Human Flourishing Technology in the modern era was reduced

into calculative thinking that controls nature.

Martin Heidegger For instance, the invention of the telescope,
- Was a German Philosopher who is fun the steam machine, and other devices was
of thinking about ‘being’, technology, used to master nature.
and etc.
- Rejected the idea of positivist thinkers Modern Technology As Challenging Forth
and critical to technological domination
in the modern world. Heidegger claimed that ancient and
- Was critical to the essence and modern modern technology are revealing. However,
technology; modern technology is revealing not in the
- Reconstructed the meaning of sense of bringing forth but rather challenging
technology that reflected in his essay nature. Modern technology challenges nature
entitled “The Question Concerning through extracting, transforming, storing, and
Technology” distributing it. Challenging forth reduced nature
as standing ‘reserve’ or something to be
The Essence of Technology disposed of by the people.
- Greek concept
- Investigated by Martin Heidegger
Modern Technology As Enframing
The meaning of technology for Greeks was
assumed to be part of our everyday life. To According to Martin Heidegger, modern
clarify further, the term technology was defined technology is enframing. The term ‘enframing’
into two categories. derives from the word ‘frame’ which means
1. Technology is a means to an end putting something into a box. This metaphorical
2. Technology is a human activity. term of Heidegger connotes that modern
technology put nature into a box through
The first definition treated technology as an scientific knowledge. Enframing, according to
instrument to achieve a purpose or end. For Heidegger, is a kin to two ways of looking at
example, student A bought a laptop and the world; calculative thinking and meditative
smartphone to be used for online learning thinking. Humans put an order to nature and
since students were not allowed to attend a control it through calculative thinking.
face to face learning. The laptops and
smartphones are instruments for the students The Dangers of Technology
to achieve his/her purpose which is to Heidegger at this point is critical to the
participate in online learning. dangers of modern technology by pointing out
The second definition pointed out that of its defects as enframing nature, challenging
technology is part of our daily activities of the forth, treat nature as a standing reserve. In this
human person which is to invent technology case, modern technology deviated from the
such as gadgets for online learning, protective essential notion of technology and revealing or
equipment to fight COVID-19, agricultural poiesis. Heidegger sees this as a danger to
machines to produce foods, and etc. humanity.

The two definitions of technology are Recognizing the dangers of technology

interconnected with each other in such a way requires critical and reflective thinking on its
that the outcomes of human activities are use.
meant to serve their purpose. However, this The real threat of technology comes from its
definition of technology became problematic essence, not its activities or products. The
when technology does not serve it purpose correct response to the danger of technology is
(essence). not simply dismissing technology altogether.
The Problems on Modern Technology Heidegger explained that people are delivered
over to technology in the worst possible way
The Greek definition of technology as when they regard it as something natural
human activity and designed for a specific (Heidegger, 1997).
purpose was restructured in modern times.
 Nichomachean Ethics, dedicated to his son
Art As A Saving Power and Questioning Nichomachus, became a foundation of
Thought Aristotle’s ethics composed of ten books.

What is Art? What is a Good Life?

- A techne that shows, unconceals, or The term ‘good life’ is one of the
reveals the truth. concerns of Greek thinkers like Aristotle. In
- Was considered as a saving power and Nichomachean Ethics, Aristotle says that every
an alternative exit from technological action aims at some goods. Some goods are
enframing. classified as instrumental or intrinsic. The
- Arts as techne is an act of the mind that instrumental good is a means to achieve
helps us to think based on meditative something else while intrinsic good is good
thinking. itself or ultimate good (Eudaimonia or human
flourishing/happiness). At this point, Aristotle is
Through art, we can establish new suggesting that if we want to live a good life
relationships with technology and nature. As then we must develop intellectual and moral
Heidegger puts it: “because the essence of virtues.
technology is nothing technological, essential
reflection upon technology and decisive Eudaimonia
confrontation with it must happen in a realm - A Greek word that means human
that is, on the hand, a kin to the essence of flourishing or happiness.
technology and, on the other, fundamentally - As ultimate good is the final end of our
different from it. Such a realm is art. But action.
certainly only if reflection on art, for its part, - Literally “good spirited”, a term coined
does not shut its eyes to the constellation of by Aristotle to describe the pinnacle of
truth after which we are questioning”. happiness that is attainable by humans;
Heidegger, Martin, The Question of has often been translated into “human
Technology, (1997, p.19) flourishing”.
However, Aristotle categorized well into
Questioning As the Piety of Thought different aspects; instrumental good and
In practice, we human beings have a lot of intrinsic good.
questions in life especially when we are in a
time of crisis or pandemic. Heidegger Instrumental Good
encourages us to practice critical thinking when - Aims at something else
it comes to technology. We need to reassess
our concept of technology particularly its Intrinsic Good
positive and negative impact to nature in order - Is the final end or the good itself.
to rebuild our new relation. Heidegger ended In Western, civilization tends to be more
his essay with these statements; “the closer we focused on the individual; based on an
come to the danger, the more brightly do the individual’s values rather than his belief that
ways into the saving power begin to shine and the state is greater than him. The East are
the more questioning we become. For more community centric; community takes the
questioning is the piety of thought”. (1997, highest regard that the individual should
p.19) sacrifice himself for the sake of society.
Good Life
Every discover, innovation, and success
A Brief Overview of Aristotle’s Life contributes to our pool of human knowledge;
- Aristotle live from 384-322, is probably human’s perpetual need to locate himself in the
the most important ancient Greek world by finding proofs to trace evolution; the
philosopher and scientist. end goals of both science and technology and
- A student of Plato and founded a school human flourishing are related; in that the good
named Lyceum. is inherently related to the truth, are two
In his own school, Aristotle’s students compiled concepts about science which ventures its
their lecture notes and came up with a book claim on truth.
entitled ‘Nichomachean Ethics”. The
 Science as Method & Results, Verification
Theory, Falsification Theory, & How Much
Is Too Much

