Science, Technology, & Society PDF

CHAPTER Science, Technology, and Society and the Human Condition 4 The Essence of Technology It cannot be denied that science and technology are responsible for the ways society is continuously being modernized. Science and technology...

CHAPTER Science, Technology, and Society and the Human Condition 4 The Essence of Technology It cannot be denied that science and technology are responsible for the ways society is continuously being modernized. Science and technology continuously seep into the way people go about their daily lives. However, the omnipresence of science and technology must not eclipse the basic tenets of ethics and morality. Instead, it should allow the human person to flourish alongside scientific progress and technological development. In order to spark the discussion on the role of ethics and social morality in science and technology, it is necessary to go back to the very essence of technology, i.e., its definition. The essence of technology can be captured in its definition. In his treatise, The Question Concerning Technology, Martin Heidegger (1977) explains the two widely embraced definitions of technology: (l) instrumental and (2) anthropological  1. Instrumental definition: Technology is a means to an end. Technology is not an end in itself, it is a means to an end. In this context, technology is viewed as a tool available to individuals, groups, and communities that desire to make an impact on society. How technology is used varies from individual to individual, groups to groups, and communities to communities according to their individual and collective functions, goals, and aspirations. While technology is omnipresent, knowing its functions requires paying attention to how humans use it as a means to an end. In this sense, technology is an instrument aimed at getting things done. 2. Anthropological definition: Technology is a human activity. Alternatively, technology can also be defined as a human activity because to achieve an end and to produce and use a means to an end is, by itself, a human activity. The production or invention of technological equipment, tools and machines, the products and inventions, and the purpose and functions they serve are what define technology. Both definitions, i.e., instrumental and anthropological, are correct. However, neither touches on the true essence of technology. Technology as a Way of Revealing Heidegger stressed that the true can only be pursued through the correct. Simply, what is correct leads to what is true. In this sense, Heidegger envisioned technology as a way of revealing—a mode of ‘bringing forth.’ Bringing forth can be understood through the Ancient Greek philosophical concept, poiesis, which refers to the act of bringing something out of concealment. By bringing something out of concealment, the truth of that something is revealed. The truth is understood through another Ancient Greek concept of aletheia, which is translated as unclosedness, unconcealedness, disclosure, or truth. Thus, for Heidegger, technology is a form of poeisis—a way of revealing that unconceals aletheia or the truth. This is seen in the way the term techne, the Greek root word of technology, is understood in different contexts. In philosophy, techne resembles the term episteme that refers to the human ability to make and perform. Techne also encompasses knowledge and understanding. In art, it refers to tangible and intangible aspects of life. The Greeks understood techne in the way that it encompasses not only craft, but other acts of the mind, and poetry. Technology as Poiesis: Does Modern Technology Bring Forth or Challenge Forth? Heidegger, in The Question Concerning Technology, posited that both primitive crafts and modem technology are revealing. However, he explained that modem technology is revealing not in the sense of bringing forth or poeisis. Heidegger made a clear distinction between technology and modem technology in that the latter ‘challenges’ nature. Modern technology challenges nature by extracting something from it and transforming, storing, and distributing it.  On the surface, Heidegger’s criticism of modern technology might appear counterintuitive to the purpose of nature to human existence. However, by digging deeper into Heidegger s question, it becomes clear that the essence of modem technology is not to bring forth in the sense of poiesis. Instead, Heidegger considers modern technology’s way of revealing as a way of challenging forth. Modern technology challenges forth, because it makes people think how to do things faster, more effectively, and with less effort. It prompts people into dominating and enframing the earth’s natural resources. Challenging forth reduces objects as standing reserve or something to be disposed of by those who enframe them—humans. This is evident in the way people exploit natural resources with very little concern for the ecological consequences that come with it. Challenging forth as a result of modem technology is also evident in the information age, such that greater control of information to profit from its value gives rise to concerns about privacy and the protection of human rights. The challenging forth of modern technology is seen everywhere: in the rise and depletion of petroleum as a strategic resource; the introduction and use of synthetic dyes, artificial flavorings, and toxic materials into the consumer stream that bring about adverse effects on human health; and the use of ripening agents in agriculture that poses threats to food safety and health security. (Share your answers on the comment section of this topic in the Google classroom) References: Labana, R. V., Reboa, A. C., Pedral, J. G., & Bautista, A. B. (2019). Science, Technology and Society. Quezon City: MaxCor Publishing House, Inc. Quinto, E. M., & Nieva, A. D. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. Quezon Cuty: C&E Publishing, Inc. 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