Synthesized notes ni KALOI – SCTS Midterms

Module 2 – General Concepts and STS Historical Developments

Science, Technology and Society is the study of how social, political and cultural values affects scientific
research and technological innovations and how this in turn affect society, politics and culture.

Science is knowledge or a system of knowledge covering general truths, or the operation of general laws
especially as obtained and tested through scientific method. Science is a process, not a list of discoveries.

Branches of Science:

(a) Formal Science {i.e. Mathematics, Logic etc}

(b) Social Science {i.e. Sociology, Psychology etc}

(c) Applied Science {Technology, Engineering etc.}

(d) Pure Science

Process of Scientific Method:

- Observation - is the basic process on how information is

gathered in Science through the use of our physical senses.
- Hypothesis – is a logical and plausible explanation of
certain facts or observations and provides a basis for
experimentation.
- Experiments - are systematic tests that are carried out to
test the hypothesis.
- Theory - is a well-established hypothesis. This is an
explanation of the general principles of certain phenomena
with considerable evidence or facts to support it. Theory is
also known as a model, as it provides explanation to a
natural phenomenon.
- Law - is a statement of natural phenomena to which no exceptions are known under given
conditions. A law is not an explanation. It is an absolute truth and is usually stated in a mathematical
expression.

Science refers to the system of acquiring

knowledge, whereas Technology is the
implementation of scientific knowledge for
practical use.

Society is a group of people involved in

persistent social interaction, or large social
groups sharing the same geographical or social
territory typically subject to political authority
and dominant cultural expectations.
HISTORY of STS

Sequence:

1. Ancient Civilization
2. Greek and Roman Civilization
3. Medieval and the Middle Ages
4. The Age of Enlightenment and Modern Science
5. Intellectual Revolutions

ANCIENT CIVILIZATION

The earliest roots if the “science” that we have now were founded in the ancient “river valley” civilizations
of Egypt and Mesopotamia.

Early Writings

- The Egyptian hieroglyphs became the inspiration for the original alphabet that was like most
alphabets including the Latin alphabet.

Astronomy

- Egyptians have excellent calendars, they tried to reconcile the solar and lunar cycles, and
established 365-day year and 24 hours a day.
- Babylonians identify the planets with their gods; this was later adopted and further developed in
Greek astrology. Babylonians created non-mathematical diaries, almanacs, and numerical
planetary tables.

Medicine and Surgery

- Egyptians believed that diseases were mainly due to an invasion of body by evil spirits. Babylonians
medicine has a touch of astrology. The use of pharmacological remedies (drugs) was widespread
but its effectiveness was believed to be dependent on ritual conditions.
- The Ebers Papyrus is an Egyptian medical document containing remedies for several diseases and
wounds including tumors, headaches, burn, abscess and bad breath.

Mathematics

- Egyptians are excelled in geometry and had developed a number system that was decimal in
character, employing different symbols for each power of 10.
- Meanwhile, the Babylonians developed the sexagesimal (base60) system.

GREEK AND ROMAN CIVILIZATION

Greek science covers a wide array of practices and theories that do not resemble to modern science. The
boundaries between disciplines were fluid during this ancient period and the definition of subjects and
methodologies were discussed vigorously.

Early Cosmology

- Thales, Anaximander, and Anaximenes (sixth century B.C.E) are the earliest Greek philosophers
and cosmologists. They all dealt with natural phenomena, such as earthquakes and lightning and
the structure of the earth.
Astronomy

- The Greek developed conceptual models of the universe during the Pre-Socratic era. The basic
assumption is that the universe is geocentric and geostatic and the cosmos are finite.
- Metaphysics – search for general, eternal principles.
- Physical – logical, causal explanation of phenomena

Democracy

- The Golden Age of Athens was also highlighted by their form of governance. There was rapid
development in science and technology that time, and it may be accounted to democratization.
- Socrates is the most influential philosopher.
He is a lover of wisdom and laid the groundwork for western philosophy. He was known for a
process of gradual questioning, coined as the “Socratic Method”, it may now be known as deductive
questioning.
- Aristotle accepted reality as it appeared, accepted the idea of change. He emphasized natural
philosophy based on observation and systemic logic. Being Socrates’ pupil, he continued deductive
questioning and introduced the scientific method. He disproved the idea that the earth is flat. He
founded the Lyceum, hence the early beginnings of formal school.
- Ptolemy a Greek-Roman astronomer, mathematician, geographer, astrologer and poet. He created
a geocentric model.

