WEEK 7 - GEC 007 Science, Technology, and Society, 2023-2024 PDF

GEC 007-Science, Technology and Society Second Semester, S.Y. 2023-2024  HUMAN FLOURISHING Science, Technology, and Society 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 2 Intended Learning Outcomes At the end of the module, you are expected to...

GEC 007-Science, Technology and Society Second Semester, S.Y. 2023-2024  HUMAN FLOURISHING Science, Technology, and Society 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 2 Intended Learning Outcomes At the end of the module, you are expected to 1. Define concepts related to science and technology; 2. Differentiate the essences of technology and modern technology; 3. Discuss the dangers of modern technology; and 4. Explain why art is the saving power of modern technology 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 3 The Human Flourishing in Terms of Science and Technology Eudaimonia, literally “good spirited,” a term coined by Aristotle to describe the pinnacle of happiness that is attainable by humans; has often been translated into “human flourishing” In Western civilization tends to be more focused on the individual; based on an individual’s values rather than his belief that the state is greater than him. The east are more community-centric; community takes the highest regard that the individual should sacrifice himself for the sake of the society. 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 4 The Human Flourishing in Terms of Science and Technology Every discovery, innovation, and success contributes to our pool of human knowledge; human’s perpetual need to locate himself in the world by finding proofs to trace evolution; the end goals of both science and technology and human flourishing are related; in that the good is inherently related to the truth, are two concepts about science which ventures its claim on truth. 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 5 The Essence of Technology Martin Heidegger 1. He was a German philosopher who is fun of thinking about 'being', technology and etc. 2. He rejected the idea of positivist thinkers and critical to technological domination in the modern world. 3. Heidegger was critical to the essence and modern technology and 4. H e r e c o n s t r u c t e d t h e m e a n i n g o f technology that reflected in his essay entitled " The Question Concerning Technology". 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 6 The Essence of Technology The Greek concept of the essence of technology was investigated by Martin Heidegger. The meaning of technology for the Greeks was assumed to be part of our everyday life. To clarify further, the term technology was defined into two categories. 1. Technology is a means to an end. 2. Technology is a human activity. 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 7 The Essence of Technology The first definition treated technology as an instrument to achieve a purpose or end. For example, student A bought a laptop and smartphone to be used for online learning since students were not allowed to attend a face to face learning. Laptops and smartphones are instruments for the student to achieve his/her purpose which is to participate in online learning. The second definition pointed out that technology is part of our daily activities of the human person which is to invent technology such as gadgets for online learning, protective equipment to fight COVID-19, agricultural machines to produce foods and etc. 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 8 The Essence of Technology The two definitions of technology are INTERCONNECTED with each other in such a way that the outcomes of human activities are meant to serve their purpose. However, this definition of technology became problematic when technology does not serve its purpose (essence). For example, imagine that COVID-19 will die naturally. You might think that those PPEs and gadgets for learning are meaningless because the purpose is not being served. The revival of face-to-face learning will make a gadget for online learning less significant in the traditional classroom. 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 9 The Problems on Modern Technology The Greek definition of technology as a human activity designed for a specific purpose was restructured in modern times. Technology in the modern era was reduced to calculative thinking that controls nature. For instance, the invention of the telescope, the steam machine, and other devices were used to master nature. In the mastery of nature, we used technology to manipulate things around us. To see a clear picture, Heidegger provided three revelations on modern technology as challenging forth, enframing and dangerous; 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 10 The Problems on Heidegger claimed that ancient and Modern modern technology are revealing. However, modern technology is revealing not in the Technology sense of bringing forth but rather challenging nature. Modern technology challenges nature Modern Technology as through extracting, transforming, storing, and Challenging Forth distributing it. Challenging forth reduced nature as standing 'reserve' or something to be disposed of by the people. For example, people exploited the natural resources without minding the negative effects on the ecology, the modernization of extracting gold, coal, and petroleum from the ground compromised the bodies of water, using of synthetic dyes and artificial flavoring jeopardize human health, and the use of chemicals in the agriculture poses threat to food safety and health security. 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 11 The Problems on According to Martin Heidegger, modern Modern technology is enframing. The term Technology 'enframing' derives from the word 'frame' which means putting something into a box. Modern Technology as This metaphorical term of Heidegger connotes that modern technology put nature Enframing into a box through scientific knowledge. Enframing, according to Heidegger, is akin to two ways of looking at the world; calculative thinking and meditative thinking. Humans put an order to nature and control it through calculative thinking. 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 12 The Dangers of Technology Heidegger at this point is critical to the dangers of modern technology by pointing out its defects as enframing nature, challenging forth, treat nature as a standing reserve. In this case, modern technology deviated from the essential notion of technology and revealing or poiesis. Heidegger sees this as a danger to humanity. 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 13 The Dangers Essence of Technology Recogn i z i n g t h e d a n g e r s o f t e c h n o lo g y requires critical and reflective thinking on its use. For example, social media has indeed connected people in the most efficient and convenient way but it is prone to abuse such as the invasion of privacy, online disinhibition, and proliferation of fake news. The real threat of technology comes from its essence, not its activities or products. The correct response to the danger of technology is not simply dismissing technology altogether. Heidegger explained that people are delivered over to technology in the worst possible way when they regard it as something neutral (Heidegger, 1997). 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 14 SUMMARY In summary, we discussed technology as a way of revealing. We learned from this topic that Martin Heidegger clarified the concept of technology from the ancient, modern, and contemporary periods. In the ancient period, technology was viewed from its essence while modernity shaped technology as enframing that posed a danger to nature. The problem with the essential notion of technology and technological enframing was far from the ideal concept of technology based on revealing what Heidegger retrieved from the ancient concept of poiesis. Technology as a way of revealing provided us with a new perspective on how we relate to technology from art and questioning thought. 1/11/2024 GEC 001 | College of Arts TIP-QC 15