‘ Chapter Ul Science, Technology and Society and the Human Condition >?>>D>>>>>>5>5>>>>>>>>9> 99992999909 DDDD9> LESSON 4 oe Human Flourishing in Terms of icience and Technology SSKKKKxxxcccccececececeececececeececeececceece Learning Outcomes At the end of this lesson, the learner should be able to: * define human flourishing; * interview different people about human flourishing; . differentiate Wester and easter philosophy about human flourishing; and * cite the importance of Human flourishing. “All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts... -Willian. Shakespeare &) Introduction Every living creature is meant to become what it is meant to be. The caterpillar is meant to become a beautiful butterfly; a small ‘seed into a full-grown herb, bush or tree; and a human baby into a mature person, the person ‘who is fully alive, the glory of God” in the words of St. Irenaeus. (Corpuz, 2015). As we grow and develop there are different factors that affect us, there are different questions that need to be answered and there are steps and actions that need to be undertaken. Flourishing is the highest good of human attempt to achieve his/her goal. It is @ success as a human being when he/she achieved it for the betterment of his/her life. The best life is one of excellent human activity. “Eudaimonia’, literally “good spirited” is a term connected by renowned Greek Philosopher Aristotle (385-323B.C.) to describe the peak of human's happiness that can be attained. The big question is “How?". How will you achieve your flourishing? Chapter Il: STS and the Human Condition 25 Lesson 1: The Human Flourishing in Terms of Science and TechnologyAristotle's human flourishing arises as a product of different factors such as phronesis, friendship, wealth and power. The Ancient Greek society believed that for the people to achieve the true meaning of happiness these qualities should be acquired, which in effect allow them to join in the greater notion of what we call the Good. For Aristotle, the good is what is good for purposeful and goal-directed entities. He defines the good proper to human beings as the activities in which the life functions specific to human beings are most fully realized. For Aristotle, the good of each species is finality existing to that species. A person's nature as a human being provides him with guidance with respect to how he should live his life. A fundamental fact of human nature is the existence of individual human beings each with his own rational mind and free will. The highest or most general good to which all individuals should aim is to live Most fully a life that is proper to man. The proper function of every person is to live happily, successfully, and well. This is done through the active exercise of a person's distinctive capacity, rationality, as he/she engages in activities to the degree appropriate to the person in the context of his/her own identity as a human being. One's own life is the only life that a Person must live. It follows that, for Aristotle, the "good" is what is objectively good for a person. Aristotle's eudaimonia is formally egoistic in that a person's normative reason for choosing actions stems from the idea that he/she must pursue his/her own good or flourishing. Because self-interest is flourishing, the good in human conduct is connected to the self-interest of the acting person. Good means "good for" the individual moral agent. Egoism is an integral part of Aristotle's ethics. In his ethical writings, Aristotle endorses egoism, rationality, and the value of life. He insisted that the key idea in ethics is a human individual's own personal happiness and well-being. Each person is responsible for his/her own character. According to Aristotle, each person has a natural obligation to achieve, become, and make something of himself/herself by pursuing his/her true ends and goals in life. Each person should be concerned with the "best that is within him/her and with the most accomplished and self-sufficient success and excellence. People found means to live more comfortably, explore more places, develop more products, and make more money, and then the cycle is just repeating to suffice their happiness. In the beginning, early people relied on animals for their. transportation; they relied on stones and spears to hunt food; they used skin of animals to protect their skin and used it as clothes; they used stones to make fire and lastly; they just lived in a cave as their shelter, As the time went by there was a big change in the way the people lived before and the way the people live today. Development allowed them to make grander and more sophisticated machines to aid them in their endeavors that eventually led to space explorations, medicines innovations and ventures of life after death. Our concept of human flourishing today proves to be different from what Aristotle originally perceived. Humans of today are expected to become a “man of the world.” The person today is supposed to build himself/herself in a global neighborhood, working side by side among institutions and different governments to be able to reach common goal. Competition as a means of survival has become outdated; Cooperation and coordination among individuals are the new trend. There is a difference between eastern and western ideas regarding society and human flourishing. The Western Society where Aristotle is included tends to CChapler Il: STS and the Human Condition 27° Lesson 1: The Human Flourishing in Terms of Science and Technologymr ity be more focused on the individual, while those from the Eos are en i lea centric. Individual flourishing as an end then is primarily more indhidual ‘Community ig civilization. Eastern civilization puts the community above the indi is given the highest regard and that the individual should sacrifice himself for the sake of society. APPLICATION Think of one issue/problem in your field that needs to be resolved by the unique individual characteristic/s of each member of the group. Member Characteristics: Member. Characteristics Member: Characteristics: Member: Chorocteristics Member: Characteristics Member: Member: _" Characteristics: Characteristics: Member: Characteristics: 28 Science, Technology and Sodety