Introduction

           This module will present the theory of Martin Discussion

Heidegger's on technology as revealing, human flourishing in Click the center button of the video below to learn more about
progress and de-development by Jason Hickel and Aristotle's the life of Heidegger. 
concept on good life. This philosophical perspectives will be
used to assess how human person understand the complex   I hope you enjoy watching the life of Martin Heidegger (MH).
notions of technology and provide you a new perspective on Here is the summary of the short episode of Martin's life;
how to deal with it.     
1. He was a German philosopher who is fun of thinking
Intended Learning Outcomes
about 'being', technology and etc.       
At the end of the module, you are expected to 2. He rejected the idea of positivist thinkers and critical
to technological domination in the modern world. 
1. differentiate the essences of technology and modern 3. Heidegger was critical to the essence and modern
technology; technology and
2. explain de-development as a progress and 4. He reconstructed the meaning of technology that
development framework; and reflected in his essay entitled “The Question Concerning
3. examine contemporary issues and come up with Technology".    
innovative and creative solutions to contemporary issues
guided by ethical standards leading to a good life.  Wait for a minute, why did Martin Heidegger write an essay
about technology?
Topics Let's talk the answer to the next section          >>>>           
>>>>    
1. Technology as a Way of Revealing
2.  Progress and De-development 3.1.1. The Essence of Technology
3.  Good Life
The Greek concept of the essence of technology was
3.1 Technology as a Way of Revealing investigated by Martin Heidegger. The meaning of technology
for the Greeks was assumed to be part of our everyday life. To
Introduction clarify further, the term technology was defined into two
categories. 
Good day everyone!    
            The concept of technology was controversial in the field 1. Technology is a means to an end.
of philosophy. Martin Heidegger, a German philosopher, 2. Technology is a human activity.      
problematized how a human person relates to technology. He
investigated the meaning of technology in ancient and modern               The first definition treated technology as an
times. Moving on, you will also learn the essence of instrument to achieve a purpose or end. For example, student
technology, technology as a way of revealing, the problem and A bought a laptop and smartphone to be used for online
dangers of modern technology, art as the saving power and learning since students were not allowed to attend a face to
questioning thought.  To further understand technology from face learning. The laptops and smartphones are instruments
the philosophical perspectives, you will get to know Martin for the student to achieve his/her purpose which is to
Heidegger who wrote a philosophical treatise on technology.  participate in online learning. 

Intended Learning Outcomes                The second definition pointed out that technology is
part of our daily activities of the human person which is to
At the end of the discussion, you are expected to invent technology such as gadgets for online learning,
protective equipment to fight COVID-19, agricultural machines
1. differentiate the meaning of technology in ancient and to produce foods and etc.
modern times;
2. discuss the essence of technology;                The two definitions of technology are interconnected
3. explain technology as a way of revealing, enframing, with each other in such a way that the outcomes of human
and dangers of modern technology; and activities are meant to serve its purpose.  However, this
4. explore art as the saving power and questioning definition of technology became problematic when technology
thought. 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 The Dangers of Technology                   
purpose is not being served. The revival of face to face
learning will make a gadget for online learning less significant       Heidegger at this point is critical to the dangers of modern
in the traditional classroom. technology by pointing out its defects as enframing nature,
challenging forth, treat nature as a standing reserve. In this
 Isn't it that we are in trouble in this scenario of case, modern technology deviated from the essential notion of
technology and revealing or poiesis. Heidegger sees this as a
danger to humanity. 
life?   
       Recognizing its dangers of technology requires critical and
 Click the next button to clarify your confusion>>>>        reflective thinking on its use. For example, social media has
indeed connected people in the most efficient and convenient
3.1. 2. The Problems on Modern Technology way but it is prone to abuse such as the invasion of privacy,
online dis-inhibition, and proliferation of fake news. 
The Greek definition of technology as human activity and
designed for a specific purpose was restructured in modern         The real threat of technology comes
times. Technology in the modern era was reduced into from its essence, not its activities or
calculative thinking that controls nature. For instance, the products. The correct response to the
invention of the telescope, the steam machine, and other danger of technology is not simply
devices was used to master nature. In the mastery of nature, dismissing technology altogether.
we used technology to manipulate things around us. To see a Heidegger explained that people are
clear picture, Heidegger provided three revelations on modern delivered over to technology in the worst
technology as challenging forth, enframing and dangerous; possible way when they regard it as
something neutral (Heidegger, 1997).       
Modern Technology as Challenging Forth
3.2 Human Flourishing through Progress and De-Development
         Heidegger claimed that ancient and modern technology
are revealing. However, modern technology is revealing not in
Introduction
the sense of bringing forth but rather challenging nature.
Modern technology challenging nature through extracting,         This topic will show you another approach to human
transforming, storing, and distributing it. Challenging forth flourishing from anthro-economic perspective which focuses on
reduced nature as standing 'reserve' or something to be Jason Hickel's model on human development.  Hickel's
disposed of by the people. For examples, people exploited the concept of de-development is an option to narrow the gap
natural resources without minding the negative effects to the between the rich and poor countries. 
ecology, modernization of extracting gold, coal, and petroleum
from the ground compromised the bodies of waters, using of Intended Learning Outcomes
synthetic dyes and artificial flavoring jeopardize human health,
and the use of chemicals in the agriculture poses threat to food At the end of the discussion, you are expected to
safety and health security.          
1. explain de-development as progress and
development framework and
2. Differentiate the traditional framework of development
from Jason Hickel's model of de-development. 

