Human Flourishing in Science & Technology

Human Flourishing in Science & Technology

• Human flourishing is defined as the effort to achieve self-actualization and fulfillment within a larger community.

Philosophical Views on Technology

• Aristotelianism:

  • Technology is a tool for achieving goals.
  • Technology is to organize techniques to address human needs.

• Technological Pessimism (Jacques Ellul):

  • Technological advancements have a consequence.
  • Technological progress creates more problems.
  • Technological progress creates damaging effects.

• Technological Optimism:

  • Technology can solve problems.
  • Technology alleviates problems and provides solutions.
  • Technologists, engineers, and ordinary people support this view greatly.

• Existentialism (Martin Heidegger):

  • People are free agents who control their choices and actions.
  • Technology's essence is "enframing" – bringing forth the concealed into view.
  • Modern technology is a way of revealing.
  • Heidegger contrasted ancient methods of harnessing energy (e.g., windmills) with modern technologies (e.g., hydroelectric dams). Farmers planting seeds, contrasted with modern cultivation techniques, are cited as examples.
  • Continuous and unquestioned advancement of technology can lead to focusing solely on revealing, without properly considering the consequences.

Explore the philosophical perspectives on technology and its role in human flourishing. This quiz delves into theories from Aristotelianism, technological pessimism, optimism, and existentialism, highlighting how each viewpoint affects our understanding of technology's impact on society.