SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY • These people are known for their work in

astronomy. They incorporated their advanced

L5: INTELLECTUAL REVOLUTIONS THAT DEFINED
understanding of astronomy into their temples and
SOCIETY
other religious structures.
• Information revolution is the transformation of • The Mayan calendar rose to fame in 2012, when a
society and economy by the rapid “Great Cycle” of its Long Count component came to
development and spread of information and an end, inspiring some to believe that the world
communication technologies. would end on December 21, 2012.
➢ Guttenberg’s Printing Press 1455
➢ Analytic Engine by Agusta and Babbage
in 1830
➢ First Telephone during 1870
➢ Turing’s work during World War II
• Alan Turing (1912 – 1954) provided a
fundamental contribution to computer sciences
by refining the concepts of algorithms and
computation.
• Turing Machine
• Turing Test • They built a hydraulics system with sophisticated
waterways to supply water to different
communities.
• First people to produce rubber products.
• They were responsible for a number of remarkable
scientific achievements in astronomy, agriculture,
engineering and communications.
• The Mayas were assiduous observers of the
heavens with which they related most of their
activities on Earth.
• By observing the heavens, they were able to track
the path of the Sun in the sky and record the times
of the summer and winter solstices, as well as the
vernal and autumnal equinoxes.
MESOAMERICAN CIVILIZATION

• Mesoamerica refers to the diverse civilizations that

shared similar cultural characteristics in the
geographic areas comprising the modern-day
countries of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Belize,
El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica.
• Development of Science in Mesoamerica:
• Maya Civilization
• Inca Civilization
• Aztec Civilization

MAYA CIVILIZATION INCA CIVILIZATION

• One of the famous civilizations that lasted for • The Incas were indigenous people who lived in
approximately 2000 years. South America, near modern-day Peru, located next
to the Andes mountains, from around the 12th to
• They are proficient in the cultivation and harvesting
15th century. Their empire was most active and
of corn, chilis, beans, tomatoes, squash, and cocoa
 powerful from 1400 to 1533 when the Spanish ASIAN CIVILIZATION
empire invaded South America.
• World’s great early Asian Civilization: India and
• The Incas were known for their unique architecture
China.
and art, centralized government, and sturdy roads
• Civilization arose in the Indus Valley 4,000 years ago
and infrastructure within their kingdom.
• People used weapons and utensils made of bronze
The following were scientific ideas and tools that they and copper
developed to help them in everyday life: • They are known for manufacturing iron and
metallurgical works.
• Roads paved with stones
• India is famous for medicine; Ayurveda is a system
• Stone buildings that surmounted
of traditional medicine that originated in ancient
earthquakes and other disasters;
India before 2500 BC.
• Irrigation system and technique for storing
water for their crops to grow in all types of
land;
• The first suspension bridge.
• Quipu, a system of knotted ropes to keep
records only experts can interpret.

AZTEC CIVILIZATION

• The Aztecs emerged as the dominant force in

central Mexico, developing an intricate social,
political, religious, and commercial organization that • Buddhism embraces followers who praise Buddha
brought many of the region’s city-states under their (The Enlightened One), in the person of Siddhartha
control by the 15th century Gautuma (a wanderer who believed that human
• Mesoamerica’s last great native civilization greed and selfishness lead to human pain).
• Tenochtitlan, the capital of the Aztec Empire, was • World’s great early Asian Civilization: India and
founded by the Aztec or Mexica people. China.
The Aztec Civilization has also substantial contributions • Chinese are known for traditional medicines, a
to science and technology and to society as a whole. product of centuries of experiences and discovery of
Some of their contributions are the following: the Chinese people. An example is the practice of
acupuncture
1. Mandatory Education- Their children are
mandated to get an education regardless of AFRICAN REVOLUTION
their social class, gender, or age. It is an early • One of the most powerful empires was built in the
form of universal or inclusive education. region of Africa, Ancient Egypt. The Nile River
2. Chocolates - The Aztecs in Mexico developed became the life blood of Egypt as it sustained life
chocolate during their time. The Aztec valued and agriculture of the Ancient Egypt, and until now,
the cacao beans highly made them as part of the river still flows.
their tribute to their gods.
• They developed methods in engineering like
3. Antispasmodic Medication -They used a type of
surveying the lands along the Nile River, created
antispasmodic medication that could prevent
dams, canals, and even irrigation systems that
muscle spasms and relax muscles, which could
supported the life and flourishing of agriculture of
help during surgery.
the state.
4. Chinampa - It is a form of Aztec technology for
• The Egyptians also combined mathematics and
agriculture farming in which the land was
astronomy, they were able to make a 24-hour
divided into rectangular areas and surrounded
division in a day, and they also used this to create
by canals.
the first solar calendar to feature a 365-day ratio in
one year.
 L6: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND NATION-BUILDING • Established a public educational system and
improved engineering works and the health
conditions of the people.