Discussion
Modern Technology as Enframing        Despite the efforts to close out the gap between the rich and
poor countries, the gap just keeps on widening. (BBC Headline
         According to Martin Heidegger,  modern technology is report in 2015)  
enframing. The term 'enframing' derives from the word 'frame'
which means putting something into a box. This metaphorical    Although there is no standard measure of inequality, the
term of Heidegger connotes that modern technology put nature report claimed that most indicators suggest that the widening
into a box through scientific knowledge. Enframing, according of the growth gap slowed during the financial crisis in 2007 but
to Heidegger, is akin to two ways of looking at the world; is now growing again. The increasing inequality appears
calculative thinking and meditative thinking. Humans put an paradoxical having in mind the efforts that had been poured
order to nature and control it through calculative thinking.    onto the development programs designed to assist poor
countries to rise from absent to slow progress. 
        With this backdrop and in the context of unprecedented 3.3 Good Life
scientific and technological advancement and economic
development, a human must ask themselves whether they are Introduction
indeed flourishing, individually or collectively. If development
efforts to close out the gap between the rich and the poor        This topic will introduce you to one of the ancient
countries have failed, is it possible to confront the challenges philosophers who answered the question 'what is the good
of development through a nonconformist framework? life'? Although this question is a universal concern among the
Greeks, Aristotle, a keen observer of nature and systematic
      Jason Hickel, an anthropologist at the London School of philosopher, provided us an option on how to achieve a good
Economics, criticized  the failure of growth and development life.  
efforts of the UN to eradicate poverty in several decades ago.
He conceptualized a nonconformist perspective toward growth Intended Learning Outcomes
and development. 
At the end of the discussion, you are expected to
     Here is the outline of Jason Hickel's article on 'Forget
developing poor countries, it's time to de-develop rich 1. explain  Aristotle's eudaimonia and
countries. Hickel's article will be discussed in detail in the 2. Differentiate instrumental good from intrinsic good.
assignment 3.1. 
Discussion
Assumptions:
A brief overview of Aristotle's Life
1.  UN's new sustainable development goals (SDGs)             Aristotle, who lived from 384 - 322 BC, is probably the
assumed that growth based on the traditional economic most important ancient Greek philosopher and scientist. He
model is an effective strategy to eradicate poverty. was a student of Plato and founded a school named Lyceum.
2.  Gross Domestic Products (GDP) is a measure of In his own school, Aristotle's students compiled their lecture
human development.  notes and came up with a book entitled Nichomachean Ethics.
3. Questions; This Nichomachean Ethics, dedicated to his son Nichomachus,
1.  How much do we really need to live long became a foundation of Aristotle's ethics composed of ten
and enjoy a happy life? books.    
1. According to Peter Edward, instead
of pushing poor countries to catch up with rich What is a good life?
ones, we should be thinking of ways to get rich
countries to catch down to more appropriate         The term 'good life' is one of the concerns of the Greek
levels of development.               thinkers like Aristotle. In the Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle
2.  Genuine Progress is anchored on says that every action aims at some goods. Some goods are
quality instead of quantity classified as instrumental or intrinsic. The instrumental good is
2.  What is a good life or good living? a means to achieve something else while intrinsic good is good
1. Latin Americans organized in itself or ultimate good (Eudaimonia or human
themselves and envision around the indigenous flourishing/happiness). At this point, Aristotle is suggesting that
concept of buen vivir, or good living.    if we want to live a good life then we must develop the
2. Robert and Edward Skidelsky intellectual and moral virtues.   
conceptualized the good life through the
possibility of interventions like banning the Eudaimonia 
advertising that promotes consumerism,
        Eudaimonia is a Greek word that means human
shortens the working hour, and basic income.  
flourishing or happiness. Eudaimonia as ultimate good is the
final end of our action. However, Aristotle categorized good
SUMMARY into different aspects; instrumental good and intrinsic good.
          This topic shows you a radical model of equalizing the Instrumental good aims at something else while intrinsic good
poor and rich countries through eradicating poverty as a is the final end or good in itself. For example, enrolling in this
perennial problem. Jason Hickel's criticized the existing UN course is good because you will learn something and get a
model popularly known as new sustainable development goals grade at the end of the day. Why do you want a grade?
(SDGs) and he provided us a nontraditional framework for because I want to get a college degree. Why do you want to
solving the problem of poverty.       get a degree? to secure a job. As you push the question, you
will end up into the final end which is the eudaimonia. So
Click the next button to learn about the Aristotle's concept of studying in college is instrumental good if it helps you to
good life. achieve happiness. On the other hand, studying in college is
intrinsic good if you are happy with what you are doing right
now. Sometimes, there are people who wrongly assumed that    To explore more on Aristotle concept of a good life click The
bodily pleasure or wealth, fame, and honor as eudaimonia. Good Life
This assumption is wrong because eudaimonia is exclusive
only for a human being who exercises the faculty of reason.      Summary                   

