WEEK 1 Historical ANTECEDENTS which revolutionized science and technology in

the world

◦ Science – it is a systematic body of knowledge based on careful observation

and experimentation

Branches of Science :

◦ Social Science – study of people, culture and society

◦ Natural science – seeks to understand the natural world

◦ Pure science – gain knowledge

◦ Applied science – solve a particular problem

◦ Biological science – living things

◦ Physical science – non living things

Ancient times

◦ Transportation and Navigation – is significant during that time because people

were trying to go places and discover new horizons. They travelled to search for food
and find better locations for their settlements. They also travelled to trade their
surplus goods in exchange for things that they lacked. Navigation assisted them in
their journeys to unfamiliar and strange areas in the world. It allowed them to return
home after they discovered new places or completed an important trade with another
group of people.

◦ Communication - was also essential in their endeavors to discover and occupy

new places. They needed a way to communicate with the natives of the areas they
visited so as to facilitate trade and prevent possible conflicts.

◦ Security and Protection – were important as well in the discovery of new

places or the establishment of new alliances with other tribes. At that time, there was
always a risk of conflict when people met others with different cultures and
orientations. Conflicts were common especially if different groups struggled to control
vital resources. Stronger nations tended to invade weaker ones so they could take
much needed resources. This is the reason why the development of weapons and
armors for security and protection was considered a major achievement

◦ Health - The early people might have, safe shelters from threats, and building
capabilities combined to create the discipline of engineering as we know it today.
been successful in harnessing the rich resources that the world could provide, but
their survival posed a great problem. Different illnesses and diseases, both natural
and man-made, hindered the ability of a human being. Because of these, S & T
played a major role in the discovery of cures to, if not the prevention of illnesses
 ◦ Architecture and Engineering - The development in this field allowed humans
to build structures that would address their specific needs and wants like better
transportation, establishment of structures for protection from human attacks and
natural disasters and construction of bigger and stronger infrastructures. The
development of engineering also paved the way to the introduction of architecture.
During the ancient times, architectural designs were signs of technological
advancement of a particular civilization. In the coming generations, architecture
would be considered a status symbol among nations of how advanced their
technology is. It may also establish the identity of a nation. Moreover, in order to
integrate people's needs for better transportation, the establishment of structures for
protection from human attacks and natural disasters, and construction practices led
to the development of what is now known as the field of engineering" - essentially
meaning that the desire for improved movement

◦ Mass Production - The increase in size and number of nations connoted

increased demand for food and other basic necessities this condition also implied
that the people must be able to produce food at a given time and space since
resources were getting scarcer as more people struggled to share the basic
necessities. The people thus needed a form of technology that would enable them to
increase food supplies and other survival needs.

◦ Aesthetic - the people were not contented on beautifying only their

infrastructures and surroundings. They were also able to prolong life with mass
production of food and advancement of medical technology, as well as raise the
quality of life by making complicated and difficult tasks easier and later on developed
the technology to improve how they look. They discovered that people looked more
visually presentable and appealing by adding some features and decorations in their
body.

◦ Record Keeping - was also important since they needed to remember the
places they had been to and document the trades they made with each other. It was
also vital to keep records of their history and culture so they could establish their
identities as they tried to relate with other cultures and civilizations.

Major technological Advancement

◦ Sumerians – Cooperative, developed many things connected with S and T

◦ Babylonians – Great builders, engineers and architects

◦ Egyptians – Infrastructure, engineering technology

Sumerian’s Contributions

◦ Cuneiform – First Writing system. Word pictures and triangular symbols. Carved
clay using wedge instruments and then left to dry.

◦ Uruk City – First true city in the world. Built using mud or clay on the river mixed
with sunbaked bricks. They used bricks to make houses that protected them from the
harsh weather. Prevented wild animals and neighboring raiders from entering.
 ◦ The great ziggurat of Ur – also called the Mountain of God was built in the
same manner that they constructed the City of Uruk

◦ Irrigation and dikes – as the population increased, so did the demand for food.
They created dikes and irrigation canals to bring water to farmlands and at the same
time control the flooding of the rivers. Dikes and canals were able to enjoy year long
farming and harvesting, which increased food production.

◦ Sailboats – the main mode of transportation was through waterways such as

rivers and seas. They needed a mode of transportation that did not require much
human resources. Sailboats were essential in transportation and trading as well as in
fostering.

◦ Wheel – first wheel were not made for transportation but for farm work and food
processes. With the use of the wheel and axle, mass production was made easier.
Farmers were able to mill grains with less effort in less time.

◦ Roads – in order to facilitate faster and easier travel, the Sumerians developed
the first roads using sunbaked bricks.

Babylonian’s Contribution

◦ Hanging Gardens of Babylon – one of seven wonders of the ancient world.

Made up of layers of plants, trees and vines. Its exact location is unknown. Many said
it was just a product of the creative imagination. If it really existed, it must have been
destroyed by war, erosion, or an earthquake and considered as one of the greatest
engineering and architectural achievements of the world that is almost impossible to
replicate.

Egyptians’ Contributions

◦ Paper or Papyrus – Egypt was not the first to develop a system of writing, they
were able to make writing easier for the world. Clay tablets were used. However, safe
keeping and transporting them were a major problem.

Papyrus was a plant that grew abundantly in Egypt. This invention was a major
accomplishment in Egyptian record keeping and communications. Therefore, it was easier to
keep them away from raiders who often destroyed records of the nations they invaded

◦ Ink – when Egyptian invented the papyrus or the paper, engraving was
concluded to be used in writing. As a result, the Egyptians invented ink by combining
soot with different chemicals to produce inks of different colours.

◦ Hieroglyphics – Egyptian also developed a system of writing using symbols,

known as hieroglyphics. They believed that this writing system was provided to them
by their gods. It was the language that tells the modern world of the history and
culture of the ancient Egyptians.

◦ Cosmetics – Egyptian also invented the use of cosmetics. Their function in

ancient Egypt were for both health and aesthetic reasons. Egyptians wore Kohl
around the eyes to prevent and even cure eye disease.
 ◦ Wig – During ancient Egyptian times, wigs were worn for health and wellness
rather than for aesthetic purposes. The wig was used to protect the shaved heads of
the wealthy Egyptians from the harmful rays of the sun. Prevent accumulation of
head lice, and it allows heat to escape rather than a scarf.

◦ Water clock / clepsydra – this device utilize gravity that affects the flow of water
from one vessel to the other. The amount of water remaining in the device
determines how much time has elapsed since it is full. In the process, time is
measured.

NOTABLE PERIODS IN THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE

◦ GREEKS; THE HARBINGERS

Between 600 and 300 BC Ancient Greece saw the early studies and discoveries of several
branches of natural sciences such as astronomy, mathematics and biology. Sciences at this
time grow with art and aesthetics, principally literature, theatre and pottery. The Greek are
considered the harbingers of western civilization due to the combination of these very varied
cultural activities.

◦ MEDIEVAL / MIDDLE AGES PERIOD

◦ The medieval period is frequently referred to as the “Dark Ages”. Several fields
of the arts flourished, and interesting discoveries were made in sciences such as
chemistry which is transmitted to Europe from old Alexandria through the Arabs in
the 13th century (Rörsch, 2014). At that time also the oldest universities were
established (Cambridge 1209, Montpellier 1220, Padua 1222, Sorbonne 1253,
Valladolid 1292). The spiritual world in Europe was dominated by the Roman
Catholic Church, where obedience to the Church’s enforced doctrines without
questioning was observed. This influence of the Catholic Church affected science.
Galileo Galilei (1616) was accused of being a heretic when he presented the
evidence that the Earth was circling the Sun, instead of the other way round, and that
sunrise and sunset are caused by the planet’s rotation around its axis. In 1632, he
published a book that stated, among other things, that the heliocentric theory of
Copernicus was correct. Galileo was once again called before the Inquisition and
this time was found guilty of heresy where he was sentenced to life imprisonment in
1633.

The Age of Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution

◦ Authoritative powers weaken at the beginning of Age of Enlightenment. Civilian

class became interested in the activities of scientists and philosophers. In the 18th
century science even became a kind of fashion, in the sense that people gathered to
see the wonders of nature demonstrated through experimental performance.

◦ Applications of this knowledge in the Industrial Revolution leads to progress in

navigation and warfare that allowed Britain (and Spain, Portugal and the
Netherlands) to colonize the rest of the known world. This transition was essentially
the change from manual production to machinery which led to increased chemical
manufacturing and iron production processes, enabled by the increasing use of
steam power as an energy source produced by the burning of coal.
 ◦ SOME OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE CAME FROM THIS PERIOD

◦ PRINTING PRESS – Johann Gutenberg was able to invent the printing press, a
more reliable way of printing using a cast type made of extracted fruit juices firmly
pressed into a piece of paper. It was invented to address the need for publishing
books to spread information at a faster rate and be accessible to individuals who
could not even write.

◦ Microscope – with the massive migration and urbanization, people transferred

to polluted and populated urban areas which resulted to the spread of various
illnesses and diseases. To understand the cause of these illnesses, a way of
investigation through the use of a device that could magnify things visible to the eye
was invented. Guided by the principles used in the invention of eyeglasses years,
Zacharias Janssen was able to observe organisms that were normally unseen by the
naked which was a key in discovering new means in preventing and curing various
illnesses.

◦ Telescope – since the Middle Ages was also known as the Age of Exploration,
the need for nautical inventions was high. The invention of telescope, an optical
instrument that helps in the observation of remote objects was a great help for
navigators during this time together with the invention of compass and oars that
made sea travelling easier and faster

◦ War Weapons - Since was were widespread during the middle ages great
developments in weaponry technology was occurred it both includes offensive and
defensive instruments. This includes crossbows and longbows high walls and
fortresses iron body armors and chain mail.

◦ Modern Science After the Industrial Revolution

◦ The number of influential scientists and inventors during the 19th century is too
large to mention. Yet, here are the few who made outstanding contributions to the
progress of science. In biology, Darwin in his treatise On the Origin of Species,
published in 1859 became the unifying theory of the life sciences, explaining the
diversity of life. In physics, Maxwell (electromagnetic Field), Boltzmann (Statistical
Mechanics), Planck (Quantum Physics), Kelvin (Absolute temperature), van der
Waals (Intermolecular Forces), Fourier (Greenhouse effect), and, in other disciplines,
Pasteur (Pasteurization) and Curie (X-rays).

◦ The beginning of the 20th century was marked by Einstein’s theory of relativity
(1905). The first half of the century saw many other physicists celebrated for
breakthroughs in physics. In 1953 Crick and Watson described the structure of DNA,
the carrier of genetic information.

The second half of the 20th century continued to make great progress in physics, chemistry,
biology, geology and astronomy. The development of the transistor (by William Shockley,
John Bardeen and Walter Brattain) led to great advances in information technology. In
nuclear physics the discovery of subatomic particles provided a great leap forward. In
biology, the deciphering of the genetic code and the regulatory mechanisms in living cells
paved the way for “genetic engineering. In astronomy, the borders of the universe came into
the picture through the discovery of black holes and dark matter.