POST-COLONIAL PERIOD

• After achieving independence from the

colonizers, the Philippines, under different
administrations, continued to pursue programs
in science and technology.

Ferdinand Marcos Sr. (1965 – 1986)

PRE-COLONIAL PERIOD
• He mandated the Department of Education and
• Early Filipino settlers were already using certain Culture (now the Department of Education).
plants and herbs as medicines • He proclaimed the 35-hectare lot in Bicutan,
• Systems of farming, animal-raising, fishing, mining, Taguig as the Philippine Science Community,
and weaving were their first livelihood. now the site of DOST.
• Use of writing, numerical measurement, and Several agencies and organizations were
calendar systems to facilitate trading. established:
• Filipinos had also developed different modes of 1. Philippine Textile Research Institute
transportation, whether terrestrial or maritime. 2. Philippine Atomic Energy Commission (now
• A complicated engineering feat was achieved by the Philippine Nuclear Institute)
natives of the Cordilleras when they built rice 3. National Grains Authority (now the National
terraces by hand. Food Authority)
4. Philippine Council for Agriculture (now the
COLONIAL PERIOD SPANISH COLONIZATION Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and
Natural Resources and Development
• Establishment of formal education institutions.
5. Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
• Mandate schools to teach different subjects
Astronomic Services Administration (PAG-ASA)
(religion, 3Rs, hygiene and sanitation)
• Medicine and Biology were taught in educational Corazon Aquino (1986 – 1992)
and training institutions.
• In 1986, NAST (National Academy of Science
• Engineering was introduced to construct buildings,
and Technology) was renamed DOST
walls, churches, bridges, and roads. (Some by way of
(Department of Science and Technology)
polo y servicio, a method of forced labor)
• This was done in order for the science and
technology sector to be represented in the
cabinet and thus play an integral role in the
COLONIAL PERIOD: AMERICAN COLONIZATION
country’s sustainable economic recovery and
• Modernized almost all aspects of life in the growth.
Philippines DOST assigned cabinet level that includes the
• Established the Bureau of Science – a government following:
agency to nurture the development in the field of 1. PAG-ASA
Science and Technology. 2. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and
• Established the National Research Council of the Seismology (PHIVOLCS)
Philippines (NRCP) in 1933. 3. The Philippine Science High School System
• Science during the American period was inclined (PSHS)
towards agriculture, food processing, medicine, 4. Science and Technology Information
and pharmacy. Institute (STII)
5. Science Education Institute (SEI)
 6. Technology Application and Promotion (R&D) that grew from 5 billion pesos in 2010 to 20.8
Institute (TAPI) billion pesos in 2017).
7. Technology Resource Center (TRC) • “Philippine Space Technology Program” which
launched Diwata-2 in 2018 after the launch of
Fidel Ramos (1992 – 1998)
Diwata-1 in 2016 that displayed the Philippine flag
• During his presidency, the Philippines had in outer space.
approximately 3,000 competent scientists and
engineers. L7: Human Flourishing in Science and Technology
• “Doctors to the barrio” program made healthcare • In psychology, happiness is a mental and emotional
accessible even in far-flung areas. state of well-being that can be defined by, among
• Created the National Program for Gifted Filipino others, positive or pleasant emotions ranging from
Children in Science and Technology for high school contentment to intense joy.
students who wanted to take up science and • To behaviorists, happiness is a cocktail of emotions
engineering courses in college. we experience when we do something good or
Numerous laws and statutes related to S&T sector were positive.
mandated: • To neurologists, happiness is the experience of a
flood of hormones released in the brain as a reward
1. RA 8439: Magna Carta for Scientist Engineers, for the behavior that prolongs survival.
Researchers and other Science and Technology
Personnel in Government Is Happiness a destination or a journey?
2. RA 7687: Science and Technology Scholarship Act of • The hedonistic view of well-being is that happiness
1994 is the polar opposite of suffering; the presence of
3. RA 7459: Inventors and Inventions Incentives Act happiness indicates the absence of pain. Because of
4. RA 8923: The Intellectual Property Code of the this, hedonists believe that the purpose of life is to
Philippines maximize happiness, which minimizes misery.
Joseph Estrada (1998 – 2001) • Eudaimonia, a term that combines the Greek words
for “good” and “spirit” to describe the ideology.
• Implemented cost-effective irrigation technologies Eudaimonia defines happiness as the pursuit of
and provided basic health care services. becoming a better person. EUDAIMONIC
HAPPINESS is therefore based on the premise that
Two important laws were signed and mandated: people feel happy if they experience life purpose,
• RA 8749: The Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 challenges, and growth.
• RA 8792: Electronic Commerce Act of 2000
“Both kinds of happiness are achieved and contribute to
Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo (2001 – 2010) overall well-being in different ways.”

