The Human Person Flourishing in terms of Science and Technology PDF

 Rochelle R. Paa Instructor 1 [email protected] COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Languages & Literature At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to: 1. Define and explain what technology is and its essence; 2. Understa...

 Rochelle R. Paa Instructor 1 [email protected] COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Languages & Literature At the end of this chapter, the students should be able to: 1. Define and explain what technology is and its essence; 2. Understand the human condition and analyze the effects of science and technology to this condition; and 3. Perceive the danger of the controlling power technology has over humans. COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Languages & Literature  This views technology as basically a means to an end. To Aristotle , technology is the organizing of techniques in order to meet the demand that is being posed by humans. This may seem that technology is primarily concerned with the product. Technology will be judged as either good or bad based on the value given to the product based on its use and effect on society.  Jacques Ellul (1912-1994) French philosopher Holds that technology is progressive and beneficial in many ways, it is also doubtful in many ways. Technology has become a way of life. Technique has become a framework which human cannot escape. It introduced ways on how to make things easy. Technological optimism believes that technology is the answer to all man’s problems. According to Ellul’s pessimistic arguments are: 1. technological progress has a price 2. technological progress creates more problems 3. technological progress creates damaging effects 4. technological progress creates unpredictable devastating effect  The arguments are still found to be weak and not true at all times.  this view is strongly supported by technologists and engineers and also by ordinary people who believe that technology can alleviate all the difficulties and provide solutions for problems that may come. the extreme version of this philosophy is technocratism which holds technology as the supreme authority on everything. Technology is beneficial in many ways but can also be harmful in many ways.  The main concern of this view is the (meaning of) existence or the mode of being of someone or something which is governed by the norm of authenticity. This view basically investigate the meaning of existence or being and is always faced with the selection must make with which the existent will commit himself to. Martin Heidegger, a philosopher is one of the most known supporters of this philosophy. COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Languages & Literature -Martin Heidegger “Question Concerning Technology”  A well-known German philosopher, examined the two usual definitions of technology: means to an end and a human activity. He called it the instrumental and anthropological definition of technology. To Heidegger, this may not be a false definition but is a misleading one because this limits our thinking.  The instrumental definition of technology encourages us to view technology from different periods of time as not having fundamental differences. There is a difference between older handicraft technologies with modern technology despite fulfilling the purpose of answering human needs.  As it is, “a saw mill on a secluded valley of the Black Forest is a primitive means compared with hydroelectric plant on the Rhine River”-Heidegger 1977 The windmill, as a product of craftsmanship, represents poiesis. It stands in a specific location, harnessing the natural power of the wind to perform a specific task. The dam, as an example of modern technology, represents enframing. It involves a massive infrastructure project that harnesses the power of water for efficient energy production. Problems: Disregard the fact that there is a good technology and a bad technology. It only invites man to a continual desire to master it which unconsciously may be making technology go out of hand. - With these, he argued that the problem does not fall on making technology better but on how man sets upon technology, his thoughts that make him blind to the real essence of technology.  Education.nationalgeographic.org Xi Zhang/Dreamstime.com “Everything depends on our manipulating technology in the proper manner as a means. We will, as we say. ‘get’ technology ‘spiritually in hand’. We will master it. The will to mastery becomes the more urgent the more technology threatens to slip from human control.” Heidegger further studied Aristotle’s Four Causes and illustrated it using a silver chalice which he said owes its make up from the four causes: 1. Causa Materialis or the Material Cause (- silver) 2. Causa Formalis or the Formal Cause (-form or shape) 3. Cuasa Finalis or the Final Cause (-the purpose) 4. Causa Efficiens or the Efficient Cause (- agent: silversmith)  The four causes are all responsible for the bringing forth of the silver chalice. The bringing forth is termed as poiesis and this is characterized by an external force. (bringing something concealed to unconcealment which makes technology not only a means to an end but a mode of revealing) On the other hand, something that came without any external force, like a flower blooming in the field or a tree bearing its fruits is termed physis.  