STS Modules 6 and 7 (Human Flourishing in Science and Technologgy

1. MODULE 6-7: HUMAN
FLOURISHING IN SCIENCE AND
TECHNOLOGY

2. Science and technology must be taken as part of human life that
merits reflective and -as the German philosopher Martin
Heidegger says meditative thinking. Science and technology,
despite its methodical and technical nature, gives meaning to the
life of a person making his/her way in the world.

3. TECHNOLOGY AS A MODE OF REVEALING
According to ancient doctrine, the essence of a thing is considered to be what the thing is. We ask the question
concerning technology when we ask what it is. Everyone knows the two statements that answer our question.
One says: Technology is a means to an end.
The other says Technology is a human activity.
The two definitions of technology belong together. For to posit ends and procure and utilize the means to them
is a human activity. The manufacture and utilization of equipment, tools, and machines, the manufactured and
used things themselves and the needs and ends that they serve, all belong to what technology is. The whole
complex of these contrivances is technology. Technology itself is a contrivance – in Latin, an instrumentum. The
current conception of technology, according to which it is a means and a human activity, can therefore be
called the instrumental and anthropological definition of technology (Heidegger, 1997, p. 5).

4. TECHNOLOGY AS A MODE OF REVEALING
Heidegger urged people to envision technology as a mode of revealing
as it shows so much more about the human person and the world.
Technology is a way of bringing forth, a making something, by
considering technology as a mode of revealing, then truth is brought
fort.

5. TECHNOLOGY AS A MODE OF REVEALING
Heidegger also put forward the ancient Greek concepts of aletheia, poiesis,
and techne. Aletheia means unhiddenness or disclosure. Poiesis is defined
as bringing forth.
For Aristotle, it means making or producing something for a purpose. It
is sometimes used to refer to poetry and composition. Finally, techne (the
root word for technology) means skill, art, or craft. It is a means of bringing
forth something. Thus, in Heidegger's work, technology is a poiesis that
discloses or reveals the truth. an therefore be called the instrumental and
anthropological definition of technology (Heidegger, 1997, p. 5).

6. TECHNOLOGY AS POIESI: APPLICABLE TO MODERN
TECHNOLOGY
Heidegger characterizes modern technology as a challenging forth
since it is very aggressive in its activity. Modern technology may
also be a mode of revealing but not as the harmonious bringing
forth that is described in his thesis of technology as poiesis.
Modern technology challenges nature and demands of it resources
that are, most of the time, forcibly extracted for human
consumption and storage. It brings about a "setting upon” of the
land.

7. TECHNOLOGY AS POIESI: APPLICABLE TO MODERN
TECHNOLOGY
Heidegger described modern technology as the age of switches,
standing reserve, and stockpiling for its own sake. This observation
is manifest in the mechanization and digitization of many aspects
of our life-from agriculture to communications and transportation,
among many others.

8. QUESTIONING AS THE PIETY OF THOUGHT

9. QUESTIONING AS THE PIETY OF THOUGHT
Piety is associated with being religious. For Heidegger, however,
piety means obedience and submission. In addressing what
technology has brought forth, one cannot help but be submissive
to what his/her thoughts and reflections elicit (i.e. it is a known truth
that we, human being and everything around us, are made of the
same substances that constitute the stars.)

10. ENFRAMING: WAY OF REVEALING IN MODERN TECHNOLOGY
This enframing that challenges forth and sets upon nature is a way
of looking at reality.
Poiesis is concealed in enframing as nature is viewed as an
orderable and calculable system of information.

11. ENFRAMING: WAY OF REVEALING IN MODERN TECHNOLOGY
Heidegger distinguished between calculative thinking and meditative thinking.
In calculative thinking, as mentioned earlier, one orders and puts a system to
nature so it can be understood better and controlled. In meditative thinking,
one lets nature reveal itself to him/her without forcing it. One kind of thinking
is not in itself better than the other. The human person has the faculty for both
and would do well to use them in synergy. However, people also want control
and are afraid of unpredictability, so calculative thinking is more often used.
Enframing is done because people want security, even if the ordering that
happens in enframing is violent and even if the Earth is made as a big
gasoline station from which we extract, stockpile, and put in standing-reserve,
ready to be used as we see fit.

12. HUMAN PERSON SWALLOWED BY TECHNOLOGY
It is true that the individual takes part in the revealing of nature,
limits must still be recognized.
If we allow ourselves to get swallowed by modern technology, we
lose the essence of who we are as beings in this world.
"But where danger is, grows the saving power also.”-Holderlin
"essence of technology is nothing technological" -
Heidegger(1977)

13. HUMAN PERSON SWALLOWED BY TECHNOLOGY
Thus we shall never experience our relationship to the essence of
technology so long as we merely represent and pursue the technological,
put up with it, or evade it. Everywhere we remain unfree and chained to
technology, whether we passionately affirm or deny it. But we are
delivered over to it in the worst possible way when we regard it as
something neutral; for this conception of it, to which today we
particularly like to pay homage, makes us utterly blind to the essence of
technology (1977, p. 1).

14. ART AS AWAY OUT OF ENFRAMING
Enframing, as the mode of revealing in modern technology tends to block
poiesis.
ln modern technology, the way of revealing is no longer poetic; it is
challenging. When instruments are observed linearly, its poetry can no longer
be found. (i.e. the watermill is a primitive structure compared to the
hydropower plant; or the first iPhone model is just an obsolete piece of
machine. People no longer realize how the watermill is more in tune with the
rhythms of nature or how much genius went into the building of the first
iPhone

15. ART AS AWAY OUT OF ENFRAMING
Heidegger proposes art as a way out of this enframing. With art,
we are better able to see the poetic in nature in reality. It leads us
away from calculative thinking and towards meditative thinking
Through meditative thinking, we will recognize that nature is art par
excellence. Hence, nature is the most poetic.