MEDIEVAL AND THE MIDDLE AGES

The late of the Middle age was marked by difficulties and calamities including famine, plague, and war,
which significantly diminished the population of Europe. Black Death (1347) ended massive scientific
change in Europe.

The era was sometimes called as the “Dark Age of Science” because the scientific and philosophical
thoughts collapsed.

- Nicolas Copernicus heliocentric: “In the center of it all rests the Sun” – this overthrew the hierarchy
of the ancient and medieval cosmos.
- Francis Bacon is the Father of Scientific Revolution. He wrote the Novum organon (1620) to
describe Baconian method of science.
- Galileo Galilei during his time is the “game changer” of Astronomy. He invented the telescope, saw
sunspots, phases of Venus, Lunar craters, Moons of Jupiter, and saw that Milky Way is made of
stars.
- Rene Descartes is a French Mathematician and Philosopher. He is the Father of modern western
philosophy; much philosophy is based on his writings. He abandoned scholastic Aristotelianism
and became the first modern version of mind-body dualism. He promoted science grounded in
observation and experiment, created Cartesian view of the Universe – a mechanistic view of nature,
and coined term “molecule”.
- Isaac Newton wrote the Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathe-matica in 1667. He studied
terrestrial and celestial mechanics using Euclidean theorems and his calculus. His work in
dynamics, alchemy and theology are well-known.

THE AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT AND MODERN SCIENCE

- Charles Darwin was an English naturalist, geologist and biologist. He is best known for his
contributions to the science of evolution. He also introduced the theory of natural selection.
 - Edwin Hubble was an American astronomer who discovered other galaxies profoundly changing
the way we look at the Universe. He proposed Hubble’s Law and explained that the universe was
expanding and that galaxies move away from the Milky Way at a speed directly proportionate to
the distance from it.
- Albert Einstein – theory of relativity (mass to energy)
- Stephen Hawking - He is well-known for his written works about Black hole, The Big Bang Theory,
and Artificial Intelligences.

INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTION

is a movement about enlightenment, and it was initiated during the 17th century.

Copernican Revolution

- Rejected the Ptolemaic model and proved the heliocentric model (Sun is the center of the Solar
System)

Darwinian Revolution

- Started when Charles Darwin published his book "the origin of species" that emphasizes that
humans are the result of evolution.

Freudian Revolution

- "Freudian Theory of Personality". It states that human development contributes to his/her

personality. His "psychoanalysis” is the process for achieving proper functioning if a human does
not complete his/her developmental stage.

Information Revolution

- has been the era in which technology has been

prevalent. It is also known as the computer age that
has brought so much change to how we are living
today.

Meso-American Revolution

- has contributed a lot of ideas or discoveries for

archaeology. The temples and pyramids left a lot about architecture that leads us to study more of
it.

Asian Revolution

- taught us about freedom and independent nationhood

along the improvement brought by it internally.

Middle East Revolutions

- were a product of the development and growth of

individual nationalism, imperialism, for the efforts to westernize and modernize Middle Eastern
societies, and to push the declining power of the Ottoman Empire in the Arab region. The Middle
East is known for their designed machine and improvement for irrigation, and industrial work. The
windmill and watermill are used for cutting sugarcanes, grinding grains, and pumping water.
WAVES OF TECHNOLOGY

Sequence:

1. Pre-Agriculture
2. The First Wave: Agricultural Revolution
3. The Second Wave: The Industrial Revolution
4. The Third Wave: The Age of Information

PRE-AGRICULTURE

- Mankind survived via hunting for animals, fish, or gathering.

- Hunters and gatherers lived in small groups. Men usually hunt for food while women collect berries,
nuts, and roots.
- Groups traveled frequently following the migration of animals, and frequently establish new homes
or bases.

THE FIRST WAVE: AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION

- Tribes gradually went from nomadic to sedentary.

- Mankind began to domesticate animals.
- Man discovered irrigation techniques, selective breeding, and proved that agriculture is more
productive than hunting.
- Wealth became synonymous with power, hence the feudal system of the society.

THE SECOND WAVE: THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

- Mankind started using machines to do their work.