◦ The renaissance and enlightenment age shows the scientific revolutions in

Europe. An era of scientific discoveries and shifts from one theory to another.
Different sciences undergo “revolutions” when scientists gather enough data that
they can’t explain using their current paradigm. A paradigm shift happens when the
known valid science or normal science of that time was collecting observed
anomalies. If this collected anomalies continues to increase it forms a crisis that
requires a scientific revolution or new paradigm. When Aristotle thought that heavier
objects fall faster than lighter objects when dropped at the same time at the same
height it becomes a normal science or paradigm for years until many people are
experiencing events that do not satisfy Aristotle’s theory. So, when Galileo added
another anomaly by proving that massive and less massive objects reached the
ground at the same time when dropped from the same height, the current paradigm
shifted to Galileo’s theory and created a paradigm shift

◦ Pasteurization - is the process of heating dairy products to kill the harmful

bacteria that allow them to spoil faster through this process milk could be stored and
consumed for a longer period it also prevented illnesses cause bacteria by harmful
bacteria.

◦ Petroleum refinery kerosene was later on referred to as the illuminating oil

because it was used at first to provide lighting to homes. After some time, it was
applied for heating purposes. The development of kerosene established the
petroleum refinery industry at present petroleum, which is widely used in powering
automobiles factories and power plants.

◦ Telephone - the more people got connected by trade and exploration the more
they needed a way to easily maintain this connection and communicate in real time
the development of the telephone by alexander graham bell was one of the most
important inventions at this time.

◦ Calculator - although an earlier version of calculator had already been

developed modern times required a faster way to compute more complicated
equations computing devices must be easy to carry for day by day basis the creation
of modern calculators resulted in the development of more complex processing
machines like the computer.

Computer - the first computers were used primarily for numerical calculations. However, as
much information can be numerically encoded, people soon realize that computers are
capable of general-purpose information processing.

WEEK 2: Historical Antecedents Which Revolutionized Science and Technology in the

Philippines

◦ PERIODS IN THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE

◦ Even before the Spaniards colonized the Philippines, various people and societies
already practiced science. Some indigenous science and technology have already
existed with regards to agriculture like animal- raising, farming and utilization of
plants and herbs as medicines. They invented tools and built structures, studied
medicinal uses of plants, observed heavenly bodies to predict seasons and weather.
They also develop tools for planting, hunting, cooking, fishing and fighting enemies
during tribal conflicts. The use of technology is very evident in the handicrafts,
pottery, weaving and tools used by ancient Filipinos in their everyday life.

◦ The ancient practices in science and technology by our ancestors are considered
indigenous science or folk science which is one of the foundations of modern science.
The growth of science and its development as a field in the Philippines is a hybrid of
indigenous and foreign ideas. Spain and the United States, being former colonizers,
played an important role in building the foundation of science in the country.

◦ Stone Ages in the Philippines

◦ Archaeological findings indicate that around 50,000 years ago, modern men or
Homo sapiens from the Asian mainland first came over land and across narrow
channels to live in Palawan and Batangas. For about 40,000 years, they made simple
tools or weapons of stone flakes, but eventually developed techniques for sawing,
drilling and polishing hand stones. This very long period, considered as the Philippine
Stone Age, was when the Tabon Man (c. 67,000 BC) and the Callao Man (c. 24,000-
22,000 BCE) were supposed to have lived.

◦ The Austronesians around 5,000-2,000 BC, ancestors of most present- day

Filipinos, arrived in the islands. It is still unsure as to their exact direction of
movement to what is today the Philippines, and but southern Mainland China is
considered as their most plausible point of origin. These ancestors not only brought
most languages spoken by Filipinos today; they were also said to have brought more
sophisticated and organized agricultural technologies and methods. This is where rice
cultivation also flourished with the 2,000-year-old Banaue Rice Terraces of the Ifugao
people as prominent evidence.

◦ Bronze and Iron Ages in the Philippines

◦ There is no distinct Bronze Age in the Philippines, and that copper was found to
have been used for adornments such as earrings whilst stone remained more common
for tools. As early as 3,000 BC people were producing a range of materials from
adzes to seashell ornaments to pottery of various designs. The manufacture of pottery
subsequently became well developed and flourished for about 2,000 years until it
came into competition with imported Chinese ceramics. Fermentation in food
processing could have been present earlier than this period. Various types of alcohol
were produced from coconuts (tuba, lambanog, bahalina) and rice (pangasi). This
method was later adopted to sugarcane (basi) when Arab traders presumably brought
the crop to Mindanao and then spread northwards.
◦ A lantaka which is used as a cannon in the Philippines similarly assuming that
specific Iron Age in the Philippines is still a matter of debate. Usage and small-scale
production of iron, however, is estimated to have occurred around 500 to 200 BCE as
iron manufacturing overlapped with the arrival of limited bronze manufacturing.
People during this age engaged in the actual iron extraction, smelting and refining.
Crude metalwork processes were already adopted through the hardening of metal
through heat-induced carbon absorption or carburization. Most materials found were
imported, which shows the existence of an extensive trading network across Southeast
Asia, China and the Indian subcontinent as early as this period. By 1st century CE,
cotton cultivation, textiles, mining, and jewelry making were already practiced.

◦ This period saw the appearance of various clay and copper-based materials
produced by the Sa Huynh Culture which existed around 1000 BCE to 200 CE. Found
to be concentrated in southern Vietnam, this society is presumed to have had presence
around Central Philippines, and possibly all the way to Mindanao. Some notable
archeological findings from this time are the Sa Huyun-Kalanay Pottery Complex of
Masbate (c. 400 BCE-1500 CE), and the Manunggul Jar of Palawan (c. 890-710
BCE), which is depicted in the old design of the ₱1,000 bill.

◦ As descendants of seafaring people who subsequently settled near the sea, social
structures in ancient Philippines were also tied to seafaring. An example would be
ancient barangay societies, which would later expand as flourishing, powerful
localities trading with nearby states and territories up until the 16th century. These
social organizations were derived from the concept of the balangay, ancient boats
used by their predecessors to travel across the Philippines and nearby islands. The
oldest to be discovered is called the Butuan Boat One presumed to be used around
300 CE.

◦ The Austronesians were also the ancestors of Polynesians whose boat- building
and navigation prowess were unmatched anywhere in the world even by mercantile
powers of ancient Mediterranean. Only until the European Age of Exploration that
such skills are said to have been surpassed by the emergence of more modern naval
technologies. In ancient Philippines sophisticated boat-building techniques such that
for the balangay were passed onto generations. Other seafaring technologies were
present. Small boats which can still be found today are the paraw which is common in
the Visayas, and the vinta or lepa-lepa found across the Sulu Archipelago, the
Zamboanga peninsula, and some parts of Southern Mindanao.

◦ There is also the karakoa, or large outrigger ships used for both trade and warfare
mostly in the Visayas. The lanong is a variant within the Sulu area. These larger
vessels were said to be attached with at least one bronze cannon called a lantaka.
Today this cannon technology has evolved into the typical bamboo cannons used as
noisemakers during fiestas and New Year’s Eve.

◦ Given the presence of iron as a valuable resource, sociopolitical institutions

should have developed like anywhere else. And like any complex society, medicine
was central to preserving the health of people. At this point their existed knowledge
and methods dealing with medicinal and therapeutic properties of plants such as
herbs. This early form of medicine or pananambal is associated with ancient systems
of Animist beliefs characterized by the anito, which comprise of various nature
spirits, diwatas, and ancestors. In line with religion, early societies’ agricultural
activities were presumed to have been guided by a Hindu-Buddhist influenced lunar
calendar.

◦ Developments in language are also signs of both sociopolitical and technological

advancements. Among the oldest writing systems (Baybayin) found in the Philippines
with variations from Pampanga down to the Visayas. This is presumed to have
evolved from the Kawi Script originally developed somewhere in Java, Indonesia, and
spread all over what are now Malaysia and the Philippines. Its most renowned
evidence in the Philippines is the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, dated around 900
CE, which is an Old Malay writing mixed with either Old Javanese or Old Tagalog.
Kawi itself evolved from an older writing system originating in Southern India. Many
Baybayin writings did not survive since most were carved on leaves and bamboo,
except for a very few when the Spaniards brought the printing press to the islands.

◦ Spanish Colonization

◦ The beginnings of modern science and technology in the Philippines can be traced
to the Spanish Regime. The Spaniards established schools, hospitals and started
scientific research and these had important consequences to the rise of the county’s
profession

◦ The Filipino disinterest in science could be traced to the Spanish colonial period.
While the Spaniards practiced some aspects of science (e.g. agriculture, botany,
medicine, meteorology), Filipinos rarely had the opportunity to develop a serious
competence to these, due to racism and wealth inequality within the colonies.
Moreover, certain aspects of scholarship such as ethnography, humanities, and
theology, were comparatively developed yet science and technology were generally
neglected. This imbalance reflected their poor state of science in the motherland itself.

◦ Toward the end of the Spanish period (1850-1896, a very small group of Filipinos
particularly men who are wealthy and landed (ilustrados) or exceptionally talented
were eventually allowed to engage in advanced studies in local schools or abroad.
Access to adequate training, though, was limited to the University of Santo Tomas,
the oldest university in Asia. Like their colonizers, these Filipinos generally preferred
humanistic Ilustrados training over and above technical expertise. This preference to
understand the human condition more than nature has continued to this day. Rizal,
however, criticized this lack of interest in natural science on the part of Spanish
colonial officials when he was a medical student at said university in the 1880’s.

◦ Formal education in science and technology was introduced by the Spaniards

through scientific institutions. At the beginning, parish schools were opened to teach
religion, reading, writing, mathematics, and music. The people were taught sanitation
and improved methods of agriculture. Later, higher institutions of learning were
established among which were:

◦ • Colegio de Cebu (1597), now the University of San Carlos

◦ • Colegio de Nuestra Señora del Rosario (1611), now the University of Santo
Tomas
 ◦ • Colegio de San Juan de Letran (1706)

◦ • Ateneo Municipal de Manila (1859)

◦ • Escuela Nautica (1820)

◦ • Manila School of Agriculture (1887)

In these institutions, science subjects like astronomy, physics, chemistry, natural history, and
mathematics were taught as parts of the curriculum for college programs being offered. An
important institution established during this time was the Observatorio Meteorológico or the
Manila Observatory (1865) at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila. It helped in studying
typhoons and climatology within the colony and across Asia. The Spanish government then
made the observatory the official weather forecasting and time keeping institution for the
colony in 1884 and 1885, respectively. This institute issued the first typhoon warnings in
Philippine history, at the advantage of merchant shipping.

◦ In the latter part of the Spanish period, major health institutions were established.
Among these were the San Lazaro Hospital (1578), the oldest in East Asia, the
Hospital de Los Baños (1590), and the Hospital de Cebu (1850). The University of
Santo Tomas started offering programs in medicine and pharmacy in 1872. Later in
1877, the Laboratorio Municipal, which was later to become the Bureau of Science,
was established to undertake the pathological studies of infectious diseases. There
were also private pharmaceutical firms engaged in this activity such as the Botica
Boie, and the Botica de Santa Cruz.

◦ In terms of transportation, the most important development brought by the

Spaniards is the Philippine National Railway (PNR) through a royal order from Spain
in June 1875. The wood-burning steam locomotive ran through the first line from
Tutuban in Manila to Dagupan and San Fernando, La Union. Its first operation was in
November 1892 and was concessioned by the British. But before the PNR, there was
the tranvia owned by the Compania de las Tranvias de Manila of 1888 consisting of
German-made light electric locomotives which ran from Manila to Malabon. This can
be considered as the distant predecessor of Metro Manila’s LRT and MRT.