Science as Method and Results

The Scientific Method:
● Observe
● Determine the problem
● Formulare hypothesis; reject the null
hypothesis
● Conduct experiment
The table reflects Aristotle’s concept of the ● Gather and analyze results
human soul and its hierarchy of functions and ● Formulate conclusion and provide
activities. The soul was divided into three; recommendation
rational, sensitive, and nutritive.
Verification Theory
The rational part of the soul is the - The earliest criterion that distinguishes
ability of a human person to think either based philosophy and science.
on theoretical or practical knowledge. Aristotle - The idea proposes that a discipline is
formulated the principle of ‘man as a rational science if it can be confirmed or
animal’ to achieve eudaimonia/happiness. interpreted in the event of an alternative
Achieving eudaimonia/happiness is possible hypothesis being accepted.
only when a human person learns to identify Several budding theories that lack empirical
and choose the mean of their action between results might be shot down prematurely,
excess and deficiency. Aristotle’s method can causing slower innovation and punishing
be applied to the action of generosity, courage, ingenuity of newer, novel thoughts. This theory
anger, and etc., to make them virtuous. completely fails to weed out bogus arguments
that explain things coincidentally.

Aerete Falsification Theory

- Is one of the significant concepts of - Karl Popper is the known proponent of
Aristotle in achieving a good this view.
life/eudaimonia or happiness. - Asserts that as long as an ideology is
- Is a Greek term that means “excellence not proven to be false and can best
of any kind” in terms of intellectual and explain a phenomenon over alternative
moral virtues. theories.
Intellectual virtue is achieved through the - Allowed emergence of theories
constant practice of an action that promotes otherwise rejected by verification theory.
good life. - Encourages research in order to
determine which among the theories
Science, Technology, and Good Life can stand the test of falsification.
The rapid development of science and
technology is manifested through the current How Much Is Too Much
trend in integrating machines into human ● In 2000, world leaders signed the
affairs. The automation of communication, Millennium Development Goals that
transportation, food productions, education, targets eight concerns, one of which
modernization of medicine, and etc., must be was that they should be able to forge a
geared towards a good life. Guided with the global partnership for development.
concept of a good life, policymakers, state ● However, in as much as the objective
leaders, and technocrats can work hand-in- was good, the goal to achieve growth
hand to make our world a better place to live might be fatal.
in. ● The economists believe that growth is
the primary indicator of development, as
both go hand in hand, and has put forth
 their resources in trying to achieve it 1. UN’s new Sustainable Development
such. Technology has been the primary Goals (SDGs) assumed that growth
instrument in enabling them to pursue based on the traditional economic model
said goal, utilizing resources, is an effective strategy to eradicate
machineries, and labor. However, the poverty.
world cannot provide and stretch for 2. Gross Domestic Products (GDP) is a
everybody’s consumption since nature measure of human development.
has limitations. Thus, Hickel’s proposal 3. Questions;
was to adopt “development” policies. a. How much do we really need to live
long and enjoy a happy life?
Human Flourishing Through Progress and - According to Peter Edward,
De-Development instead of pushing poor countries
to catch up with rich ones, we
should be thinking of ways to get
rich countries to catch down to
more appropriate levels of
Despite the efforts to
development.
close out the gap
- Genuine Progress is anchored on
between the rich and
quality instead of quantity.
poor countries, the gap
b. What is a good life or good living?
just keeps on widening.
- Latin Americans organized
(BBC Headline report in
themselves and envision around
2015)
the indigienous concept of buen
vivir, or good living.
Although there is no standard measure
- Robert and Edward Skidelsky
of inequality, the report claimed that most
conceptualized the good life
indicators suggest that the widening of the
through the possibility of
growth gap slowed during the financial crisis in
interventions like banning the
2007 but is now growing again. The increasing
advertising that promotes
inequality appears paradoxical having in mind
consumerism, shortens the
the efforts that had been poured onto the
working hour, and basic income.
development programs designed to assist poor
countries to rise from absence to slow
progress.
With this backdrop and in the context of
unprecedented scientific and technological
advancement and economic development, a
human must ask themselves whether they are
indeed flourishing, individually or collectively.

Jason Hickel
- An Anthropologist at the London School
of Economics.
- Criticized the failure of the growth and
development efforts of the UN to
eradicate poverty several decades ago.
- He conceptualized a nonconformist
perspective toward growth and
development.

Here is the outline of Jason Hickel’s article on

‘Forget Developing Developing Countries, It’s
Time to De-Develop Rich Countries.’

Assumptions: