STAS 2.

He examines the common understanding of

technology as a neutral instrument under the
SESSION 7: THE HUMAN PERSON FLOURISHING IN
control of humans.
TERMS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 3. He proposes to get to the true sense via the
correct sense
Philosophy – The study of general and fundamental
4. He analyses the notion of instrumentality to
problems concerning matters such as existence,
reach the truth or the essence of technology-
knowledge, values, reason, mind and language. it is traced to causality.
Branches of Philosophy 5. Technology is a very particular kind of
 Natural Philosophy revealing to, and the description articulates
 Moral Philosophy the key terms of Heidegger’s philosophy of
 Metaphysical philosophy technology: Modern technology challenges-
forth nature to yield treasures to humans;
technology sets-upon (positions and orders)
MARTIN HEIDEGGER (1889-1976) the yields of nature so that they are available
❖ German philosopher whose work is and of humans, becoming part of the standing
associated with phenomology and reserve.
existentialism. 6. He discusses the relation of modern science
❖ His ideas have exerted influence on the to the essence of technology-
development of contemporary European 7. He claims for the sciences the aggressive
philosophy. approach to nature that goes well with
❖ His best-known work is Being and Time (1927). technology, but poorly with science.
He gave a very impressive analysis of human 8. The enframing of technology is destiny.
existence, the prominence of the important 9. Destiny is neither an inevitable fate that
themes of existentialism like care, anxiety, descends on humanity nor the result of
guilt and above all death is brought out here. human willing.
❖ He begins “The Question Concerning 10. Disclosure of destiny and human freedom are
Technology” by examining the relationship one and the same.
between human and technology, a 11. There is a twofold danger to destiny.
relationship Heidegger calls a free 12. One is the danger that human being reduces
relationship. If this relationship is free, it itself to standing reserve and in so appearing
opens our human existence to the essence of to have taken total control encounters nothing
technology”. This essence of technology, any more.
however, has nothing to do with technology. 13. The other is the danger that the disclosure of
Rather, as Heidegger suggests, ‘The essence the enframing forecloses every other
of a thing is considered to be what the thing dispensation and conceals that too is a
is.” disclosure.
❖ Heidegger examines two definitions of 14. Still the enframing is a disclosure. It involves
technology. Firstly, he offers that “Technology human being, therefore harbors the possibility
is a means to an end” (Instrumental of saving power.
definition). Secondly, he proposes that DOCTRINE OF CAUSALITY
“Technology is a human activity
(Anthropological definition). • Causa Materialis – the material, the matter
out of which an object is made.
• Causa Formalis – the form, the shape into
The Question Concerning Technology which the material enters.
1. Heidegger begins by portraying his • Causa Efficiens – whichh brings about the
investigation of technology as the building of a effect that is finished
path. • Causa Finalis – end
Bringing Forth – making something 1. Technology as a Mode of Revealing
2. Technology as Poesis: Applicable to
 The bringing forth-poesis-which underlies
causality is a bringing out of concealment. Modern Technology
 The revealing is what the Greeks call truth- 3. Questioning as the Piety of Thought
Aletheia- means unhiddedness or disclosure. 4. Enframing: A way of Revealing in Modern
 Technology brings forth as well, and it is a Technology
revealing. 5. Human Person Swallowed by Technology
 This is seen in the way the Greeks understood 6. Art as a Way out of Enframing
techne, which encompasses not only craft,
TERMINOLOGIES:
but other acts of the mind and poetry.
 Heidegger characterizes modern technology • Aletheia – means unhiddenness or
as a challenging forth- very aggressive in its disclosure
activity.
• Poesis – is defined as bringing forth.
 With modern technology, revealing never
comes to an end. • Techne – is the root of technology
 The revealing always happens on our own • Piety – is associated with being religious.
terms as everything is on demand.
 He also described modern technology as the
age of switches, standing reserve and SESSION 8: HUMAN FLOURISHING
stockpiling for its own sake.