◦ In communications, the telegraph was introduced in the Philippines in 1876 with

the first line between Manila and Corregidor. The first foreign- owned overseas
submarine telegraph cable was put up in 1881. It linked Bolinao in Pangasinan and
Hong Kong, then a British crown colony. Manila was also linked to Iloilo, Cebu and
Bacolod. At the height of the Philippine Revolution, there were 65 telegraph stations
operating in the islands (49 in Luzon, 16 in the Visayas).

◦ American Colonization and World War II

◦ The Americans have more influence in the development of science and

technology in the Philippines compared to the Spaniards. They established the public
education system, improved engineering works, and public health facilities. They
established a modern research university, the University of the Philippines, and
created more public hospitals more than the former colonizer. Transportation and
communication systems were improved, though still not accessible throughout the
country.

◦ The Americans did everything to Americanize the Philippines. They reorganized

the learning of science and introduced it in both private and public schools. In basic
education, science education focuses on nature studies and science and sanitation,
until it became a single, formal subject area. The teaching of science in higher
education has also greatly improved and modernized. Publication of scientific
journals and organization of scientific societies were brought. Among these local
scientific publications focused on agriculture and plant industries, water resources,
pharmaceuticals, and general natural and applied sciences. Some of the first scientific
societies in the Philippines were:

◦ • Manila Medical Society (1901)

◦ • Philippine Islands Medical Association (1908)

◦ • Philippine Scientific Society (1923)

◦ • Society for the Advancement of Research (1928)

◦ • Philippine Society of Parasitologists (1930)

◦ • Philippine Public Health Association (1932)

◦ • Philippine Society of Civil Engineers (1933)

◦ The Americans likewise continued science development from the

Spanish regime. Government departments, bureaus, and boards were established to
help the new colonial administration, and among these were the Bureau of Agriculture
and the Board of Health, which later became the Bureau of Health. American efforts
at the beginning were geared towards the promotion of public health. In 1901, the
Philippine Commission created the Bureau of Government Laboratories under the
Department of Interior. This bureau was established for the study of tropical diseases
and laboratory projects effectively replacing the Laboratorio Municipal.

◦ New developments in transportation and communications were also brought

during the American period. Other than acquiring ownership of PNR and extending
its railroad lines, the Commonwealth government also built other steam locomotive
railways in other parts of the country. These are the Panay Railway, which ran from
Iloilo City to the town of Capiz (now Roxas City), and the Cebu Railway, which ran
from Danao through Cebu City until Argao. A shorter line was built in Negros, but
this primarily served sugar plantations and mills, not commuters. The first automobile
in the Philippines arrived in Manila in 1900. By 1916 the ordinary car became a
common feature of traffic. As per aviation, the first airplane to land in the Philippines
is the Avierto Gallarsa in 1924. However, locally-owned commercial air travel only
became possible by 1941. This was when Philippine Air Lines (now ‘Airlines’), the
first Asian commercial aviation company, was incorporated for domestic and
international flights.
 ◦ The Americans expanded the telegraph and telephone capacity, and became
available to the Filipino public with the establishment of the Bureau of Post. Before
World War II, they were able to operate 108 radio stations and 495 telegraph offices
interconnected by 14,607 kilometers of wires and 328 nautical miles of submarine
cables throughout the archipelago. In 1922, the first radio broadcasts took place in
Manila and Pasay. The radio stations were initially owned by Americans but were
soon purchased by Filipino businessmen who extended their media investments from
newspapers to radio, and later to television. The radio quickly became a staple so that
even before World War II, news programs were regularly broadcast. After the war,
the number of radio stations increased rapidly and broadcasts soon became available
throughout the country. The radio became the main source of entertainment and news
for millions of Filipinos until the 1970’s when it was supplemented by the television.

ISSUES IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE PHILIPPINES

◦ Since the aftermath of World War II and independence, the Philippines had
struggled to maintain and expand its science and technology capacity. Institutions and
possibly many physical documents of scientific and technological knowledge were
turned to ashes; many lives were destroyed. While reparation funds from Japan were
meant for rebuilding much were focused on basic infrastructure such as schools,
hospitals, and transportation systems. Resources are limited in improving science. The
Philippine government has explored the use of Overseas Development Allocations
(ODA) from different countries to help in improving its scientific productivity and
technological capability. Human resource development is at the heart of these efforts
focusing on producing more engineers, scientists, technologists, doctors, and other
professionals. However, these are not enough for the Philippines to provide quality
science education to the population, and much more catch up with developed nations
in terms of capacity and innovation.

◦ The brief account of the acceptance of modern technology in the Philippines

indicates its ready absorption into national and local life. With the arrival of the
steamboat in 1849, the telegraph in 1876, the railway in 1888, the telephone in 1890,
the automobile in 1900, and the electric tranvia in 1905, the launching of modern
communications and transportation technologies in the country became apparent.
Most of these technologies were only recently invented in the West, but their effects
were quickly felt in the societies that accepted them. Japan was among the most
quickly transformed by these technologies, and were able to fully harness them amidst
their rapid industrialization after the World War II. At a much recent period, South
Korea was able to accomplish this through their phenomenal economic development
in the 80’s up to the 90’s. They made this possible by integrating internet
technologies. These two countries have not only taken advantage of scientific and
technological developments, but in some cases became leaders and pioneer
themselves.

◦ Unfortunately, the Philippines failed to take advantage of these opportunities as

most of their benefits were confined to the national capital region, and were unable to
stimulate the development of the overall economy. In effect, they often confirmed,
widened, or solidified social divisions between rich and poor, urban and rural. The
aforementioned technologies as they evolved in the contemporary period in the form
of smartphones and tablets, overseas travel, car ownership, or affording car services
like Grab, became hallmarks of privilege rather than necessities of modern living.

◦ INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE SYSTEM

◦ Indigenous knowledge is embedded in the daily life experiences of young

children as they grow up. They live and grow in a society where the members of the
community prominently practice indigenous knowledge in their minds. The lessons
they learned are intimately interwoven with their culture and the environment. These
lessons comprised of good values and life stories of people on their daily life
struggles. Their views about nature and their reflections on their experiences in daily
life are evident in their stories, poems, and songs.

◦ Some examples of indigenous knowledge that are taught and practiced by the
indigenous people are:

◦ Predicting weather conditions and seasons using knowledge in observing animals’

behavior and celestial bodies;

◦ • Using herbal medicine;

◦ • Preserving foods;

◦ • Classifying plants and animals into families and groups based on cultural
properties;

◦ • Preserving and selecting good seeds for planting;

◦ • Using indigenous technology in daily lives;

◦ • Building local irrigation systems;

◦ • Classifying different types of soil for planting based on cultural properties;

◦ • Producing wines and juices from tropical fruits; and

◦ • Keeping the custom of growing plants and vegetables in the yard.

◦ INDIGENOUS SCIENCE

◦ Indigenous science is part of the indigenous knowledge system practiced by

different groups of people and early civilizations (Gribbin, 2001; Mkapa, 2004; Sibisi,
2004). It includes complex arrays of knowledge, expertise, practices, ad
representations that guide human societies in their enumerable interactions with the
natural milieu: agriculture, medicine, naming and explaining natural phenomena, and
strategies for coping with changing environments (Pawilen, 2005). Ogawa (1995)
claimed that it is collectively lived in and experienced by the people of a given
culture.
 ◦ According to Cajete (2004), indigenous science includes everything, from
metaphysics to philosophy and various practical technologies practiced by indigenous
peoples both past and present. Iaccarino (2003) elaborated his ideas by explaining that
science is a part of culture, and how science is done largely depends on the cultural
practices of the people.

Indigenous beliefs also develop desirable values that are relevant or consistent to scientific
attitudes as identified by Johnston (2009), namely: (1) motivating attitudes; (2) cooperating
attitudes; (3) practical attitudes; and (4) reflective attitudes. These cultural beliefs therefore
can be good foundation for developing positive values toward learning and doing science and
in bringing science in a personal level.

◦ Pawilen (2005) explained that indigenous science knowledge has developed

diverse structures and contents through the interplay between the society and the
environment. According to Kuhn (1962), developmental stages of most sciences are
characterized by continual competition between a number of distinct views of nature,
each partially derived from, and all roughly compatible with the dictates of scientific
observation and method. Sibisi (2004) also pointed out that indigenous science
provides the basics of astronomy, pharmacology, food technology, or metallurgy,
which were derived from traditional knowledge and practices.

◦ Pawilen (2006) developed a simple framework for understanding indigenous

science. Accordingly, indigenous science is composed of traditional knowledge which
uses science process skills and guided by community values and culture.

◦ 1. Indigenous science uses science process skills such as observing, comparing,

classifying, measuring, problem solving, inferring, communicating, and predicting.

◦ 2. Indigenous science is guided by culture and community values such as the

following:

◦ • The land is a source of life. It is a precious gift from the creator.

◦ • The Earth is revered as “Mother Earth”. It is the origin of their identity as

people.

◦ • All living and non-living things are interconnected and interdependent with each
other.

◦ • Human beings are stewards or trustee of the land and other resources. They have
a responsibility to preserve it.

◦ • Nature is a friend to human beings - it needs respect and proper care.

◦ 3. Indigenous science is composed of traditional knowledge practiced and valued

by people and communities such as ethno-biology, ethno-medicine, indigenous
farming methods and folk astronomy.

Indigenous science is important in the development of science and technology in the

Philippines. Like the ancient civilizations, indigenous science gave birth to the development
of science and technology as a field and as a discipline. Indigenous science helped the people
in understanding the natural environment and in coping with everyday life. UNESCO’s
Declaration on Science and the Use of Scientific Knowledge (1999) recognized indigenous
science as a historical and valuable contribution to science and technology.

PHILIPPINE INVENTIONS

SALAMANDER AMPHIBIOUS TRICYCLE - Filipinos have gotten accustomed to

converting transportation vehicles into something more useful. Adding a sidecar to a vehicle,
converting it into a tricycle with more people to handle, is an example of conversion of
American military jeeps used in World War II to jeepneys. During the rainy season, flooding
is a common occurrence in many regions of the world. The streets are quite difficult for
tricycles to navigate. Victor Llave and his colleagues at H2O Technologies were able to solve
the problem by developing the Salamander, as well as rivers and lakes. This may also be used
to go from island to island because the Philippines an archipelago, the Salamander is a
practical invention.

◦ SALT LAMP - Electrification is one of the Philippines' most pressing demands

as a growing country. Different sorts of machines, including light sources, are
powered by electricity. When it becomes dark, many activities in rural regions
throughout the world will come to a halt. Traveling gets riskier as well. Fortunately,
Aisa Mijeno, a young scientist from the Philippines, was able to create a lighting
system that made use of a plentiful resource in the Philippines: seawater. She was the
creator of the Sustainable Alternative Lighting (SALt) lamp, a working, ecologically
acceptable light source that does not produce hazardous gases. Apart from people
living in a coastal area, it can also benefit people who live in remote regions since
they may manufacture their own saltwater by mixing two teaspoons of salt with a
glass of tap water.

◦ MEDICAL INCUBATOR - In the Philippines, high infant mortality rates are a

serious problem. One reason for this difficulty in the twentieth century was a shortage
of incubators owing to a lack of resources and energy, especially in rural regions.