- From hand production methods to machines, new chemical manufacturing, and iron production
processes, the increasing use of steam power and waterpower, the development of machine tools,
and the rise of the mechanized factory system.
- Led to an unprecedented increase in population growth.
- Can be divided into three surges:
1. First surge: mass production using machines.
2. Second surge: invention of steam engines.
3. Third surge: discovery of electricity.

THE THIRD WAVE: THE AGE OF INFORMATION

- Also known as the Computer Age because it primarily began when the Computer was invented.
- Can be divided into three surges:
1. First surge: development of computers.
2. Second surge: invention of transistors.
3. Third surge: development of the Internet.
Module 3 – Science and Technology and Nation Building

From the beginning of time, man has strived to improve his way and quality of life. The mankind discovered
how to make and use tools, develop a logical sequence for activities, and evolved processes that added
value to his life. The totality of the use and application of his knowledge, skill, tools, and materials constitutes
what we now called, technology.

Every nation endeavors to attain development. Every modern person desires development.

What is development?

- For a country or a nation, development means becoming industrialized. However, development is

not purely an economic phenomenon. Development must encompass more than the material and
financial side of people's lives.
- Development is:
1. a multi-dimensional process
2. involves in the reorganization and reorientation of entire economic and social systems
3. involves major changes in administrative, institutional and social structures
4. involves major changes in popular attitudes, customs, and beliefs.

- Development should be directed towards:

1. The reduction of inequality
2. Acceleration of economic growth
3. The eradication of absolute poverty

4 POLICIES CLUSTERED BY NCRP:

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS AND PERSONALITIES IN SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY IN THE
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MODULE 4 – STS AND THE HUMAN CONDITION

What is Human-person flourishing?

- From the English dictionary, flourish (of a person, animal, or other living organisms) means to
grow or develop in a healthy or vigorous way, especially as the result of a, particularly favorable
environment.
- Thus, an individual, or a society that is "flourishing" means it is growing, developing healthy or
vigorously, due to a favorable event in history (maybe a scientific breakthrough) or a revolution.

Psychologist - happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being that can be defined by positive or
pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

Behaviorist - happiness is a cocktail of emotions we experience when we do something good or positive.

Neurologists - happiness is the experience of a flood of hormones released in the brain as a reward for
behavior that prolongs survival.

Hedonists – presence of happiness indicates the absence of pain, thus they believe that the purpose of life
is to maximize happiness, whereby minimizes misery.
EUDAIMONIA

- is a more accurate translation of "Human flourishing or prosperity".

- Greek word commonly translated as happiness or welfare.
- combined from the Greek words for "good" and "spirit" is coined by Aristotle, to describe the
ideology that defines happiness as the pursuit of becoming a better person.
- To Aristotle, a virtuous person is a happy person, that is someone living a fulfilled life.

EASTERN VS WESTERN CONCEPTION

-
TECHNOLOGY AS A WAY OF REVEALING HUMAN FLOURISHING

- History evidently has shown us that technology is instrumental (a means to an end) and at the
same time anthropological (a product of human activity). But technology is more than the tools we
use.
- One must have a free relationship with technology and recognize the essence of the developed
technology.
- This type of questioning was initiated by a
German philosopher, MARTIN
HEIDEGGER. Heidegger, acknowledged
as one of the most original and important
philosophers of the 20th century, in his
book "Concerning Technology", claims
that technology is not “a means to an end”,
nor a product of “a human activity,” and
such a wrong perception of technology is a
danger in itself.

MODULE 5 – THE 17 UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) or Global Goals are a collection of 17 interlinked goals
designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all".

The SDGs were established in 2015 by the United Nations General Assembly and are intended to be
achieved by the year 2030. They are included in a UN Resolution called the 2030 Agenda or what is
colloquially known as Agenda 2030.

THE 17 SDGS ARE:

1. No Poverty
2. Zero Hunger
3. Good Health and Well-being
4. Quality Education
5. Gender Equality
6. Clean Water and Sanitation
7. Affordable and Clean Energy
8. Decent Work and Economic Growth
9. Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
10. Reducing Inequality
11. Sustainable Cities and Communities
12. Responsible Consumption and Production
13. Climate Action
14. Life Below Water
15. Life On Land
16. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
17. Partnerships for the Goals.