Example: • Human flourishing is defined as an endeavor
1. Volcanic eruption – challenging forth to achieve self-actualization and fulfillment
2. Coral bleaching – challenging forth within the context of a larger community of
3. Planting trees – bringing forth individuals. This also means access to the
4. Mining – challenging forth pleasant life, the engaged or good life and the
5. Farming – bringing forth meaningful life.
• (Seligman, Steen, Park and Peterson, 2005),
QUESTIONING AS THE PIETY OF THOUGHT stated that human flourishing requires the
➢ Piety means obedience and submission. development of attributes and social and
➢ One builds a way towards knowing the truth personal levels that exhibit character
who he/ she is as a being in this world. strengths and virtues that are commonly
➢ Thus, we shall never experience our
agreed across different cultures.
relationship to the essence of technology so
long as we merely represent and pursue the • According to Aristotle, there is an end of all
technological, put up with it, or evade it. the actions that we perform which we desire
Everywhere we remain unfree and chained to for itself. Flourishing is the greatest good of
technology, whether we passionately affirm or human endeavors and that toward which all
deny it. But we are delivered over to it in the actions aim. The good is what is good for
worst possible way when we regard it as purposeful and goal-directed entities. He
something neutral; for this conception of it, to
presented the various popular conceptions of
which today we particularly like to pay
homage, makes us utterly blind to the essence the best life for human beings; (1) a
of technology philosophical life, (2) life of pleasure and (3) a
➢ ENFRAMING: WAY OF REVEALING IN life of political activity.
MODERN TECHNOLOGY • Eudamonia means good spirit is a property of
Calculative thinking one’s life when considered as a whole. It is
➢ One orders and puts a system to nature so it formally egoistic in that a person’s normative
can be understood better and controlled
reason for choosing particular actions stems
Meditative thinking
➢ One lets nature reveal itself to him/ her from the idea that he must pursue his own
without forcing it. good or flourishing. It also implies a divine
 state of being that humanity is able to strive SESSION 8: THE GOOD LIFE
toward and possibly reach. The Good Life – A PUZZLING PROBLEM
• Happiness is “doing well” and” living well”. It
is a pleasant state of mind. • People want to be healthy but many consume
junk food
• Verbally there is a very general agreement; for
• People want to be happy but many do things
both the general run of men and people of
that make themselves miserable
superior refinement say that is (Eudaimonia),
• Most things that taste good are probably bad
and identify living well and faring well with
for you.
being happy; but with regard to what
• Most things that give you thrill are probably
(Eudaimonia) is they differ, and the many do bad for you too.
not give the same account as the wise…
(Nicomachean Ethics 1095a17). What is the good life?
• People have different ideas of what
• Epicurus identifies that the eudaimon life is
constitutes the good life.
the life of pleasure maintains that life of
• Wrong pursuits may lead to tragic
pleasure coincides with the life of virtue. He
consequences.
understands Eudaimonia as a more or less
• Correct pursuits may lead to flourishing.
continuous experience of pleasure and, also
freedom from pain and distress. Virtue is only ARISTOTLE (NICOMACHEAN ETHICS 2:2)
instrumentally related to happiness. → All human activities aim at some good. Every
• Socrates believed that virtues such as self- art and human inquiry, and similarly every
control, justice, courage, wisdom, piety and action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some
good; and for this reason the good has been
related qualities of mind and soul are
rightly declared as that at which all things aim.
absolutely crucial if a person is to lead a good
and happy life. Virtues guarantee a happy life Nicomachean Ethics and Modern Concepts
Eudaimonia ✓ Eudaimonia – Eu – good, daimon – spirit =
• For Plato, Eudaimonia depends on virtue good life
✓ Good life – happiness and virtue
(arête) which is depicted as the most crucial
✓ Virtue – intellectual and moral
and the dominant constituent of
euddaimonia. The 4 Pillar of the Good life:
• Pyrrho, founder of Pyrrhonism, a school of → Health
philosophical skepticism that places the → Wealth
attainment of ataraxia (a state of equanimity) → Love
as a way to achieve Eudaimonia. Pyrrhonist → Happiness
practice is for the purpose of achieving epoch.
TERMINOLOGIES: THE HAPPINESS PURSUIT

• Dasein – which literally means “being there” • Everybody wants more happiness and
focuses on the “mode of existence” success.
• It’s good to know how to optimize happiness
• Eudemonia – is consists of Greek words “eu”
and success.
which means “good” and “daemon” which
• There is a wide agreement that happiness is
means “spirit”. the greatest human good.

RISK FACTORS
• The happiness pursuit becomes one’s
ultimate purpose in life.
 • The happiness pursuit is not guided by a aspects and consciousness are results of
philosophy of life informed by general material interactions.
principles of meaning, spirituality and virtue. ❑ The first materialists were the atomists in
Ancient Greece.
GOLDEN RULE
❑ Democritus and Leucippus led a school
Confucius: What you do not want done to yourself, do
whose primary belief is that the world is made
not do to others.
up of and is controlled by the tiny invisible
Aristotle: We should behave to others as we wish units in the world called atomos or seeds.
others to behave to us. ❑ Atomos simply comes together randomly to
Buddhism: Hurt not others with that which pains form the things in the world.
thyself.