◦ Dr. Fe del Mundo, a physician from the Philippines and the first Asian woman
admitted to Harvard Medical School, created an electric-free medical incubator using
locally available materials. Dr. del Mundo constructed the incubator by encasing a
local laundry basket within a bigger one. Hot water bottles were put between baskets
and an improvised hood to allow ventilation and enable oxygen circulation. Its major
goal was to keep a newborn, usually a premature infant, under safe conditions.

◦ MOSQUITO OVICIDAL/ LARVICIDAL TRAP SYSTEM - The Mosquito

Ovicidal / Larvicidal Trap System, commonly known as OL Trap, was introduced in
2010 by the Institute for Development of Science and Technology-Industrial
Technology (DOSTI-ITDI) is a mosquito trap is made out of naturally occurring
components that are lethal to mosquitos yet harmless for humans and the
environment.
 ◦ E-JEEPNEY - The Jeepney ruled the streets of the Philippines and is known as
the primary form of transportation for most Filipinos. Nevertheless, the diesel-
powered jeepney emits huge amounts of black smoke, and due to its rudimentary
exhaust system is typically a major contributor to noise pollution. The electric
Jeepney (ejeepney) was developed to combat these disadvantages. This new method
of transportation uses

◦ ERYTHROMYCIN - Perhaps one of the most important medical inventions is

the Erythromycin. The Ilonggo scientist Abelardo Aguilar invented this antibiotic out
of a strain of bacterium called Streptomyces erythreus, from which this drug derived
its name. As with the case of several other local scientists, however, Aguilar was not
credited for this discovery by Eli Lilli Co., Aguilar’s US employer, to whom he sent
the strain for separation. The US company eventually owned the merits for this
discovery.

WEEK 3: INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS THAT DEFINED THE SOCIETY

◦ Scientific Revolution, a drastic change in scientific thought that held place during
the 16th and 17th centuries. A new view of nature arose during The Scientific
Revolution, replacing the Greek view that had dominated science for almost 2,000
years. Science became an independent discipline, distinct from both philosophy and
technology, and it came to be regarded as having utilitarian goals. By the end of this
time, it will not be extreme to claim that science had replaced Christianity as the focal
point of European civilization. Out of the unrest of the Renaissance and Reformation,
there arose a new picture of science, bringing about the following transformations:
the reeducation of common sense in inclination of abstract reasoning; the
replacement of a quantitative to a qualitative view of nature; the view of nature as a
machine rather than as an organism; the development of an experimental, scientific
method that queried specific responses to certain limited questions couched in the
framework of specific theories; and the acceptance of new criteria for the
explanation, stressing the “how” rather than the “why” that had marked the
Aristotelian search for final causes. (Spencer, Brush, & Margaret, 2019). (Spencer,
Brush, & Margaret, 2019).

◦ The Renaissance (14th to 17th century)

◦ Looking back to the 1500s the Renaissance has been going on for almost 200
years. This period was characterized by rediscovering the knowledge from the
Greeks and from the Romans.

◦ • Copernican Revolution (16th century)

 ◦ As articulated by the Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus in the 16th century,
this revolution shifted the science of astronomy from a geocentric understanding of
the world centered on Earth to a heliocentric view focused around the Sun. This shift
marked the beginnings of the Scientific Revolution that laid the groundwork for
contemporary science and allowed it to flourish as a separate field. Copernicus
turned the world inside out, placing the Sun at the center of the universe and causing
the Earth to revolve around it. His theory, published in 1543, appeared to have a
qualitative simplicity that Ptolemaic astronomy lacked. To attain comparable levels of
quantitative precision, however, the new system became just as complex as the old.
Conceivably the most revolutionary aspect of Copernican astronomy lay in
Copernicus’s attitude toward the reality of his theory. Contradict to Platonic
instrumentalism, Copernicus asserted that to be satisfactory, astronomy must
describe the real, physical system of the world (Spencer, Brush, & Osler, Copernican
Revolution, 2020).

◦ Newton’s Publication of Principia (1687)

The capstone of the scientific revolution was believed to happened when Newton published
the Principia in 1687. The book describes the laws of the universe where almost everything
can be explained with mathematical calculations. This was not challenged for almost 200
years until Albert Einstein published his discoveries in Theories of Relativity. Yet until today
Newton’s discoveries are influential in Physics and Engineering classes.

◦ OTHER INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS

◦ To understand further the intellectual revolution, it is worth noting that these

revolutions are paradigm shifts. These turning points resulted from a renewed and
enlightened understanding of behavior and functions from long-held views. Thus,
these revolutions often met with controversy.

◦ • Age of Enlightenment (1600s and early 1700s)

◦ In the 1600s and early 1700s same deductive reasoning from the Scientific
Revolution was used. This leads to questioning on the right to rule, duties and
obligations, rights of each other and other questions with challenging notions. This
philosophical movement is known to be the characteristic of the Age of
Enlightenment. Below is a passage from John Locke who is considered as one of the
pillars of enlightenment. He published in 1689 the Second Treatise Concerning Civil
Government. Locke himself makes the connection between slavery, suicide and
murder (The Institute for Applied & Professional Ethics Archive, 2021) :

“The state of Nature has a law of Nature to govern it, which obliges every one, and reason,
which is that law, teaches all mankind who will but consult it, that being all equal and
independent, no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty or possessions; for men
being all the workmanship of one omnipotent and infinitely wise Maker; all the servants of
one sovereign Master, sent into the world by His order and about His business; they are His
property, whose workmanship they are made to last during His, not one another’s pleasure
[emphasis added]. And, being furnished with like faculties, sharing all in one community of
Nature, there cannot be supposed any such subordination among us that may authorize us
to destroy one another, as if we were made for one another’s uses [emphasis added], as the
inferior ranks of creatures are for ours. Every one as he is bound to preserve himself, and
not to quit his station willfully [emphasis added], so by the like reason, when his own
preservation comes not in competition, ought he as much as he can to preserve the rest of
mankind [emphasis added], and not unless it be to do justice on an offender, take away or
impair the life, or what tends to the preservation of the life, the liberty, health, limb, or goods
of another.”

◦ Industrial Revolution

◦ The power given from humanity from the scientific revolution had become more
significant when applied during the Industrial Revolution. This intellectual revolution
can be divided into four stages (Adebayo, Chaubey & Numbu, 2019). The first level
(late 1700s to late 1800s) is characterized by mechanization and steam powered
machines. The second level (19th century) is characterized by mass production,
assembly line and use of electrical energy. The third level (20th century) is
characterized by automation, computers and electronics. The fourth level (21st
century) is characterized by cyber physical systems, internet of things and networks.

◦ Darwinian Revolution

◦ In 1859, Charles Darwin, an English naturalist, biologist, and geologist,

published his book, On the Origin of Species. In this book, he introduces the theory
of evolution- postulating that the various types of plants, animals, and other living
things on Earth have their origin in other preexisting types and that the
distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations
(Ayala, 2021). This theory became controversial as people perceived it to be
contradictory to the church’s teachings that the source of life is a powerful creator
(Reddy, 2018).

WEEK 4 Philippine Government Policies in Science and Technology

◦ ROLE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN NATION BUILDING

◦ Technology is always linked with development phase. Technology occurs when

there is advancement in science. Every individual expects development in every
nation in all aspects. Thus, for development to happen, science and technology must
go together.

◦ Barangays are developed into towns and towns to cities and cities are expanding
to greater solutions. This expansion has occurred through the expansion of science
and technology over the years passed and will be more in the coming years.

◦ Basically, science is known as the study of knowledge, which is made into a

system and depends on analysis and understanding facts. Technology is basically
application of this scientific knowledge.
 ◦ For a successful economy, particularly in today’s quest for knowledge-based
economies, science, technology and engineering are the basic requisites. If our
nation does not implement science and technology, then the chances of getting itself
developed becomes minimal and thus could be even rated as an undeveloped
nation.

Science and technology is associated in all means with modernity and it is an essential tool
for rapid development.

◦ Modernization in every aspect of life is the greatest example of the

implementation of science and technology in every nation. With the introduction of
modern gadgets in every walk of life, life has become simple and this is possible only
because of implementing science and technology together. Without having modern
equipment’s in all sectors, be it in medicines, infrastructure, aviation, electricity,
information technology or any other fields, the advancement and benefits that we
face today would not have been possible.

◦ A nation who is not able to proper on these grounds would never be able to
sustain the lives there and may have to solely depend on other nations for the basic
requirements. Such is the influence of science and technology for the development of
the Philippine nation.

◦ We as citizens of the nation and who hold equal responsibility for the growth,
should equip the youth with all possible facilities for their research thirst and support
and motivate them, as the future of our nation is in their hands and they could get our
nation to more advanced levels than what it is today.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICIES OF THE PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT

◦ SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United Nations Member
States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the
planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs), which are an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a
global partnership. They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-
in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur
economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and
forests.

◦ The Philippine Development Plan of 2017-2022, discussed various strategies

that would accomplish the following goals:

◦ a. to build a prosperous, predominantly middle-class society where no one is

poor;

◦ b. to promote a long and healthy life;

◦ c. to become smarter and more innovative; and

◦ d. to build a high-trust society.

 ◦ • Philippine Development Plan (2017-2022)

◦ The Philippine Development Plan of 2017-2022, discussed various strategies

that would accomplish the following goals:

◦ a. to build a prosperous, predominantly middle-class society where no one is

poor;

◦ b. to promote a long and healthy life;

◦ c. to become smarter and more innovative; and

◦ d. to build a high-trust society.

◦ These goals were based from collective long-term vision of Filipinos to have:
“matatag, maginhawa, at panatag na buhay”.

◦ Key Areas from Philippine Development Plan (2017-2022):

◦ a. Enhancing the social fabric (malasakit)

◦ b. Inequality-reducing transformation (pagbabago)

◦ c. Increasing growth potential (patuloy na pag-unlad)

◦ d. Enabling and supportive economic environment

◦ e. Foundations for sustainable development

◦ • Harmonized National R&D Agenda (HNRDA) 2017-2022

The DOST, in consultation with government and private research and development
institutions, the academe, industry and other concerned agencies, prepared the Harmonized
National R&D Agenda (HNRDA) 2017-2022 to ensure that results of S&T endeavors are
geared towards and are utilized in areas of maximum economic and social benefit for the
people. The formulation of the HNRDA is in line with the DOST’s mandate of providing
central direction, leadership and coordination of the scientific and technological efforts in the
country.

The HNRDA is aligned with AmBisyon Natin 2040: matatag, maginhawa at panatag na
buhay para sa lahat. It has three pillars: Malasakit (enhancing the social fabric), Pagbabago
(reducing inequality) and Kaunlaran (increasing potential growth). AmBisyon Natin 2040 and
the three pillars form the foundation for more inclusive growth, a high-trust and resilient
society and a globally competitive knowledge economy.

◦ MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN

THE PHILIPPINES

◦ • Doppler Radars
◦ PAGASA installed its first Doppler weather radar station in Baler, Aurora and
another in Baguio. It was built to further improve weather forecasting capability and
disaster risk reduction in the country, four Doppler radars, which could measure the
rain volume, and two flood forecasting and warning centers have been completed
last 2017.

◦ • RA 7687 Scholarship Program

◦ Science and technology are essential for national development and progress.
The State shall give priority to research and development, invention, innovation and
their utilization; and to science and technology education, training and services. As
such, it shall provide for scholarships, grants-in-aid, or other forms of incentives to
deserving science students and other specially-gifted citizens to enable them to
pursue higher education or training in areas of science and technology.