• During her term, the Science and Technology sector • Hedonia (feel good)
was developed to strengthen education and to
• Eudaimonia (feel purpose)
address poverty.
• “Filipinnovation” was coined to refer to the • Low Hedonia, Low Eudaimonia = The Void Life
Philippines as an innovation hub in Asia.
• Low Hedonia, High Eudaimonia = The Dry Life
• RA 9367: Biofuel Act, to utilize indigenous materials
as a source of energy. • High Hedonia, Low Eudaimonia = The Sweet Life
• RA 10601: Agriculture & Fisheries Mechanizations
(AFMech) Law • High Hedonia, High Eudaimonia = The Fulfilled Life

Rodrigo Duterte (2016 – 2022) EUDAIMONIA

• In his term, the S&T sector is seen to be a priority • According to Aristotle, there is an end to all the
based on the budget for Research & Development actions that we perform that we desire for ourselves
– eudaimonia, flourishing, or happiness, which is
 desired for its own sake with all other things being HAS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY REALLY HELPED
desired on its own account. HUMAN TO FLOURISH?

HUMAN FLOURISHING • We have something more subtle and versatile:

intelligence. Intelligence by itself is not a survival
• Based on the ancient Greek idea of Eudaimonia,
trait. It is what we do with our intelligence that
which means happiness or good fortune
gives us an advantage. The ability to anticipate the
• For humans to flourish, it means we’re on a path
future and plan for it is a tremendous advantage
towards physical and mental well-being that’s
(see science). The ability to build tools, shelter, and
holistically good, both for individuals and
weapons is a huge advantage (see technology). We
communities.
have evolved to develop science and technology to
NICOMACHEAN ETHICS our advantage. (Button, 2019).

• Philosophical inquiry into the nature of the good life THE GOOD LIFE
for a human being
• A life well -lived
• Human Flourishing arises as a result of different
• Happiness is somehow congruent to having a good
components such as:
life
1. Phronesis – the habit of making the right
• PATHWAY
decisions, and taking the right actions in
• Aristotle – Change
context, and relentless pursuit of excellence for
• Materialism
the common good.
• Hedonism
2. Friendship
• Stoicism
3. Wealth
4. Power • Theism
• As time changes, elements that comprise HUMAN • Humanism
FLOURISHING change ARISTOTLE AND THE GOOD LIFE
• People found means to live more comfortably,
explore more places, develop more products, and • Change is inherent in all things.
make more money • “Every human person aspires for an end – this end
• Humans of today are expected to become “man of is happiness; this is human flourishing. No one
the world. ” resists happiness because we all want happiness.”
• Suppose to situate himself in a global • For us to move, we need to be equipped with:
neighborhood, working side-by-side among • Inception – Goal
institutions and the government to be able to reach • Moral Virtue - A disposition to behave in the right
a common goal manner
• Competition as a means of survival has become • Intellectual Virtue - Our wisdom, thoughts, and
passé knowledge. “Life doesn’t get easier, you just
become stronger.”
HUMAN FLOURISHING IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
MATERIALISM
• “Science and Technology changes us – and the
world around us – in countless ways. It eases our • Only material things are important. In human
labor, cures diseases, provides abundant food and flourishing, material possession gives us ultimate
clean water, enables communication and travel happiness.
across the globe, and expands our knowledge of the
HEDONISM
natural world and the cosmos.
• Ancient Greek goddess ‘Hedone’
• Pleasure-seekers
• Life is limited
• Present over future – savor the moment
• You only live once personal fulfillment that aspire to the greater
• Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we will die good.
• People who try extreme activities • It considers humans to be of primary
• People who love to party importance.
• Promoting and supporting human flourishing
Negative effect of Hedonism: and championing human rights for everyone.
• Addiction
L8: Technology as a Mode of Revealing
• When addiction happens, pleasure becomes a
problem • The progress of human civilizations throughout
history mirrors the development of science and
STOICISM
technology.
• A philosophy that tries to explain about trying to • The human person, as both the bearer and
exert control over our virtues and vices, and having beneficiary of science and technology, flourishes
compassion for the lack of control ourselves and and finds meaning in the world that he/she
others have. builds.
• Being stoic is being calm. When you’re stoic, you • Science and technology must be taken as part
don’t allow your emotions to take over and you also of human life that merits reflection and as the
accept whatever is happening. German philosopher Martin Heidegger says –
• Happiness isn’t found in things, but in virtue alone – meditative thinking
it’s all about what we value and the choices we • To be able to appreciate the fruits of science
make. and technology, they must be examined not
only for their function and instrumentality but
The cardinal virtues of Stoicism:
also for their greater impact on humanity as a
1. Wisdom – the ability to navigate situations in a whole.
logical, informed, and calm manner.
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
2. Temperance – the practice of self-restraint and
moderation. • German philosopher (1889 – 1976)
3. Justice – treating all things with fairness. • The “Question Concerning Technology” is his
4. Courage – the way to face challenges with 1953 revision of a speech he gave in 1950
clarity and integrity. entitled “The Enframing.”
• Historical background: the atrocities of World
THEISM
War II.
• The belief that the Supreme Being exists (or
THE ESSENCE OF TECHNOLOGY
must exist). Most people find the meaning of
their lives using God as the anchor of their 1. MEANS TO AN END
existence. • Tools, equipment, machines, and other
• POLYTHEISM - Believing that many gods or things manufactured to serve specific ends
goddesses exist (sometimes known as and needs.
paganism). • The instrumental definition of technology.
• MONOTHEISM - Belief that only one god exists 2. A HUMAN ACTIVITY
(Christians, Muslims, and Jews believe in • Humans use technology to “posit ends and
monotheism) procure and utilize the means to them.”
• The anthropological definition of
HUMANISM
technology
• A progressive philosophy of life that, without • Heidegger says they belong together and are
theism or other supernatural beliefs, affirms our obviously correct but not necessarily true.
ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives of
 able to travel from different islands that were not
known before.
Martin Heidegger’s “The Questions Concerning
Technology” consists of three main claims: Cars – they were used to discover new places and were
used as an inspiration to build new vehicles
1. Technology is a mode of understanding the
world • Modern Technology challenges nature by extracting
2. Technology develops beyond human control and something from it and transforming, storing, and
comprehension distributing it. It makes people think about how to
3. Technology is the ultimate danger to our do things faster, more effectively, and with less
existence. effort.
• TECHNOLOGY: WORKING WITH NATURE
EXAMPLE:
(relationship with nature) (before)
1. The computer is not just a tool. • TECHNOLOGY: CONTROLLING THE NATURE
2. The computer is not only a device produced by (productivity) (modern)
man. • “TECHNOLOGY IS A WAY OF REVEALING”.
3. The computer is convenient, but it can cause • This is shown in the way on how people
harm to all humans. uses natural resources with very little
• Based on the three concepts of Heidegger, “the concern for the ecological consequences
physical form of the computer is not actually the that come with it.
true essence of technology, it is beyond human
THE DANGER OF TECHNOLOGY
utility and control.