Classification of Materialism
Christianity: D unto others as you would have them 1. Naïve materialism
do unto you. 2. Dialectical materialism
3. Metaphysical materialism
➢ They make personal happiness and success
HEDONISM
their ultimate end of life without moral
→ Is a school of thought that argues that the
compass and without the desire to pursue
pursuit of pleasure and intrinsic goods are the
inner goodness. primary or most important goals of human life.
Disillusion – King Solomon realized the vanity of → A hedonist strives to maximize net pleasure
success long, long ago: The world will never be (pleasure minus pain) but when having finally
enough: “The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the gained that pleasure, happiness remains
ear filled with hearing” (Eccl.1:8) stationary.
→ “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we
➢ It takes more and more to reach the same die.”
level of happiness- addiction, money etc.
➢ Nothing in this world can fill the spiritual STOICISM
vacuum within us. → Another school of thought led by Epicurus.
➢ Dreams are often broken when reality strikes. → The stoics espoused the idea that to generate
happiness, one must learn to distance oneself
and be apathetic.
FATE AND CIRCUMSTANCE
→ The path to happiness for humans is found in
• Bad things happen to good people accepting this moment as it presents itself, by
• Reversal of fortune not allowing ourselves to be controlled by our
• For some people, most days are bad days. desire for pleasure, or our fear of pain.
(poverty)
THEISM
→ The belief in the existence of the Supreme
 Living an authentic life means living with deep Being or Deities
acceptance on the facticity of death resulting → Describes the classical conception of God.
to a life lived – Heidegger → The ultimate basis of happiness is the
 The unexamined life is not worth living for – communication with God
Socrates
 The Holistic Approach – good people, good MONOTHEISM
community and world peace = good life
→ Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Sikhism,
Zoroastrianism
MATERIALISM
→ A form of philosophical monism which holds
that matter is the fundamental substance in
nature, and that all things, including mental
 cloning and the likes opened endless doors for
skeptics.
TERMINOLOGIES:
• Virtue – is the excellence of character that
empowers one to do good and be good.
• Happiness – defines a good life.
• Eudamonia – refers to good spirit

SESSION 10: WHEN HUMANITY AND TECHNOLOGY

CROSS
 The idea that new technologies can liberate us
from the human condition is a fantasy. In
reality, the 21st- century will be all too human.
- David Mattin
Humanity
HUMANISM
→ A virtue associated with basic ethics of
→ A school of thought espouses the freedom of altruism derived from human condition
man to carve his own destiny and to legislate (wikipedia).
his own laws, free from the shackles of a God → According to Confucius, humanity is a “love
that monitors and controls. of people”, if you want to make a stand, help
→ Is a philosophical and ethical stance that others make a stand.
emphasizes the value and agency of human
Human Robot Interaction
beings, individually and collectively.
→ Today, in the era of present technology,
→ Refers to nontheistic life stance centered on
robotics has become a big part of our
human agency and looking to science rather collective lives. Robots are utilized for their
than revelation from a supernatural source to knowledge, exactness and interminable
understand the world. vitality to perform assignments consistently
and profitably, that when performed by people
THE GOOD LIFE IS A BALANCE LIFE tends to create flaws. For instance, AI robots
✓ A single-minded pursuit is not always have already started an enormous job in
beneficial. improving waste administration and finding
✓ Active engagement needs to be balanced by distinctive approaches to handle the waste
rest. issue endured by most developing nations like
✓ Exclusive love needs to be balanced by India. Indeed, the robot age has arrived. The
greater love. possibility of robots may bring to most minds
✓ Achievement needs to be balanced by the possibility of androids like T-800 in the
acceptance. movie “Terminator”. The vast majority of us
are not able to understand that a lot of robots
✓ Self-transcendence needs to be balanced by
exist in the most basic forms today; they are
fair treatment.
not so much android but rather more like
No one can deny the fact that science and industrial tools or equipment. This implies the
technology has a profound impact on how modern world would be prepared for more smart
man thinks and appreciates matter. It can be intelligence to be utilized in day-to-day
concretely seen in the present conditions of man in applications (Singh).
the society. The desire to feel satisfaction of research
and development through genetic engineering,
The Impact of Technology on Human Health civilization restricted within a relatively narrow
→ Technology has crept into every corner of our interval.
