Module 1 Science, Technology and Society

Science, Technology and Society and the

Chapter 1.3
Human Condition

Intended Learning Outcomes: At the end of this chapter, the students are expected to:

1. Discuss what is meant by a good life;

2. Identify how humans attempt to attain what is deemed to be a good life;
3. Identify possibilities available to human being to attain a good life;
4. Discuss human rights in order to uphold such rights in technological ethical
dilemmas.

1.3.1 The Good Life

In Ancient Greece, long before the word “science” has been coined, the need to
understand the world and reality was bound with the need to understand the self and the good
life. For Plato, the task of understanding the things in the world runs parallel with the job of truly
getting into what will make the soul flourish. It was Aristotle who gave a definite distinction
between the theoretical and practical sciences. Among the theoretical disciplines, Aristotle
included logic, biology, physics, and metaphysics, among others. Among practical ones, Aristotle
counted ethics and politics. Whereas “truth” is the aim of the theoretical sciences, the “good” is
the end goal of the practical ones. Rightly, one must find the truth about what the good is before
one can even try to locate that which is good.

What is meant by a good life?

According to Westacottt (2018), there are three ways by which we can understand what
is meant by “a good life” or “living well”. These are the Moral Life, Life of Pleasure, and Fulfilled
Life.
From the article, good moral would mean to lead us to the good and happy life.
Throughout history, mas has persistently struggled in order to attain human flourishing and has
given birth to different schools of thought, which aim for the good and happy life.

MATERIALISM
The first materialists were the atomists in Ancient Greece. The atomist philosophers
thought that universe and matter are only made up of atoms “atomos” or seeds.
They are indivisible particles, assembled by chance and in a purely mechanical way. The
founders of this theory was the Greek philosopher Leucippus and his disciple Democritus (around
460 – 370 B.C.). This belief aims that comfort, pleasure, and wealth are the only highest goals.
HEDONISM
Epicurus continued the theory of materialism, which does not buy any notion of afterlife.
The hedonists see the end goal of life in attaining pleasure. For hedonists, since life is limited, one
must indulge itself with pleasures – “Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die”.
They strive to maximize their total pleasure, the difference of pleasure and pain, and if
the pleasure was finally gained, happiness remains fixed.

STOICISM
Stoicism is one of the schools of thought in philosophy created for those who live their
lives in the real world. It was founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium (early 3rd century BC).
Stoicism asserts that virtue (e.g. wisdom) is happiness and judgment should be based on
acts on behavior rather than words. People do not have ay control and must not rely on external
events, only for themselves and their responses.
This philosophy helps a person to overcome destructive emotions and acts on what can
be acted upon. Stoicism also differs from other schools of thought with its purpose as a practical
application rather than intellectual enterprise.

THEISM
The ultimate basis of happiness for theists is the communion with God. They believe that
they can find the meaning of their lives by using God as the creator of their existence.
Theism is a belief that one or more gods exist within the universe, and that Gods are often
omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful), and omnipresent (all-pervasive).
This belief incorporates Monotheism (belief in one god) and Polytheism (belief in many
gods). The Abrahamic faiths such as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, as well as Hinduism are all
theistic religions.

HUMANISM
Humanism is another school of thought that affirms that human beings have the right
and responsibility to give meaning and shape their own lives. “It is not theistic and does not accept
supernatural views of reality” – IHEU; International Humanist and Ethical Union.
Further, humanists see themselves not only as the stewards of creation but as individuals
who have control for themselves as well as the world outside them.
Most scientists dwell on this thought that the world is a place for discovery in seeking
ways on how to improve the lives of its inhabitants. As a result, scientists eventually turn to
technology to ease the difficulty of life, that is, to live comfortably.
 What is the ultimate goal of a good life?

The Philosophy of Aristotle

• Aristotle (388-322 B.C.) was Plato’s student

• Influenced all later Christian philosophers, including Augustine and Thomas Aquinas
• Wrote many subjects: Biology, Chemistry, Astronomy
• Best-known: Categories, Metaphysics

“Aristotle was the originator of the concept of eudaimonia (from daimon – true nature). He
deemed happiness to be a vulgar idea, stressing that not all desires are worth pursuing as, even
though some of them may yield pleasure, they would not produce wellness.”

Aristotle thought that true happiness is found by leading a virtuous life and doing what is
worth doing. He argued that realizing human potential is the ultimate human goal” (Boniwell,
2008).
Boniwell emphasized that feeling good is not good enough for a good life. Each person
must realize his/her potentialities which would lead him/her to the greatest fulfillment – daimon.

What is the role of technology in achieving good life?

According to Vergragt (2006), in his essay about how technology could contribute to a
sustainable world, technology will support and enhance a “good life” for all citizens without
compromising the earth’s ecosystem or the prospects of later generations.
As Stutz (2006) stated, a good life requires essentially basic human needs are met and
aspirations for freedom, belonging, and self-realization are fulfilled as much as possible.
Vergragt also noted that technological innovation in the context of the good life and how
it can be supported or threatened, depending on the way technological innovations are influenced
and steered by human decisions and institutions.
Technology, however, allowed us to tamper time and space. Social media as an example
has been very effective in doing this. Communication has been a lot easier for people from
different parts of the world. They can talk and see each other in real time and send messages
instantly without waiting for a letter mail to arrive.
Technology also allowed us to fiddle with our sexuality by injecting hormones in order to
alter the biochemical in our body. Whether, we use such technological advancements or not,
these are all in the pursuit of attaining a good life.
 It is the question of how we decide on what kinds of technology to use or not to use as
well as the balance between the good life, ethics, and technology has to be achieved.

The Philosophy of Aristotle (Cont.)

Nicomachean Ethics 2:2

• All human activities aim at some good. Every art and human inquiry, and similarly every
action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason, the good has
been rightly declared as that at which all things aim.

Good Life

Aim = good
Good life = happiness
… both the many and cultivated call it happiness, and suppose that living well and doing
well are the same as being happy.
Nicomachean Ethics 1:4

• Eudaimonia is an ancient Greek word of the concept of living well and doing well
• Eu means good
• Daimon means spirit

Happiness defines good life.

- not from sensate pleasures but comes from living a life of virtue, a life of excellence
Nicomachean Ethics 1:10

• It is the activities that express virtue that control happiness, and the contrary activities
that control its contrary.
- e.g. Eating healthy food, Taking care of the environment
• This requires discipline and practice.

Virtue
• Constant practice of good
• Excellence of character
• Virtue comes about by choosing a mean between vicious extremes according to the

right principle

Intellectual virtues

Soul

Nicomachean Ethics 2:1

• Virtue, then, being of two kinds, intellectual and moral, intellectual virtue in the main
owes its birth and growth to teaching (for which reason it requires experience and time),
while moral virtue comes about as a result of habit.
Virtue
• Intellectual virtues
– know what is just and admirable.
– learn through instruction.
• Moral virtues
– do just and admirable deeds.
– learn through habit and practice.

“Aristotle is telling us that having one’s heart in the right place is not good enough: being a good
person requires a kind of practical intelligence as well as a good disposition.”
Aristotle believes that all living things exist to fulfill some telos, or purpose. This telos is
determined primarily by what makes that living thing distinctive.
Humans are distinctively rational animals, our telos must be based in our rationality

So what then is the connection of science and technology to good life and virtue?
- Aristotle believes that all living things exist to fulfill some telos, or purpose.
This telos is determined primarily by what makes that living thing distinctive.
- Humans are distinctively rational animals, our telos must be based in our
rationality.