TECHNOLOGY IS A WAY OF REVEALING • “Who suffers if you kill the environment?

It’s the poor. And whose duty is it to protect
• Heidegger put forward the ancient Greek concepts our people? It’s the government. When you
of aletheia and poiesis make decisions based on business interests,
• Aletheia means disclosure or truth you have shirked your responsibility. You
• Poiesis is defined as bringing forth. For Aristotle, it have lost the moral ascendancy to rule the
means making or producing something for a government because, to you, business and
purpose money are more important than the welfare
• Technology is a poiesis that discloses or reveals the of our people.” – Gina Lopez (May 2017)
truth. • “Pre-industrial societies did not used to look
• Technology is a mode of bringing forth. at nature like this. The technology of today
is much less human and more brutal. The
TECHNOLOGY AS POIESIS: APPLICABLE TO MODERN poesis of today does not concern itself with
TECHNOLOGY relationships, its concern is productivity. ”
• Mining is an example of modern technology that HUMAN PERSON SWALLOWED BY TECHNOLOGY
challenges forth and brings about the setting upon
of land. It extracts minerals from the earth and • If we allow ourselves to get swallowed by modern
forcefully assigns the land as a means to fulfill the technology, we lose the essence of who we are as
never-ending demands of people beings in the world. If we are constantly plugged
• With modern technology, revealing never comes to online and no longer have the capacity for authentic
an end. The revealing always happens on our terms personal encounters, then we are truly swallowed
as everything is on demand. by technology. If we cannot let go of the
conveniences and profits brought about by
PRIMITIVE CRAFTS VS MODERN TECHNOLOGY processes and industries that pollute the
Sailboats – mode of transportation, they revealed the environment and cause climate change, then
different land masses around the world, and we were technology has consumed our humanity.
• Heidegger further asserted that the “essence of
technology is nothing technological”. The essence
 of technology is not found in the instrumentality
and function of machines constructed, but in
significance such technology unfolds.
• Heidegger points out that there is an ultimate
irresponsibility in how we deal with technology
today. Our lack of understanding of the essence of
technology is even more harmful.

“ HUMAN FLOURISHING MUST REMAIN THE CORE

OBJECTIVE OF ALL TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS
(HUMAN FUTURISM)”