UE - STS - Chapter 4 - 2020 Student PDF

Human Flourishing and Science and Technology INTRODUCTION What is Flourishing? Developing rapidly and successfully ; thriving EUDAIMONIA Greek word Eu meaning “well” Daimon meaning “spirit” Defined as a contented state of being… HAPPY, HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS Effort to attain self-discove...

Human Flourishing and Science and Technology INTRODUCTION What is Flourishing? Developing rapidly and successfully ; thriving EUDAIMONIA Greek word Eu meaning “well” Daimon meaning “spirit” Defined as a contented state of being… HAPPY, HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS Effort to attain self-discovery and fulfilment within the setting of society In philosophy, EUDAIMONISM – pursuing the right actions that lead to one’s “well-being” Ancient Greek Philosophers developed normative ethical theories called: VIRTUE ETHICS VIRTUE ETHICS – emphasizes the virtues of mind and character  Arete = excellence Virtu est in medio = virtue is in the middle Eudaimonia is an objective state that characterizes the well-lived life as an individual’s ideal emotional state. It is thought as the highest human good that is good-in-itself. DIFFERENT PHILOSOPHICAL THEORIES THAT ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN EUDAIMONIA HEDONISM Pleasure is the most valuable pursuit of mankind and everything that one does is to gain pleasure - ARISTIPPUS (Greek Philosopher) § life’s objective is to experience maximum pleasure - ARISTOTLE – Eudaimonic well-being § Happiness is a vague idea § Not all desires are worth pursuing § Some may yield pleasure, they will not always produce lasting happiness  Epicurus and other notable hedonists agreed with Aristotle ü Eudaimonia is the highest good - EPICURUS, “pleasure for pleasure’s sake” THE HISTORY OF EUDAIMONIA  Eudemonia is a Greek word that means “happiness or welfare”. However, the term “human flourishing or prosperity” has been proposed as more accurate translations. This term was coined by Aristotle, in his Nicomachean Ethics that dates back to the 4th century BC. In which he said that such happiness is conditional for its dependent on other conditions. Along with the Nicomachean Ethics, there are also notable works from Aristotle such as Politics, Metaphysics, Poetics, and Prior Analytics. Like Aristotle, the following three earlier thinkers had also presented similar concepts of Eudaimonia. Aristotle Democritus Socrates Plato ARISTOTLE’S NICOMACHEAN ETHICS NICOMACHEAN ETHICS is a philosophical inquiry into the nature of the good life for a human being. He emphasized that friendship, a mutual admiration between two persons, is a contributing factor in attaining eudemonia. VIRTUE, as perceived by stoics, is mostly based on morals. Moral virtues such as courage, honesty, and justice as good while moral vices like envy, slander, and shame are bad. Health, wealth, and honor are considered neutral. Human Flourishing in Christian Perspective St. Augustine of Hippo - a 4th century philosopher whose groundbreaking philosophy infused Christian doctrine with Neoplatonism. St. Thomas Aquinas – a philosopher and theologian in medieval times John Locke - philosopher and a political theorist of the 17th century Old Testament  According to theologians Ø Shalom – means peace, harmony, and completeness. According to Dr. Neal Plantiga – his article “Educating for Shalom” Ø Shalom - webbing together of God, humans, and all creation of justice, fulfillment, and delight. According in the bible Ø Shalom – universal flourishing and delight. New Testament  Human Flourishing - captured in the Bible’s New Testament Through the Beatitudes There are Eight Blessings preached by Jesus to his followers. Each beatitude begins with Greek word Makarios (plural makarioi) Meaning “blessed or happy” The term beatitude comes from the Latin beatus Meaning “blissful, happy, fortunate or flourishing” In the classical Greek, makar from Makarios It refers to the state of living a life of happiness without struggles. Makarios is commonly used as a synonym for eudaimonia Jesus preached that human flourishing can be achieved by placing God at the center of one’s life. Scot McKnight - “the entire philosophy of the good life, and the late modern theory of “happiness” are at work when [Jesus] says, ‘Blessed are…’” Human Flourishing in the Socio-Psychological Perspective Science and Technology – it affect the human experience and human understanding of happiness. Advancements in science and technology, having made life easier, greatly influence the way people view what the good life is. In recent studies, Human understanding of human flourishing includes mental and physical health, satisfaction in one’s life, meaning and purpose, and social relationships. Carol Ryff (1995) – psychology professor, studied different models and theories of happiness in different subfields of psychology.  Ryff’s model of psychological well-being Personal Growth Strong Personal Growth: You have a feeling of continued development; see yourself as growing and expanding; are open to new experiences; have the sense of realizing your potential; see improvement in yourself and behavior over time; are changing in ways that reflect more self- knowledge and effectiveness. Weak Personal Growth: You have a sense of personal stagnation; lack the sense of improvement or expansion over time; feel bored and uninterested with life; and feel unable to develop new attitudes or behaviors. Self-Acceptance High Self-Acceptance: You possess a positive attitude toward yourself; acknowledge and accept multiple aspects of yourself including both good and bad qualities; and feel positive about your past life. Low Self-Acceptance: You feel dissatisfied with yourself; are disappointed with what has occurred in your past life; are troubled about certain personal qualities; and wish to be different than what you are. Autonomy High Autonomy: You are self-determining and independent; are able to resist social pressures to think and act in certain ways; regulate behavior from within; and evaluate yourself by personal standards. Low Autonomy: You are concerned about the expectations and evaluations of others; rely on judgments of others to make important decisions; and conform to social pressures to think and act in certain ways. Environmental Mastery High Environmental Mastery: You have a sense of mastery and competence in managing the environment; control complex array of external activities; make effective use of surrounding opportunities; and are able to choose or create contexts suitable to your personal needs and values. Low Environmental Mastery: You have difficulty managing everyday affairs; feel unable to change or improve surrounding contexts; are unaware of surrounding opportunities; and lack a sense of control over the external world. Positive Relations with Others Strong Positive Relations: You have warm, satisfying, trusting relationships with others; are concerned about the welfare of others; are capable of strong empathy, affection, and intimacy; and understand the give and take of human relationships. Weak Relations: You have few close, trusting relationships with others; find it difficult to be warm, open, and concerned about others; are isolated and frustrated in interpersonal relationships; and are not willing to make compromises to sustain important ties with others. Purpose in Life Strong Purpose in Life: You have goals in life and a sense of directedness; feel there is meaning to your present and past life; hold beliefs that give life purpose; and have aims and objectives for living. Weak Purpose in Life: You lack a sense of meaning in life; have few goals or aims, lack a sense of direction; do not see purpose of your past life; and have no outlook or beliefs that give life meaning. Anthony Bradley (2013) – professor at the king’s college in new York, echoed Ryff’s idea in his article “the new legalism” where he wrote “an emphasis on human flourishing, ours and others’, become important because it is characterized by a holistic concern for the spiritual, moral, physical, economic, material, political, psychological, and social context necessary for human beings to live according to their design” The Consequences of Human Flourishing According to Gerd Leonhard, There would be an “avalanche of technological changes that could reshape the very essence of humanity abd every aspect of life on our planet.” Scientists Stephen Hawking, Stuart Russell, Max Tegmark, and Frank Wilczek published an open letter in The Independent in May 2014 stating that the emergence of artificial intelligence poses a great danger to humanity.