The unconcealment (revelation) is slower with bringing forth, although it still requires causality (action should be performed) Challenging forth is for the modern technology due to its more aggressive nature - Modern technology challenges-forth nature to yield treasures to humans; technology sets-upon (positions and orders) the yields of nature so that they are available and of humans, becoming part of the standing reserve.  Heidegger believed that the genuine substance or the real essence of technology is found in enframing, wherein the capacity of an object to deliver a certain function is revealed. Enframing is the continuous bringing forth into unconcealment that which is concealed a non-stop revealing Heidegger saw technology as a way of revealing and continues to demand for something to be brought out into the open. Two-way relationship. To further illustrate this, he gave some examples through contrasting ancient and modern technology. 1. he talked about the ancient windmill 2. he talked about peasant planting seeds only 3. he talked about wooden bridge that is built to join riverbanks. Unlock and Expose: It carries the idea that nature will not reveal itself unless challenge is set upon it (use of modern technology). Stock piles for future use: Revealing is on demand, becomes stockpiling/standing reserve (compared to saw mill) -the hydroelectric plant causes the Rhine to produce hydraulic pressure which in turn causes the turbines to work that eventually electricity is produced. “Such challenging happens in that energy concealed in nature is unlocked, what is unlocked is transformed, what is transformed is stored up, what is stored up is in turn distributed, and what is distributed is switched about ever anew.”  The continuous revealing takes place as man allows himself to be an agent in the setting upon of challenges to nature but Heidegger (1977) argues that this is not mere human doing. Man is able to set upon which was already unconcealed as he responds to the call of unconcealment (making it on demand) until even the object disappears into the objectlessness of standing – reserve. As opposed to science, this method of unconcealment works poorly since new material has to be discovered on a regular basis An opening of the new era will prevent the return to the previous time frame ( the rise of a cause-effect understanding of reality closes off an understanding of God as something mysterious and holy) Another danger is when man falls into a misinterpretation of that which is presented to him. We need to open up the possibility of relying on technologies while not becoming enslaved to them and seeing them as manifestations of an understanding of being. COLLEGE OF ARTS & SCIENCES Department of Languages & Literature When one looks around him now, he will see that man tends to find his happiness in the works of modern technology.  Man to not allow himself be overwhelmed with the enframing that he was set upon, but he pause for a while and reflect on the value of what is presented before him One has to understand that technology does not only concern the means but also the end as one proverb goes, “The end does not justify the means” Valuechange.eu  How can you as a student, help spread awareness about the danger of technology in such a way that technology is not condemned in the process. Choose and reflect to an artwork (digital artwork, pictures, or meme) that helps reveal who the human person is in the face of modern technology  Open Format but in an A4 size document 1st page: artwork (with name of student) | 2nd page: essay with own title Plagiarism is not tolerated | cite your sources | equivalent to zero point if found Criteria 0 1 2 3 Focus There was no clear There were several topics There was one specific, well- introduction to the topic. mentioned but could have just focused topic. focused on one. Clarity The answer was not The answer addressed the The answer directly addressed clear. topic in a roundabout way. the topic. Organization The answer has no The answer had structure and Details were in a logical order Details were in a logical structure. Readers were paints a complete picture to but could have been order and presented in left to fill in the gaps. the reader. The conclusion was presented in more interesting interesting ways. The There was no however, weak. ways. The conclusion was conclusion was strong and conclusion; the answer recognizable and tied up stated the point of the just ended. almost all the loose ends. answer. Application The answer showed a The answer was able to state a The answer showed a clear The answer integrated and lack of understanding of few basic concepts and comprehension of basic applied basic concepts basic concepts and principles. concepts and principles. and principles learned principles. from the previous discussions. Get in Touch With Us Send us a message or visit us City of Batac, Ilocos Norte, Philippines (63) 77-600-0459 [email protected] Follow us for updates facebook.com/MMSUofficial www.mmsu.edu.ph