16. There was a time when it was not technology alone that bore the name techne. Once the revealing that
brings forth truth into the splendor of radiant appearance was also called techne.
Once there was a time when the bringing-forth of the true into the beautiful was called techne. The poiesis
of the fine arts was also called techne.
At the outset of the destining of the West, in Greece, the arts soared to the supreme height of the revealing
granted them. They illuminated the presence (Gegenwart) of the gods and the dialogue of divine and
human destinings. And art was called simply techne. It was a single, manifold revealing. It was pious,
promos, i.e., yielding to the holding sway and the safekeeping of truth.
The arts were not derived from the artistic. Artworks were not enjoyed aesthetically. Art was not a sector of
cultural activity.
What was art-perhaps only for that brief but magnificent age? Why did art bear the modest name techne?
Because it was a revealing that brought forth and made present, and therefore belonged within poiesis. It
was finally that revealing which holds complete sway in all the fine arts in poetry, and in everything poetical
that obtained poiesis as its proper name (Heidegger, 1977,p. 13).

17. Aristotle's conception of the four causes was mechanical. As explained by Heidegger:
For centuries philosophy has taught that there are four causes:
(1) the causa materialis, the material, the matter out of which, for example, a silver chalice is made;
(2) the causa formalis, the form, the shape into which the material enters;
3) the causa finalis, the end, for example, the sacrificial rite in relation to which the chalice required
is determined as to its form and matter;
4) the causa efficiens, which brings about the effect that is the finished, actual chalice, in this
instance, the silversmith. What technology is, when represented as a means, discloses itself when
we trace instrumentality back to fourfold causality (1971, p. 2).

18. MODULE 8: HUMAN FLOURISHING
AS REFLECTED IN PROGRESS
AND DEVELOPMENT

19. HOW DO WE KNOW THAT
WE ARE PROGRESSING?

20. Jason Hickel
An anthropologist at the London School of Economics, challenges
us to rethink and reflect on a different paradigm of “de-
development”.
“Forget ‘developing poor countries, it’s time to ‘de-develop
rich countries’

21. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Adopted in 2015 as a universal call-to-action to achieve peace
and prosperity for ally 2030
Also focus on our own need to transform unsustainable lifestyles,
promote equality, human rights, and justice.

22. SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

24. Orthodox economists insist that all we need is yet more growth.
More progressive types tell us that we need to shift some of the
yields of growth from the richer segments of the population to the
poorer ones, evening things out a bit. Neither approach is
adequate.

25. Orthodox economists insist that all we need is yet more growth.
More progressive types tell us that we need to shift some of the
yields of growth from the richer segments of the population to the
poorer ones, evening things out a bit. Neither approach is
adequate.
Growth isn't an option any more—we’ve already grown too
much. Scientists are now telling us that we're blowing past
planetary boundaries at breakneck speed. And the hard truth is
that this global crisis is due almost entirely to overconsumption
in rich countries.

26. Our planet only has enough resources for each of us to consume
1.8 “global hectares” annually—a standardized unit that
measures resource use and waste.

27. THEORY OF DEVELOPMENT
argues that instead of pushing poorer countries to "catch up"
with rich ones, we should be thinking of ways to get rich
countries to catch down to more appropriate levels of
development (Peter Edward(economist).
We should look at societies where people live long and happy
lives at relatively low levels of income and consumption not as
basket cases that need to be developed towards western
models, but as exemplars of efficient living.

28. HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY NEED TO LIVE LONG AND HAPPY
LIVES?

29. HOW MUCH DO WE REALLY NEED TO LIVE LONG AND HAPPY
LIVES?
As we mentioned above, living comfortably in the Philippines
requires a salary between 30,000 to 40,000 pesos for locals. But
an additional 10,000 pesos would be recommended if you are
moving to the Metropolitan area of Manila. So a total of 40-50K
Pesos would be needed to live comfortably in Manila as a local.

30. The idea of “de-developing” rich countries might prove to be a
strong rallying cry in the global south, but it will be tricky to sell to
westerners.
Majority believe we should strive to buy and own less, and that
doing so would not compromise our happiness. People sense
there is something wrong with the dominant model of economic
progress and they are hungry for an alternative narrative.

31. The problem is that the pundits promoting this kind of transition
are using the wrong language. They use terms such as de-grow,
zero growth or-worst of all-de-development, which are technically
accurate but off-putting for anyone who's not already on board.
Such terms are repulsive because they run against the deepest
frames we use to think about human progress, and, indeed, the
purpose of life itself. It's like asking people to stop moving
positively thorough life, to stop learning, improving, growing.

32. DOES CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS IN PROGRESS AND
DEVELOPMENT?
IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change will increase global temperatures, change rainfall patterns and will result in more frequent and
severe floods and droughts;
Developing countries are most vulnerable to climate change
The poor are likely to suffer most from climate change
Climate change is likely to reduce economic growth in developing countries; significant investments in climate
change adaptation are necessary
The developed world should reduce their emissions to minimise future climate change
Climate change policies for the rapidly developing countries should focus on mitigation; policies for the least
developed countries should focus on adaptation

33. This is not about giving anything up. And it's certainly not about
living a life of voluntary misery or imposing harsh limits on
human potential. On the contrary, it's about reaching a higher
level of understanding and consciousness about what we're
doing here and why.