lives, form obsessive texting to checking
Plateau
emails more often. Most of us absorb three
→ Human civilization may reach a level of
times more information everyday compared
technological advancement beyond which no
with 50 years ago. According to University of
further advancement is feasible. Predictions
California researchers, we spend 12 hours in
that life span can be greatly increased have
front of TV and computers at home.
depended in part on the apparent
Multitasking participants had more difficulty
decelerations and plateaus.
filtering out irrelevant information than those
focusing on one task at a time. Teens, Post humanity
however, are emotionally more vulnerable to → People have developed significantly different
the effects of rampant texting and online cognitive abilities, population sizes, body
sharing. According to a 2010 Nielsin survey, types, sensory or emotional experiences or
we send and receive text messages 3, 339 life expectancies. Post humanity has
times a month (Deodhar). established itself as a label for a form of
human existence radically transformed by the
The Future of Humanity (Nick Bostrom, 2009) most advanced medical techniques and by
Extinction the use of biotechnology and nanotechnology
→ An estimated 99% of all species that ever for human enhancement.
existed on earth are already extinct (Raup,
1991). There are different ways in which Technology Trends (Jayshree Pandya)
human species could become extinct: 1. Biological Engineering and Bio-Economy
Primarily, by transforming or evolving into one 2. Molecular Manufacturing and Self-replicating
or more species or by merely dying out without Systems
any replacement or continuation. Our species 3. Distributed Additive Manufacturing
has survived earthquake, volcanic eruption, 4. Artificial Intelligence Driven Automation
typhoons and other natural phenomena for 5. Neuromorphic Computing and Computing
tens of thousands of years. Nowadays, one of Beyond Turing Limit
the utmost extinction risks arise from human 6. Quantum Computing and Control
activity. For instance, Advances in 7. Nanosatellites and Space Exploration
biotechnology might make it possible to 8. Internet to BrainNet
design new viruses that combine the easy 9. Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
contagion and mutability of the influenza 10. Brain Mapping and Brain Uploading
virus. A dreadful pandemic with high virulence
and 100% mortality rate among infected
individuals could possibly will terminate HUMANITY
human species. Additionally, an all-out → From the latin word “humanitas” which
nuclear war between Russia and the United means “human nature, kindness.”
States might be an example of a global → the human race, which includes everybody on
catastrophe that would be unlikely to result in earth.
extinction. → It’s also a word for the qualities that make us
human, such as that ability to love and have
Recurrent Collapse compassion, be creative and not be a robot or
→ This means that the human condition will alien.
reach a kind of statis, either instantly or after
undergoing one or more cycles of collapse "Soft war" – is a concept used to explain rights and
regeneration. Human civilization may endure duties of is urgent even terrorists during armed
catastrophes that prevent it from moving struggle.
beyond a certain level of advancement. It also
requires a carefully calibrated homeostatic
mechanism that possesses the level of
SESSION 11: WHY DOES FUTURE DON’T NEED US? Ritalin that can make everyone happy without
the side effects of the drugs.
• Technology is changing our world at an
overwhelming pace. Most people are deeply • Jacques Ellul warns that as technological
involved with technology. They tend to be ever capabilities grow, they results in countless
optimistic about its prospects and means to accomplish tasks than ever before.
persistently eager to adopt and promote it. The more dependent we become on
Many focused their optimistic remarks on technology, the more it conforms our behavior
health care, food, energy, environment, to its requirements rather than vice versa.
education, economy and agriculture. In the
• William Gibson, who coined the term
span of a few short years, social media,
“cyberspace”, has said the ‘the future is
mobile devices and internet have transformed
here”- it’s just not evenly distributed”. Some
how we communicate and get information
of the important changes in the future will
about the world. Rapid advances in science
come not from a new technology, but from a
and technology foreshadow a world that can
large number of people having access to
displace some forms of human labor. In
something that already exists (Scharre, 2017).
addition, nearly everyone expressed concerns
about the long-term impact of new tools and 21ST CENTURY TECHNOLOGIES
techniques on the essential elements of being
human. However, many shared deep worries 1. Genetic Engineering
and trepidation about the danger brought by → is the process by which an organisms’ genetic
rapid technological change. It is of course true material is altered or manipulated so that the
that no one can predict the future. The key organism will have specific characteristics.
variable in understanding the future is rarely → It has been applied in numerous fields
technology alone, but how humans use it, including research, medicine, industrial
perceive it, and adapt to it. biotechnology and agriculture.