◦ SETUP

◦ SETUP is a nationwide strategy to encourage and assist SMEs (small and

medium enterprises) to adopt technological innovations to improve their operations
and thus boost their productivity and competitiveness. SETUP provides micro small
and medium enterprises with equipment and technical assistance to enable MSMEs
to increase sales and production, streamline and improve overall company
operations, upgrade the quality of products and services, conform to national and
international standards of excellence, and be competitive in their respective fields.

◦ • Balik Scientist Act

◦ On June 15, 2018, Republic Act No. 11035 was signed by President Rodrigo
Duterte. This Act was also known as the Balik Scientist Act. According to the law
itself, it aims to “strengthen the scientific and technological human resources of the
academe, public and private institutions, including locally registered enterprises in
order to promote knowledge sharing and accelerate the flow of new technologies into
the country.”

◦ Philippine Space Agency

◦ Republic Act No. 11363, the Philippine Space Agency, or PhilSA, will be the
central government agency addressing all national issues and activities related to
space science and technology applications. The PhilSA is tasked to assist the
country in the creation, development, and implementation of national and
international space policies, among other directives.

◦ SCIENCE EDUCATION IN THE PHILIPPINES

◦ • The Concept of Science Education

◦ Science education focuses on teaching, learning, and understanding science.

◦ Teaching science involves developing ways on how to effectively teach science.

This means exploring pedagogical theories and models in helping teachers teach
scientific concepts and processes effectively.

◦ Learning science includes both pedagogy and the most interesting aspect, which
is helping students understand and love science.

◦ Understanding science implies developing and applying science-process skills

and using science literacy in understanding the natural world and activities in
everyday life.

◦ Science Schools in The Philippines

◦ One outstanding program for science education supported by the government is

the establishment of science schools in various parts of the country. There are also
several government programs implemented by the Department of Education and few
private schools for science education.

◦ ➢ Philippine Science High School System (PSHSS)

◦ ➢ Special Science Elementary Schools (SSES) Project

◦ ➢ Quezon City Regional Science High School

◦ ➢ Manila Science High School

◦ ➢ Central Visayan Institute Foundation

◦ PROMISING FILIPINO INNOVATORS AND INVENTORS

◦ • Reina Reyes an astrophysicist, data scientist, and renowned for confirming

Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. One of her passion projects is Pinoy Scientists, a
blog that features mostly young Filipino scientists across different fields and from
across the world.

◦ • Irene Crisologo, is a radar meteorologist based in Potsdam, Germany working

on open source methods for processing weather radar data.

◦ • Julius Sempio, scientist specializing in geoinformatics and remote sensing.

Specializes in geoinformatics and remote sensing, is helping develop an effective
archive and database for images coming from Diwata-1, a Philippine microsatellite
launched into orbit last year, and the future Diwata-2.

◦ Andreia Carrillo is an astrophysicist from Bulacan, now based in Austin in the

United States, where she is finishing a doctorate degree at the University of Texas.
Her previously published paper characterized a dwarf galaxy 15 million light years
away, including the kinds of stars it had and their implications on the environment.
 ◦ • Kamela Ng is a molecular epidemiologist who splits her time between the
Institute of Tropical Medicine at Antwerp, Belgium, and the University of Amsterdam
in the Netherlands. Her current research is focused on the early detection of drug
resistant-tuberculosis transmission.

◦ Migs Canilao is an anthropologist and archaeologist specializing in

environmental and urban geography. He is completing his studies at the University of
Illinois in Chicago, where his research involves using high resolution satellite imagery
to track ancient gold trading trails and settlements in Northwestern Luzon.

◦ • Sarah Oliva is a geophysicist based in Tulane University in New Orleans,

United States. Hailing from Naga, Oliva had a background in physics and material
science but returned to a childhood love, geology — one that was partially nurtured
by having a geologist for a dad.

Week 5 HUMAN FLOURISHING IN TERMS OF Science and technology

Definition of Human Flourishing

According to Ackerman (2021), we can probably agree that a plant which is healthy and
blooming can be said to “flourish,” and that a business that is booming and raking in record
profit is “flourishing.”

◦ For a human being to flourish, some might think of financial success as

“flourishing.” Others might think of self-development and growth. You might believe
that a person is flourishing when she is happy and content, or when she is learning
new things and applying her skills to new challenges.

◦ As it turns out, all these definitions are right! Or at least, partly right. Flourishing
is a multi-dimensional construct, meaning it’s made up of several important parts,
and maximum flourishing can only happen when a person experiences a healthy
level of each dimension or component (Ackerman, 2021).

◦ Eudaimonia, literally "good spirited," is a term coined by renowned Greek

philosopher Aristotle (385-323 BC) to describe the pinnacle of happiness that is
attainable by humans. This has often been translated into "human flourishing" in
literature, arguably likening humans to flowers achieving their full bloom (Serafica,
Pawilen, Caslib & Alata, 2018). The person that is flourishing is like a fully bloomed
flower with fully developed aspects of human such as mental, physical, emotional,
aesthetic, social, moral and spiritual. The development in science and technology
continuously affects the person to flourish or to deteriorate.

◦ In addition, as discussed in the Nicomachean Ethics (cited in Serafica, 2018)

Aristotle's human flourishing arises as a result of different components such as
phronesis (practical wisdom), friendship, wealth, and power. In Ancient Greek
society, they believe that acquiring these qualities will surely bring the seekers
happiness, which in effect allows them to partake in the greater notion of what we call
the Good.

◦ As times change, elements that comprise human flourishing changed, which are
subject to the dynamic social history as written by humans. People found means to
live more comfortably, explore more places, develop more products, and make 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 them in their
endeavors that eventually led to space explorations, medicine innovations, and
ventures of life after death. Our concept of human flourishing today proves to be
different from what Aristotle 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 among institutions and the government to be
able to reach a common goal. Competition as a means of survival has become
passé; coordination is the new trend (Serafica et al, 2018).

◦ VIEWPOINTS ABOUT HUMAN FLOURISHING IN TERMS OF SCIENCE,

TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY

◦ The three of the most popular viewpoints relevant to human flourishing are
Aristotle’s view of human flourishing, Dr. Seligman’s PERMA™ theory of well-being,
and Heisenberg’s theory.

◦ Aristotle’s Human Flourishing

◦ Aristotle believed that human flourishing requires a life with other people.
Aristotle taught that people acquire virtues (i.e., good habits) through practice and
that a set of concrete virtues could lead a person toward his natural excellence and
happiness.

◦ According to Aristotle, there is an end of all of the actions that we perform which
we desire for itself. This is what is known as eudaimonia, flourishing, or happiness,
which is desired for its own sake with all other things being desired on its account.
Eudaimonia is a property of one's life when considered as a whole. Flourishing is the
highest good of human endeavors and that toward which all actions aim. It is success
as a human being. The best life is one of excellent human activity.

For Aristotle, the good is what is good for purposeful, goal-directed entities. He defines the
good proper to human beings as the activities in which the life functions specific to human
beings are most fully realized. For Aristotle, the good of each species is teleologically
immanent to that species. A person's nature as a human being provides him with guidance
with respect to how he should live his life. A fundamental fact of human nature is the
existence of individual human beings each with his own rational mind and free will. The use
of one's volitional consciousness is a person's distinctive capacity and means of survival
(Younkins, 2003).

◦ Dr. Seligman’s PERMA™ Theory of Well-Being

◦ Dr. Seligman’s PERMA™ theory of well-being is an attempt to answer these

fundamental questions: “What is human flourishing and what enables it?” There are
five building blocks that enable flourishing – Positive Emotion, Engagement,
Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment (hence PERMA™) – and there are
techniques to increase each.
Different people will derive well-being from each of these five building blocks to varying
degrees. A good life for one person is not necessarily a good life for another. There are
many different routes to a flourishing life. Research on the factors that enable flourishing can
help people make more informed choices to live a more fulfilling life that is aligned with their
values and interests (Positive Psychology Center - University of Pennsylvania, 2021).

◦ Heisenberg’s theory

◦ Many people assume that what morally justifies private ownership of property is
either individual freedom or social welfare, defined in terms of maximizing personal
preference-satisfaction.

Human flourishing is property’s moral foundation. It develops a theory that connects

ownership and human flourishing with obligations. Owners owe obligations to members of
the communities that have enabled the owners to live flourishing lives by cultivating in their
community member’s certain capabilities that are essential to leading a well-lived life. These
obligations are rooted in the interdependence that exists between owners and their
community members, a condition that is inherent in the human condition. Obligations have
always been inherent in ownership. The human flourishing theory explains why owners at
times owe obligations that enable their fellow community members to develop certain
necessary capabilities (Alexander, 2020).

◦ ANALYSES ON THE THREE CITED VIEWPOINTS ON HUMAN

FLOURISHING

◦ Aristotle emphasized a life with other people. He also emphasized eudaimonia,

flourishing, or happiness, as the perceived desire and end of man’s actions in life. It
is the success of man himself. In terms of human flourishing in technology, man
strives to innovate and produce new technologies for his own convenience and
satisfaction. He shares his innovations and discoveries with other people because he
is a social being and he wants the social beings to succeed and experience a good
life as well.

◦ In the Theory of Well-Being of PERMA, there are five building blocks that enable
flourishing – Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and
Accomplishment. These five building blocks come in different degrees among
individuals. They can be increased depending on an individual’s capability. Hence
human flourishing is dependent on human’s positive emotions that can help them
overcome obstacles to reach their goals, it is dependent on how humans engaged to
pursue and reach their goals, on how humans would manage their relationships with
other people and which is dependent on their explicit positive emotions, on how
humans find meanings on their existence and purposes in life, and how humans
would strive to accomplish their life’s goals. These are the building blocks of the
successful men and women who have brought technologies in today’s human
existence and which have brought human flourishing in the society.

◦ In the Theory of Heisenberg, it connects ownership (of a property or an

innovation, or a discovery) and human flourishing with obligation or accountability. In
this theory, interdependence of the owner and his community, human and his
society, is emphasized. It underpins the opportunity for the society to cultivate its
capabilities from the property, innovation, or discovery of a human. The theory
interconnects with Aristotle’s life with other people and PERMAs enabling the society
to make right choices thereby increasing human flourishing.
 WEEK 6 Technology as a way of revealing

◦ WHO IS MARTIN HEIDEGGER?

◦ Martin Heidegger is a German Philosopher born on September 26, 1889 in

Messkirch, Germany. Heidegger’s ideas could perhaps be the most divisive in
twentieth century but then account him as a significant man and critical thinker of this
time. Others, points him as a traditionalist and charlatan, because they see his
connection with the Nazi’s thus rejecting his ideas. Despite all these, Heidegger’s
impact on contemporary philosophy with his unique insight within technology and its
dynamics towards modern living makes him a valuable thinker worth of our careful
study.

◦ At an early age, Martin was educated for priesthood, being a son of a church
official, he started his training as a seminary student. However, his interested grew
wide for philosophy, natural science, and mathematics, thus obtained a doctorate in
philosophy from the University of Freiburg in Breisgau, Germany.

