling once the ball starts rolling. If the MDG convention’s
intent was to get 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 Hickel contemplated on, suggesting that developed
countries should not push forth more growth but instead
adopt “de-development” policies or else, everybody loses.
The rapid pace of technological growth allows no room for
nature to recuperate, resulting in exploitation and
irreversible damages to nature. Right now, we are
experiencing repercussions of said exploits in the hands of
man-made climate change, which would snowball and
affect majority of flora and fauna, driving half of the latter
extinct in less than a hundred year from now. If this
continues in its currently alarming rate, we might bring
about our own extinction.