→ It can be used in Cloning, Genetically Modified
• [Link] argued that humanity, so –called Organisms (GMOs), Gene therapy.
power over nature “turns out to be a power
exercised by some men over other men with 2. Robotics – Is an interdisciplinary research area at
Nature as its instrument’. He feared that the interface of computer science and engineering. It
modernism and its ability to explain away involves the conception, design, manufacture and
everything but “nature “would leave us operation of robots. (Wikipedia).
emptied of humanity. All that would be left is Characteristics of Robots:
our animal instincts. The choice we have to → Robots all consist of some sort of mechanical
see humanity as a complex combination of construction, Robots need electrical
both material and spiritual components or components that control and power the
else to be reduced to machines made of meat machinery.
ruled by other machines with nothing other
Types of Robots:
than natural impulses to guide them. He also
warned us of a society that has explained  Pre-Programmed Robots – operate in a
controlled environment where they do simple,
away every mystery, and the danger of what he
calls “man-molders which will be armed with monotonous tasks
 Humanoid robots – robots that look like and/
the powers of an Omni-competent state and
or mimic human behavior-Sophia
irresistible scientific technique.
 Autonomous Robots – operate
• According to Francis Fukuyama, there are independently of human operators
three possible scenarios for the near future.  Teleoperated Robots – mechanical bots
First, the genetically enhanced intelligence or controlled by humans
the prospect of living longer lives free from  Augmenting Robots – either enhance current
genetic disease. Next, advance in stem cell human capabilities or replace the capabilities
research might soon allow us to regenerate a human may have lost
any tissue in the body. Lastly, the widespread
use of psychotropic drugs like Prozac and
Applications: → Methods and Goals in AI: The symbolic (or top-
 Military Robots – to search, rescue and down) approach-seeks to replicate
attack), intelligence by analyzing cognition
 Industrial Robots – IBM keyboard independent of the biological structure of the
manufacturing factory in Texas brain in terms of the processing of symbolic
 Collaborative Robots or Cobots – intended label. and the connectionist (bottom-up)
for direct human robot interaction within approach- involves creating artificial neural
shared space networks in imitation of the brain’s structure.
 Construction Robots – robotic arm and
robotic exoskeleton Potential Risks to Society
 Agricultural robots – closely linked to the • Devaluation of humanity
concept of AI-assisted precision agriculture • Decrease in demand of human labor
and drone usage • High costs of creation
 Medical robots – da Vinci Surgical System • Ethical issues
and Hospital • Social isolation
 Kitchen automation – Rotimatic, flatbreads • Environmental Problems
baking, Frobot, frozen yogurts
 Robot combat for sport, domestic robots – List of Emerging Technologies that will shape our
Roomba vacuums the carpets Future
 Nanobots – Kinesin uses protein domain 1. Electric/ self-driving cars
dynamics in nanoscales to walk along a 2. Robot butlers
microtubule 3. Flying cars
 Swarm robotics (disaster rescue missions, 4. Space tourism
target localization and tracking, simultaneous 5. Colonization of other planets
localization and mapping, cooperative 6. Wearable screens
environment monitoring and convoy 7. 3D printed Food and Metal
protection). 8. 5G-6G connectivity
9. Re-engineering and Recycling
3. Nanotechnology – is the study and manipulation of 10. High-rise farms
atomic or molecular scale to improve or even 11. Lab-grown meats
revolutionize many technology and industry sectors. 12. Robot soldiers
4. Artificial Intelligence 13. Roads over rivers and seas
→ Refers to “machines” that respond to 14. Holography
stimulation consistent with traditional 15. Body implants prosthesis
responds from human, given the capacity for
contemplation, judgement and intention.
→ Alan Turing established the fundamental goal Post-humanity – is a theory/ concept that is of an
and vision of artificial intelligence. It is the advance level of technological or economic
attempt ro replicate or simulate human development that would involve a radical change in
intelligence in machines. the human condition, whether the change was
→ Norvig and Russell defined Artificial brought by biological enhancement or other cause.
Intelligence in four approaches: Thinking
rationally, thinking humanly, acting rationally
and acting humanly.  GNR - Genetics, Nanotechnology and
→ It is being used in health care, energy Robotics
development, finance, transportation,  KMD - knowledge and enabled mass
aviation and telecommunications. destruction
→ It includes autonomous vehicles such as  WMD - Weapon of Mass Destruction
drones and self-driving cars, playing games  NBC - Nuclear, Biological and Chemical
such as chess or Go, search engines such as
Google search, online assistants such as Siri,
image recognition in photographs, predicting
flight delays and medical diagnosis.