He started working at the University of Freiburg in 1919 as teaching assistant to Edmund

Husserl, the principal founder of phenomenology. Heidegger’s teachings then became
popular among Germany’s students and in 1923 Heidegger started to teach in University of
Marburg. In 1927, he published his book Being and Time which sealed his status in Europe
as a foremost thinker. He then returned to University of Freiburg to take charge of Husserl’s
teaching post where he taught until 1928.

◦ Being and Time, Heidegger’s pioneer book courageously asserts that the
Western idea from Plato onward had neglected or disregarded the essential question
of the meaning for something to be — to simply exists before any philosophical or
scientific analysis.

◦ Heidegger wanted to explain thru his book and writings, beginning from Greek
philosophy that the Western civilization focused on a route concerning nihilism, and
that he believed that the current cultural and intellectual crisis is today’s failure for
nihilism which was closely connected to this disregarding of the being itself. He
believed that only through rekindling of being and the domain in which it is uncovered
could keep a man enlightened.

◦ Heidegger’s late writings on technology focused on the technology as if it is a

place that restricts our experiences as they should be. He disagrees because people
of today perceive nature, and progressively human beings too, merely technologically
— such as, we perceive nature and people simply as resources for mechanical
enterprises.

◦ Heidegger wanted to shed light on this trend to discover a way of thinking that
can save people from being controlled by the technology. Heidegger believes that
that the modern civilization ideas on technology changed as it has been restricted
both in the communist East and the democratic West. People could escape from this
bondage, Heidegger contends, not by denying technology, but by recognizing its
threat.
◦ IS TECHNOLOGY REALLY NEUTRAL?

◦ Martin Heidegger firmly disagrees with the idea that technology is “a means to
an end” or “a human activity.” These two views, which Heidegger named,
“instrumental” and “anthropological” definitions, are certainly “acceptable”, however
the two views do not fully explain these ideas thus making them not yet “true”.
Heidegger emphasized that technological things are means for ends, and are created
and controlled by human beings, but then the essence of technology is totally
something else. This can simply be put as “tree is not itself a tree”, Heidegger
emphasized, that is, the essence of technology is not simply something
technological.

◦ So what is technology then, if it’s neither a means to an end nor a human

activity? Technology, for Heidegger should be recognized as “a way of revealing”
(Heidegger 1977). “Revealing” is one of the key jargons Heidegger created himself
so as to make it conceivable to think what is not thought any longer in these times. In
Heidegger’s translation of the Greek word alètheuein meaning ‘to discover’ that is to
reveal what was previously been hidden. Heidegger asserts that the aletheia or
“truth” must be revealed through un-concealment of the formerly covered thoughts.

◦ That is why technology is neutral because it only provides choices; it does not
require someone to decide among those choices. Different people, with different
cultures and preferences have distinct choices thus utilizes technology in various
ways. But technology is directional as it permits the movement of culture towards a
direction that it hasn’t moved to. People of a particular culture may change through
technology, this is however, dependent on the bad or intelligent choices of people,
these choices are key factors in changing the culture through technology.

◦ So why is it important for us people who consumes technology? It is essential

because by understanding this concept, we are aware that we are not simply
spectators who dependently utilizes the technology for our own whims, we can
choose! We can choose how we can use technology for our benefit, we can choose
new technology towards our advantage. All the good and bad potentials of
technology are in our hands, the choice is ours.

◦ WHY IS TECHNOLOGY ‘A WAY OF REVEALING’?

◦ To clarify on this idea of “technology as way of revealing” let us review on

Heidegger’s idea on reality. Reality for Heidegger is not simply given the very same
way in all times and all cultures (Seubold, 1986) this means that reality is relative and
is not absolute that all human beings, not something that we already know or are
born with the idea of this reality. Heidegger points out that the reality itself is
inaccessible for human beings and once someone recognize or try to understand
reality ‘in itself’, what they may come across with is only the “reality for them” or their
version of the reality.

◦ This idea suggests that everything we understand or believe of or interact with

“arises from concealment into unconcealment,” in Heidegger’s exact statement. By
entering into a specific relation with reality, reality is ‘revealed’ in a particular way.

◦ Through this niche the technology comes in, since technology is the way of
revealing that characterizes our time. Technology represents a particular way of
revealing the world, a revealing in which humans take power over reality. While the
ancient Greeks experienced the ‘making’ of something as ‘helping something to
come into being’ – as Heidegger explains by analyzing classical texts and words –
modern technology is rather a ‘forcing into being’. Technology reveals the world as
raw material, available for production and manipulation.

◦ As it was highlighted above, technology is a mode of revealing which means that

technology must exist in the domain where revealing and unconcealment occurs, this
is where aletheia “the truth”, transpires.”

◦ Through entering into a certain connection with reality, reality is 'revealed' in a

particular way. This is the channel wherein technology comes in, while technology is
the way of revealing that illustrates our time, technology embodies a particular way of
revealing the world, a revealing wherein humans take control above reality.

◦ For Heidegger, technology is “internal” rather than external, technology is not

simply an assemblage of products or techniques for production. Technology is
important in revealing the “real world” which appears to humans.

◦ He refers technology as a 'bringing-forth' (physis as emergence), describing this

through this terminology in its broadest sense. He described poiesis as the blooming
of the blossom, the coming-out of a butterfly from a cocoon, the plummeting of a
waterfall in the beginning of the spring. In a small nutshell, a portion of the dispute is
that technology ought to be understood as a “bringing into existence” or, “revealing”.
Poiesis means revealing or bringing something into existence that did not exist
before. Understanding this concept can be a very valuable approach to explore
technology and its concept in this age of modern, technological world.

◦ For Heidegger, the essence of technology is revealed to be enframing (Gestell):

◦ Enframing means the gathering together of that setting-upon which sets upon
man, i.e., challenges him forth, to reveal the real, in the mode of ordering, as
standing-reserve.

◦ Enframing means the gathering together of that setting-upon which sets upon
man, i.e., challenges him forth, to reveal the real, in the mode of ordering, as
standing-reserve. Enframing means that way of revealing which holds sway in the
essence of modern technology and which is itself nothing technological. (Heidegger
1977, 302)

◦ Enframing means that way of revealing which holds sway in the essence of
modern technology and which is itself nothing technological. (Heidegger 1977, 302)

◦ Technology as enframing is the mode in which everything comes into the open,
and makes sense for us. In German language, Gestell means frame, framework, or
skeleton. Technology, as Gestell, “frames” the people meet in the world, and
therefore turn out to be the “backbone” of the emerging realm.

◦ So why it is important to understand enframing to understand technology as a

way of revealing? This is because enframing sets the ground idea for Dasein (the
state of being there). Dasein establishes a world for itself; though, it is essential to
know this “creation” not as the “activity” of a matter. Dasein descends to a sphere
which is open, cleared, and wherein beings reach towards their lucidity. This implies
that Dasein is basically “in the truth.” Dasein, in its true nature, unlocks the world for
 viewpoint; this unlocking within the being of Dasein is not to be perceived as
something which is “done” actively.

◦ Therefore, Dasein, as for Heidegger literally means “being there” to emphasize

biases and existential characteristics. Heidegger asserts, in a way similar of Kant's
transcendental philosophy, that an analysis of the nature of Dasein is an essential
requirement for answering the Seinsfrage (the question of being).

Also, technology itself is neither good nor bad yet, the challenge is that technological
thinking (calculative thinking) has developed as the lone method of thinking. Heidegger
realized that the value of technology today is enframing – Ge-stell, a way that we want
nature to be orderable and all the resource of nature seems like a 'standing-reserve'.

◦ PHILOSOPHICAL CAUSE DEFINITIONS

◦ One of the most important questions human beings asks is “Why?”. Aristotle
thinks there are four ways to answer this question which is traditionally called the four
causes.

◦ Four traditional causes:

◦ • CAUSA MATERIALIS – matter of which something is made.

◦ For anything to exist, there must be a matter present. For example, to build a
house material such as cement, hollow blocks, steel and others are necessary
however the knowledge on building it is also important. Thus, physical material is
essential, but the knowledge is equally valuable.

◦ Another example is a common table. The materials required are wood,

nails or even paint.

◦ CAUSA FORMULIS – form or shape into which material enters.

◦ In the house as an example, the owner may have felt to rent an apartment near
their area and would like to re-model some parts of the apartment (may not be
allowed by the owner), shifting to a larger apartment (might be very costly), or to build
a house.

In the case of the wooden table, having four legs and a flat top makes it a table.

◦ CAUSA FINALIS – the end, what the formed thing is used for.

◦ The final cause is the starting materials for any progress. For the house
example, we can perceive it like there is indeed a need to transfer to a new place
because the space is too little for their family. Like in case when a couple lives in a
small apartment and they are happy, but later they are expecting for a child.

◦ In the case of the table, having a surface suitable for eating or writing on makes
a table.

◦ • CAUSA EFFICIENS – agent of change.

 ◦ Causa efficiens discusses the "efficient cause" in the traditional model of
causality. It can be the efficient cause consists of things apart from the thing being
changed, which interact to be an agency of the change. For example, a computer is
not simply piece of LCD, circuits, and wires but it is arranged in a way and was
programmed by engineers to function as it should. In the case of the table the
efficient cause is the carpenter that acted on wood and nails. Heidegger contends
that Greek philosophy had no such classification, concentrating as an alternative
upon logos, with its roots in apophainesthai, "to bring forward into appearance."

In conclusion, the technology is a way of revealing because it unmasks to the world, the
reality and how humans can take control of nature, to some point of exploitation. Because
technology can easily disseminate information, people tend to perceive more than humans
could ever imagine which can bring us towards the truth and our reality. Even in instances
that humans try to conceal things, the truth can still be uncovered using technology because
it can save essential data and can be saved in several devises. Through the use of
technology, people can realize the value of life, the essence of existence, we can appreciate
the ergonomic life we have today because of the technology that we are using.
Furthermore, people cannot keep secret from technologies because it documents and saves
every single data that it encounters, thus these facts will constantly be challenging for us.

◦ WHY IS TECHNOLOGY NOT A HUMAN ACTIVITY?

◦ In Heidegger’s viewpoint, there is rather incorrect notion with the modern,

technological culture people are living at present. In this ‘age of technology’ reality
can only appear as a raw material (as a ‘standing reserve’). This situation has not
been passed about by humans; the technological way of revealing was not decided
by humans. Relatively, our understanding of the world – our understanding of ‘being’,
of what it means ‘to be’ – builds throughout the ages. In our time ‘being’ has the
strength of a technological ‘framework’, from which human being deal with the world
in a manipulating and dictating way.

◦ This technological interpretation of ‘being’, according to Heidegger, is to be

viewed as the greatest threat. First, there is the threat that humans will also
understand themselves as raw materials. Please take note that people are by now
talking about “human resources”! However most significantly, the technological
desire to power allows no escaping. If people want to move towards a new
interpretation of being, this would itself be a technological intervention: human beings
would manipulate our manipulation, employing power over our personal way of
exerting power. And this would only reconfirm the technological explanation of being.
Every single effort to rise out of technology tosses us back in. The only way out for
Heidegger is “the will not to will”. Humans have to open up the option of trusting on
technologies while not becoming imprisoned to it and seeing technology as
indications of a sense of being human.

WEEK 7 : The good life and the role of technology to achieve it

◦ The Good Life, mentioned by Kanye West is about living life drama and worry
free. Do your thing, be thankful for what you have, and take full advantage of
everything you do have while still improving on your situation. The Good Life usually
consists of being healthy, having confidence, having fun, partying with different
people. Try not to become jealous of other people and do not make a big deal out of
everything in life. Just live your life, have fun, be positive, and you will be living The
Good Life.