Human Person        To wrap up the discussion, good life as a final end of
human actions is indispensable ethical theory that advocated
The table above reflects Aristotle's concept of the human soul happiness along with the development of science and
and its hierarchy of functions and activities. The soul was technology. Connecting good life, science and technology
divided into three; rational, sensitive, and nutritive. The rational requires us to set our goal which is to achieve eudaimonia.
part of the soul is the ability of a human person to think either Achieving eudaimonia is possible through a constant practice
based on theoretical or practical knowledge.  Aristotle of moral virtues guided by the rational part of the soul.    
formulated the principle of 'man as a rational animal' to achieve
eudaimonia/happiness. Achieving eudaimonia/happiness is
possible only when a human person learn to identify and
choose the mean of their action between excess and
deficiency. By doing this, we can moderate our actions to
achieve the ultimate good or virtuous action. For example,
integrating advanced technology to human activities aided
workers to produced outputs faster and easier . Almost
everything is run by the machines. But, too much dependent
on the machines has negative effects on human well-being.
However, those societies that never upgrade their technology
were left behind in the fast changing industrial revolution and
considered as backward societies. Between the two extremes
of actions, a rational animal who aims to reach eudaimonia
should choose the mean of action of the advanced
technocratic society and backward society. Aristotle's method
can be applied to the action of generosity, courage, anger and
etc. to make them virtuous. 
Arete           

       Arete is one of the significant concepts of Aristotle in

achieving a good life/Eudaimonia or happiness. Arete is a
Greek term that means 'excellence of any kind' in terms of
intellectual and moral virtues. Intellectual virtue is achieved
through education and experience. On the other hand, moral
virtue is developed through constant practice of an action that
promotes good life. For instance, courage became a virtue
when it is properly displayed in the right time, right manner,
and right place in the face of danger. A person who does not
properly assess the danger and reserve any fear may develop
the vice of foolhardiness or rashness. However, a person may
develop the vice of cowardice if he/she becomes fearful and
incapable of acting on the problem in the face of danger.     
Science, Technology and Good Life

       The rapid development of science and technology is

manifested through the current trend in integrating the
machines into human affairs. The automation of
communication, transportation, food productions, education,
modernization of medicine, and etc. must be geared towards a
good life. Guided with the concept of good life, policymakers,
state leaders, and technocrats can work hand-in-hand to make
our world a better place to live in. A world is in a state of
balance between the excess and deficiency.