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Chapter 4

The document discusses Martin Heidegger's view of modern technology as a mode of revealing the world in a way that challenges and exposes nature as standing in reserve to be used efficiently. It also discusses Aristotle's view of human flourishing as requiring the rational ordering of the three parts of the soul and involving virtue, knowledge, and living rationally according to reality.

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39 views14 pages

Chapter 4

The document discusses Martin Heidegger's view of modern technology as a mode of revealing the world in a way that challenges and exposes nature as standing in reserve to be used efficiently. It also discusses Aristotle's view of human flourishing as requiring the rational ordering of the three parts of the soul and involving virtue, knowledge, and living rationally according to reality.

Uploaded by

sweetsummer621
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PART II

SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY AND THE
HUMAN CONDITION
CHAPTER 4
The Human Person
Flourishing in Terms
of Science and
Technology
2
A. Technology as a Way of Revealing
Martin Heidegger
◈ A German philosopher
◈ “The Question Concerning Technology”
◆ modern technology and its essence as an
instrumental way of revealing the world
◆ modern technology is conceived as means
to achieve ends

3
TECHNOLOGY BASED ON ITS ESSENCE
1. The essence of technology is not something we make; it is a
mode of being, or of revealing.
2. Technology even holds sway over beings that we do not
normally think of as technological, such as gods and history.
3. It is primarily a matter of modern and industrial technology.
4. Technology is not simply the practical application of natural
science. Instead, modern natural science can understand nature
in the characteristically scientific manner only because nature
has already, in advance, come to light as a set of calculable,
orderable forces — that is to say, technologically 4
Two Characteristics of Modern Technology as a
Revealing Process

1. The mode of revealing of modern technology is a challenging


◇ It is putting to nature the unreasonable demand that it
supply energy that can be extracted and stored.
◇ Mining technology is a good example.
⬥ Tracks of land reveal as something challenged
because man sees them as objects where coal and
ore can be demanded.
◇ Contrasted “Physis”
⬥ arising of something from itself, a bringing-forth
or poieses 5
Two Characteristics of Modern Technology as a
Revealing Process
2. The challenging that brings forth the energy of nature is an
“expediting”
◇ “unlocks” or “exposes” something
◇ what is exposed is still directed towards something else,
i.e. toward the maximum yield at the minimum expense
◇ things that are revealed in an expedited manner are
brought forth as resources that must be used efficiently

6
“Standing in Reserve”
◈ Term used by Heidegger to name the things that are revealed in
modern technology
◈ Things as standing in reserve are not “objects”
◆ Objects are things that “stand against us” as things with
autonomy
◈ Things as standing in reserve are called to come forth in challenging
and expediting.

7
“Enframing”
◈ the “essence” of modern technology
◈ The “frame” of modern technology is the network or interlocking
things standing in reserve.
◆ world centered on man’s caprices and demands
◆ as if nature is put in a box or in a frame so that it can be better
understood and controlled according to people’s desire
◈ the process of truth will revert back into the realm of erring

8
B. Human Flourishing
Eudaimonia
◈ “good fortune”, “material prosperity”
◈ a situation achieved through virtue,
knowledge and excellence
◈ Learning to be human is central to
Confucian humanism and its “creative
transformation” of the self through an
“ever-expanding network of
relationships encompassing the family
community, nation, world and beyond. 9
Three Motivating Parts of the Soul/Mind

1. Rational
2. Spirited or emotional
3. Appetitive

Each of these have their own desired


ends, and Eudaimonia or human
flourishing requires an ordering of this
tripartite structure of the soul
10
Eudaimonia

It is constituted not by honor or wealth


power but by rational activity in the
virtues of character (including courage,
honesty, pride, friendliness, and
wittiness), the intellectual virtues
(rationality and judgement), mutual
beneficial friendships and scientific
knowledge particularly of things that are
fundamental and unchanging.
11
Aristotle’s View
Four Aspects of Human Nature
◈ All humans seek to
flourish - the proper ◈ Physical – nourishment, exercise and rest
and desired end of all ◈ Emotional – wants, desires, urges and
of our actions reactions
◈ To understand ◈ Social – live and function in particular
something’s function, societies
you have to ◈ Rational – creative, expressive, knowledge
understand its nature. seeking, and able to obey reason
12
To flourish, a man must pursue goals that are both rational for him
individually and also as a human being.

Living rationally (consciously)


◈ means dealing with the world conceptually
◈ implies respect for the facts of reality
◈ not affected by the degree of one’s intelligence not the extent of
one’s knowledge; rather, it is the acceptance of use of one’s reason
in the recognition and perception of reality and in his choice of
values and actions to the best of his ability, whatever that ability may
be
13
THANKS!
Any questions?
😉

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