◦ According to Emrys Westacott, the question about “good life” is one of the oldest
philosophical questions.

◦ It has been posed in different ways.

◦ • How should one live?

◦ • What does it mean to “live well”?

◦ But these are just the same question. After all, everyone wants to live well, and
no-one wants “the bad life.” But the question is not as simple as it sounds.
Philosophers specialize in unpacking hidden complexities, and the concept of the
good life is one of those that needs quite a bit of unpacking.

◦ For what do phrases like “the good life,” or “living well,” mean. They can be
understood in the following ways.

◦ • The moral life

◦ • The life of pleasure

◦ • The fulfilled life

◦ • The meaningful life

◦ • The finished life

◦ THE MORAL LIFE

◦ One basic way in which we use the word “good” is to express moral approval.
So, when we say that someone is living well or that they have lived a good life, we
may simply mean that they are a good person, someone who is courageous, honest,
trustworthy, kind, selfless, generous, helpful, loyal, principled, and so on. They
possess and practice many of the most important virtues. And they do not spend all
their time merely pursuing their own pleasure; they devote a certain amount of time
to activities that benefit others, perhaps through their engagement with family and
friends, or through their work, or through various voluntary activities.

◦ This moral conception of the good life has had plenty of champions. Socrates
and Plato both gave absolute priority to being a virtuous person over all other
supposedly good things such as pleasure, wealth, or power. In Plato’s dialogue
Gorgias, Socrates takes this position to an extreme. He argues that it is much better
to suffer wrong than to do it; that a good man who has his eyes gouged out and is
tortured to death is more fortunate than a corrupt person who has used wealth and
power dishonorably.
◦ In his masterpiece, the Republic, Plato develops this argument in greater detail.
The morally good person, he claims, enjoys a sort of inner harmony, whereas the
wicked person, no matter how rich and powerful he may be or how much pleasure he
enjoys, is disharmonious, fundamentally at odds with himself and the world. It is
worth noting, though, that in both the Gorgias and the Republic, Plato bolsters his
argument with a speculative account of an afterlife in which virtuous people are
rewarded and wicked people are punished.

◦ THE LIFE OF PLEASURE

◦ The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus was one of the first to declare, bluntly,
that what makes life worth living is when we can experience pleasure.

◦ Pleasure is enjoyable, it is fun, well and pleasant. The view that pleasure is
good, or, to put it another way, that pleasure is what makes life worth living, is known
as hedonism. The word “hedonist,” when applied to a person, has slightly negative
connotations. It suggests that they are devoted to what some have called the “lower”
pleasures such as sex, food, drink, and sensual indulgence in general. Epicurus was
thought by some of his contemporaries to be advocating and practicing this sort of
lifestyle, and even today an “epicure” is one especially appreciative of food and drink.
In fact, though, this is a misrepresentation of Epicureanism. Epicurus certainly
praised all kinds of pleasures. But he did not advocate that we lose ourselves in
sensual debauchery for various reasons:

◦ ● Doing so will probably reduce our pleasures in the long run since over-
indulgence tends to cause health problems and limit the range of pleasure we enjoy.

◦ ● The so-called “higher” pleasures such as friendship and study are at least as
important as “pleasures of the flesh”.

◦ ● A good life must be virtuous. Although Epicurus disagreed with Plato about the
value of pleasure, he fully agreed with him on this point.

◦ Today, this hedonistic conception of the good life is arguably dominant in

Western culture. If we say someone is “living the good life,” we probably mean that
they enjoy lots of recreational pleasures: good food, good wine, skiing, scuba diving,
lounging by the pool in the sun with a cocktail and a beautiful partner.

◦ What is key to this hedonistic conception of the good life is that it emphasizes
subjective experiences. In this view, to describe a person as “happy” means that they
“feel good,” and a happy life is one that contains many “feel good” experiences.

◦ THE FULFILLED LIFE

◦ If Socrates emphasizes virtue and Epicurus emphasizes pleasure, another great

Greek thinker, Aristotle, views the good life in a more comprehensive way.
According to Aristotle, we all want to be happy. We value many things because
they are a means to other things: for instance, we value money because it enables
us to buy things we want; we value leisure because it gives us time to pursue our
interests. But happiness is something we value not to some other end but for its own
sake. It has intrinsic value rather than instrumental value. THE MEANINGFUL LIFE
◦ A lot of recent research shows that people who have children are not necessarily
happier than people who do not have children. Indeed, during the child raising years,
and especially when the children have turned into teenagers, parents typically lower
levels of happiness and higher levels of stress. But even though having children may
not make people happier, it does seem to give them the sense that their lives are
more meaningful.

◦ For many people, the well-being of their family, especially their children and
grandchildren, is the main source of meaning in life. This outlook goes back a very
long way. In ancient times, the definition of good fortune was to have lots of children
who do well for themselves. But obviously, there can be other sources of meaning in
a person’s life. They may, for instance, pursue a particular kind of work with great
dedication: e.g., scientific research, artistic creation, or scholarship. They may devote
themselves to a cause: e.g., fighting against racism; protecting the environment. Or
they may be thoroughly immersed in and engaged with some community: e.g., a
church; a soccer team; a school

◦ THE FINISHED LIFE

◦ The Greeks had a saying: Call no man happy until he is dead. There is
wisdom in this. In fact, one might want to amend it to: Call no man happy until he is
long dead. For sometimes a person can appear to live a fine life and be able to check
all the boxes–virtue, prosperity, friendship, respect, meaning, etc.–yet eventually be
revealed as something other than what we thought they were. A good example of this
is Jimmy Saville, the British TV personality who was much admired in his lifetime but
who, after he died, was exposed as a serial sexual predator.

◦ Cases like this bring out the great advantage of an objectivist rather than
subjectivist notion of what it means to live well. Jimmy Saville may have enjoyed his
life. But surely, we would not want to say that he lived a good life. A truly good life is
one that is both enviable and admirable in all or most of the ways outlined above

◦ SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT-BASED DESCRIPTIONS OF GOOD AND HAPPY

LIFE

◦ • Materialism

◦ This is a tradition of thought in which all things that exist are made up of matter
in some way. This theory, it might be restated that all existence is made up of energy
in some form. Matter is a form of energy. All things that exist are made of energy,
atoms, molecules, forces, and other entities that consist of energy. There are no non-
physical or non-material existents.

◦ These definitions, however, tend to represent the more traditional forms of

materialism. In recent times the doctrine may be expressed in terms of "energism,"
which reduces everything to some form of energy, or as a form of "positivism," which
emphasizes the positive sciences and disclaims concern regarding the nature of
reality. There is no controlling or directing intelligence at any point in the cosmic
processes. Man and the world are the products of non-intelligent forces.
◦ Hedonism

◦ This is a school of philosophy from the Socratic and Hellenistic periods of

ancient Greece, which holds that pleasure is the most important pursuit of mankind,
and that we should always act to maximize our own pleasure.

◦ Hedonism is the idea that pleasure or happiness is the one thing with intrinsic
value. This idea has been held by many other schools across history, most famously
the utilitarians. While happiness is often construed as pleasure and the green light
is often given to depravity by this school, Greek thinker Epicurus was also a hedonist
and tied it to a virtue ethics system based around moderation. He argued that
moderation led to the most happiness for the individual in the long run.

◦ The word “hedonistic”, when used as a slur, relates to this school only in that
many hedonistic thinkers also saw pleasure as the key to a good life. Many
hedonistic philosophers viewed pleasure as a kind of happiness, but few held it as
the “only” happiness.

◦ Stoicism

◦ A philosophy popular in ancient Greece and Rome and practiced today by many
people in high-stress environments. Famous stoics included Zeno of Citium, Seneca,
and Marcus Aurelius.

◦ Stoicism is a school that focuses on how to live in a world where things do not go
your way. The idea at the heart of it is acceptance of all things that are beyond your
control. This philosophy asserts that people do not have control over all, or even
much, of what happens in life. Stoics emphasize that worrying about things outside of
their control is unproductive, or even irrational to a person who wants to attain
tranquility. The Stoics would have us remind ourselves daily - to actively differentiate
between what is and is not under control - to not waste energy over uncontrollable
adverse events.

◦ Where many people worry endlessly about things out of their control, the Stoics
think their energy is better spent thinking of creative solutions to problems, rather
than the issues themselves.

◦ Theism

◦ This philosophy states that the existence and continuance of the universe is
owed to one supreme Being, who is distinct from Creation. For this reason, theism
proclaims a dualistic relation between God and the world, wherein God is a being
who controls events from outside of the human world.

◦ To have meaning, our lives must make a difference to a higher scheme. If God
exists and has a plan for us and the world, then our actions do a sort of double duty.
On the one hand, they affect other people and events in this world; on the other, they
further or hinder God’s ultimate plan. Also, the moral quality of our actions shapes
our relationship with God, since this depends on how we act in relation to God’s plan.
◦ Thus, human actions have both local and cosmic significance, since they affect
the struggle between good and evil, religious and secular values that will end when
the Kingdom of God comes. In short, theism tends to equate meaning with a form of
transcendence: a life is meaningful if it plays a role in a plan that is not of this world.

◦ Humanism

◦ Humanist understanding of the world is based on what they can perceive with
their senses and comprehend with their minds. Anything that’s said to make sense
should make sense to humans; else there is no reason for it to be the basis of our
decisions and actions.

◦ This philosophy also advocates the idea that human beings are neither entirely
unique from other forms of life nor are they the final product of some planned scheme
of development. Humanism is an approach to life that is found throughout time and
across the world in many different cultures.

◦ ARISTOTLE’S NICOMACHEAN ETHICS AND MODERN CONCEPTS

◦ A. Preliminary Consideration

◦ • Every activity aims at some good. The highest good is the end (telos or goal) of
that activity. Therefore, the goal (or end) of human activity is the highest good for
“man”. This argument is based on Aristotle’s metaphysical and theoretical
assumption of a teleological point of view.

◦ • Our knowledge of this highest good should have a great influence on the way
we live.

◦ We must begin our investigation of the highest good by distinguishing between

(a) that which is good for its own sake, and (b) that which is good for the sake of
something else.

◦ • The highest good belongs in the category of that which is good for its own
sake.

◦ B. Happiness

◦ • There is general agreement that happiness (eudaimonia), like living well and
doing well, is the highest of all human goods

◦ • The most common assumption about happiness is that it can be produced by a

life of either (a) pleasure and wealth, (b) honor, or (c) contemplation.

◦ C. The Function of a Human Being

◦ • This function is based on reason. Thus, the highest human good must involve a
life characterized by rational activity as opposed to the mere capacity to reason.
 ◦ • But reasoning is not enough. We must reason well with virtue or excellence.

◦ So, for Aristotle, the good life is the happy life. But what does that mean?
Aristotle’s idea of what it means to have a good is objectivist rather than subjectivist.
It is not just a matter of how a person feels inside, although that does matter. It is
also important that certain objective conditions be satisfied. Aristotle argues that what
separates human beings from the other animals is reason. The good life is one in
which a person cultivates and exercises their rational faculties by, for instance,
engaging in scientific enquiry, philosophical discussion, artistic creation, or
legislation. If he were alive today he might well include some forms of technological
innovation.

◦ TECHNOLOGY AND GOOD LIFE

◦ • Technology has infiltrated every aspect of our lives, changing how we work,
how we learn and how we think. It is inevitable that our devices begin to reflect our
civic aspirations and even our desires to connect with others and to contribute to the
world around us.

◦ • Technology can have a direct influence on the nature of happiness and well-
being itself. It can augment human intelligence, judgment, worldview, and perception.
It is a force that the human science community cannot afford to ignore.

◦ • Deliberation on the association or linked between technology and good life

creates reflexive decision making on how societies could create space for
technologies more compatible with alternative notions of the good, such as that
exemplified in the philosophy of Albert Borgmann.

◦ • According to Borgmann, technology should be recognized as impacting

personal choice concerning the good life.

WEEK 8 When technology and humanity cross

◦ TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS AND HOW WE LIVE IN IT

◦ Some of the most exciting discoveries and inventions became launching pads for
a new era of innovation in computers, electronics, manufacturing, and medicine. Let
us take look at several technological advancements that are so revolutionary they will
continue to shape our lives well into the future.

◦ 1. Electricity

Would any new advancements have been possible without the breakthrough of electricity?
Obviously not. Since early discoverers like Benjamin Franklin studied it, and inventors like
Nikola Tesla tested ways to turn it into power, electricity has not only been fueling
generations of new innovations but also become an irreplaceable tool of modern life.
 ◦ 2. The LASER (light amplification by the stimulated emission of radiation)

Discovered in 1960, lasers were so before their time, scientists were not even certain where
exactly they could be applied. Since then, lasers have found their way into nearly every
sector, from medicine to consumer electronics to manufacturing. In fact, now, on an average
day, nearly every person comes into contact with a laser in some shape or form.

◦ 3. Semiconductor chips

Many major technical advances became the springboard for countless other new
innovations. A good example? The semiconductor chip. The electric circuit with many
components such as transistors and wiring opened the door to the evolution of the laptop,
followed by the smartphone and tablet.

◦ 4. Quantum computing

◦ The invention of the computer, and especially the personal computer, will
continue to shape our lives. In October 2019, it was announced that a quantum
computer, which uses quantum mechanics to massively increase processing power,
solved a problem that a standard computer couldn’t in just 200 seconds, marking a
new realm of potential applications to explore.

◦ 5. The elevator

It is not exactly quantum mechanics, but today’s cities would be unimaginable without the
elevator. The elevator unleashed a new wave of architecture and the age of the skyscraper.
A new invention, the MULTI, the first elevator designed to move horizontally as well as
vertically, is similarly poised to open new paths to urban planning and building design.

◦ 6. The Human Genome Project

No other modern advancement in science has transformed medicine so radically as the

Human Genome Project. Completed in 2003, the HGP mapped every gene in the human
genome. It opened the door to medical studies on genes associated with diseases and led to
a flourishing of biotech companies seeking to find new applications in healthcare.

◦ 7. The automobile

Truly a vehicle for change: once the first car rolled off the assembly lines, it never stopped
moving. Originally seen as a panacea for all mobility challenges, the car has had to adapt to
a global demand to eliminate fossil-fuel use and decrease traffic. Enter the next generation:
hybrid cars, electric cars, and driverless cars, proving the car will be with us for centuries to
come.
 ◦ 8. The Global Positioning System

While cars accelerate our day-to-day life, getting from A to B can still be a challenge,
especially in a new place. First invented in 1973, Global Positioning System (GPS)
technology came on the market in 1995. Using satellites, it pinpoints a location and helps
you navigate. More recently, it has been the cornerstone of a host of smart city and urban
mobility apps.

◦ 9. The smartphone

◦ We hate to admit it, but the smartphone has become ubiquitous and absolutely
necessary for modern living. One reason why it is so special is that it can be linked
up to, and harnessed by, so many other technical advancements, from GPS to
mobile banking to fitness apps. When Apple launched its first smartphone in 2007,
there was simply no going back.

◦ 10. Robotics and Artificial Intelligence

Robotics is the design, construction, and use of machines (robots) to perform tasks done
traditionally by human beings. Robots are widely used in such industries as automobile
manufacture to perform simple repetitive tasks, and in industries where work must be
performed in environments hazardous to humans. Many aspects of robotics involve artificial
intelligence; robots may be equipped with the equivalent of human senses such as vision,
touch, and the ability to sense temperature.

◦ THE CURRENT TRENDS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN THE

PHILIPPINES

◦ • Rank in global innovation index

Recently, the Philippines ranked 50th out of 131 countries in terms of Global Innovation
index. Cornell University, INSEAD and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO, a
specialized agency of the United Nations) co-publish The Global Innovation Index (GII). The
GII measures 131 economies around the world, using 80 indicators, which include the
quality of universities, availability of microfinance and venture capital, to gauge innovation
capabilities and measurable results

◦ Compared to other economies in Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania, the
Philippines performed above average in the pillars of Business sophistication and
Knowledge and technology. This overall performance earned the Philippines rank
11th among the 17 economies in the said region.

The Philippines was also cited to be well-integrated into the global trade, being tagged as
top 1 in rank in High-technology imports, 3rd in High-technology exports, and 8th in ICT
services exports. Further on, the Philippines was rank 10th in the Creative goods exports.

◦ Diwata -1: First Philippine Microsatellite

◦ In April 2016, the country launched into space its first micro-satellite called
Diwata-1. It was designed, developed and assembled by Filipino researchers and
engineers under the guidance of Japanese experts. The Diwata (deity in English)
satellite provides real-time, high-resolution and multi-color infrared images for various
applications, including meteorological imaging, crop and ocean productivity
measurement and high-resolution imaging of natural and man-made features.

◦ It enables a more precise estimate of the country’s agricultural production,

provides images of watersheds and floodplains for a better understanding of water
available for irrigation, power and domestic consumption. The satellite also provides
accurate information on any disturbance and degradation of forest and upland
areas.

◦ Project NOAH

◦ Project NOAH is the government’s flagship program for disaster prevention and
mitigation which aims to create a disaster-free Philippines by providing tools and
information to mitigate or avert disasters caused by natural hazards.

◦ Since its inclusion in the NDRRMC’s Pre-Disaster Risk Assessment system,

Project NOAH has been instrumental in identifying areas that would be hit by hazards
brought about by extreme weather events. In line with the NDRRMC’s principle that
warnings should be “hazard-specific, area-focused, and time bound,” Project NOAH
has had great success in determining which hazards would hit specific areas at
particular times.

◦ The project developed hydromet sensors and high-resolution geo-hazard maps,

which were generated by light detection and ranging technology for flood modeling.

◦ Intelligent Operation Center Platform

◦ Another hope lies in the so-called Intelligent Operation Center Platform.

Established through a collaboration between the local government of Davao City and
IBM Philippines Inc., the center resulted in the creation of a dashboard that allows
authorized government agencies, such as police, fire and anti-terrorism task force, to
use analytics software for monitoring events and operations in real time.

◦ THE INTERPLAY BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY AND HUMANITY: A LOOK INTO

ETHICAL DILEMMAS CONFRONTING ROBOTICS

◦ You might have already seen movies or documentaries featuring robots and the
multitude of things they could do. Robots have been designed to mix drinks, perform
housekeeping, or even portray human emotions. But how would you feel about
robots performing medical/surgical procedures on humans? You read that right, there
is such a thing as robotic surgery.
 ◦ Robotic surgery has been practiced in certain countries for quite some time
already. Most commonly, a trained surgeon gives the commands to the robot which,
in turn, is in direct contact with a patient on the operating table. The idea is that the
use of robots is supposed to enhance dexterity and reduce unwanted movements by
the surgeon which may lead to mistakes during the actual procedure.

◦ With the movement towards maximizing the use of artificial intelligence, it is not
unthinkable that the ability of AI-operated robots to perform medical/surgical
procedures, might be put to test in the near future. Surely though, this would not
happen without opposition from various individuals and groups.

◦ Imagining a future when these robots are actually the ones doing these delicate
procedures, what is left to do for surgeons? More importantly, in case something bad
happens to the patient as a result of the procedure, will we be able to hold the robot
used, accountable?

◦ Some of you might argue that the makers of the robot are to be blamed should
an untoward incident happened. An error in the procedure done by the robot reflects
errors in how it was designed or programmed. But what if the robot had been so
designed to think on its own, and act based on its own judgement? Will we still be
advancing the same argument? We expect diverging answers to all these questions
and we will not be trying to claim that one answer is correct and the other is not. This
is simply because there is no existing common global ethics as to advancements in
technology as of present. We also do not have a globally-accepted legal rights and
responsibilities when it comes to technological advancements as in the case of
robotics.

◦ What is clear at present is the need to re-examine our “ethics” at the face of all
these advancements and reflect on whether technology or humanity should matter
more than the other. We are in an era when we are both excited and anxious to learn
where our human ingenuity could bring us. Will we be able to maximize technology
without sacrificing humanity? Would we be able to teach robots to think and act
based on the ethics that we subscribe to? More importantly, how will we accept the
future of robotics as part of our future’s reality?

We have only used robotics to illustrate the kind of dilemmas that we might be confronted
with in the future. Other issues may still arise from advancements in other fields such as
biotechnology, data science, and even space science. Nobody knows where these issues
will take us and how they will transform us as humans. What is certain is that these
advancements will change the landscape of the global society. Whether to our benefit or
otherwise, that is left for us to see.

◦ SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND CONDITON OF REGULATING POLICIES

◦ As the world develops, scientific breakthroughs have become a major driving

force for law making at this day and age (Cruz and Cruz, 2018). The overlap between
legal and scientific developments have become inevitable. This overlap opened
complexities brought about by the development in science and technology that were
previously unregulated.

◦ Moses in 2007 as cited by Cruz and Cruz (2018), identified four common legal
problems brought about by the rapid and continued development in S&T which
include:
 ◦ 1. The potential need for laws to ban, restrict or, alternatively, encourage a new
technology.

◦ 2. Uncertainty in the application of existing legal rules to new practices.

◦ 3. The possible over-inclusiveness or under-inclusiveness of existing legal rules

as applied to new practices.

◦ 4. Alleged obsolescence of existing legal rules.

◦ When the law fails to exist to govern newfound ways through science and
technology, the society opens opportunities which can be exploited under the
security blanket of having no governing law. This results to a dilemma. Offenders will
grab the opportunity of keeping in pace with the scientific and technological
developments which are still not regulated by law.

When there is no law that covers an ill-act, then the government would have no basis to
punish that person. This is the reason for enactment of new laws to define new crimes. The
cybercrime law in the Philippines is a good example of this new enactment. Previously, ill
acts that are done over cyberspace are basically immune to lawsuits as there are no crimes
defined over the platform. While some resources were still afforded to those who were
aggrieved, the punishment was not commensurate with the damage that has been afflicted
to the victims. Therefore, there is a need to have prospective coverage to laws in anticipation
of the yet to be possible crimes as foreseen by science.

◦ Adding to the dilemma, Cruz and Cruz (2018) mentioned that many science-
based policies that have been well consulted with proper academic institutions have
very little to zero influence in translating their research into public policy. There
remains a gap between scientific and policy making.

The lag in the development of new law or policies that can regulate the rapid opening of new
avenues offered by the development of science and technology have brought about ethical
dilemmas. This dilemma can be amplified in the setting where the legal system is a lot more
complicated.