STS Instructional Modules Midterm Coverage

1
SCIENCE
TECHNOLOGY
& SOCIETY
Department of Environmental Science
College of Science
Tarlac State University
Instructional Modules
(Midterm Coverage)
INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)
2
Course Science, Technology, and Society

Developers This instructional material has been developed by:
The Faculty of the Department of Environmental Science

College of Science, Tarlac State University
Lucinda Campus
Engr. Bertrand Aldous L. Santillan

Department Chairperson
[email protected]
Dr. Rita E. Pulmano

[email protected]
Dr. Alma M. Corpuz

[email protected]
Prof. Victor M. Serrano

[email protected]
Mr. Wesley C. Gagarin

[email protected]
Ms. Geraldine R. Gamoso

[email protected]
Should you wish to contact the department, please call during work hours:
606-8178 loc. 178 Tuesday to Friday 7:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Purpose and This instructional material has been developed for the purpose of higher learning of
Disclaimer Science, Technology, and Society (Agham, Teknolohiya, at Lipunan), one of the eight (8)
core courses in the General Education of the Higher Education Curriculum stipulated in the
Commission of Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order No. 20, s. 2013.
All the contents of this material are for educational purposes only. Authors/owners of
articles, notes, and/or images included in this material with or without their permission are
properly cited in honor of intellectual property and copy rights. Parts which are originally
written or made by the department faculty should be properly cited in case they will appear
in other materials.
This instructional material is intended for Tarlac State University students.

3
Course This interdisciplinary course engages students to confront the realities brought about
Description by science and technology in society. Such realities pervade the personal, the public,
and the global aspects of our living and are integral to human development. Scientific
knowledge and technological development happen in the context of society with all its
socio-political, cultural, economic, and philosophical underpinnings at play. This course
seeks to instill reflective knowledge in the students that they can live the good life and
display ethical decision making in the face of scientific and technological advancement.
This course includes mandatory topics on climate change and environmental

awareness.
Course Outline General Concepts and STS Historical Development

A. Historical antecedents in which social considerations changed the course of
science and technology
B. Intellectual revolutions that defined society
C. Science and technology and nation-building
STS and the Human Condition

D. The Human Person flourishing in terms of science and technology
E. The Good Life
F. When technology and humanity cross
G. Why the future does not need us
Specific Issues in STS

H. The Information Age
I. Biodiversity and the healthy society
J. The nano world
K. Gene therapy
L. Climate Change
M. Energy Crisis
N. Environmental Awareness
Brief The course deals with interactions between science and technology and social, cultural,
Explanation of political, and economic contexts that shape and are shaped by them, specific examples
the Course throughout human history of scientific and technological developments.
The course is designed to enable students to appreciate, in broad terms, the societal
impact of developments in science and technology at the global and national level. This
includes a review of the history of science and technology globally – from the prehistoric
era all the way to today’s advances in sciences and technology – and similarly in the
Philippines, including science policy. The historical survey, which is grounded on an
understanding of basic science concepts, will examine how these developments have
affected the course of human society: politically, economically, and socially (including
culturally).
The second part of the course focuses on current issues arising from the application of
science and technology, how such applications relate to ethical and political decisions
in both the public and private sector, and their effects (positive and negative) on society
and life in general. Examples of issues that can be taken up are:
• Climate Change
• Food Security
• The environment and natural resource management
• Biotechnology including genetic engineering
• Medical ethics (human experimentation)
• Health policy
• Neurobiology
• The revolution in ICT
• Intellectual property rights over patents and discoveries from
bioprospecting
• Weapons of mass destruction
• Impact assessment of technology
The course entails a variety of readings, group discussions, and research, culminating
in a presentation of findings regarding a particular issue.

4
Table of Contents
Page No.
Parts of the Module 5
Middle Term
General Concepts and STS Historical Development
Week 1 Historical antecedents in which social considerations changed the course 6
of science and technology
Week 2 Intellectual revolutions that defined society 14
Week 3 Science and technology and nation-building (Part I) 21
Week 4 Science and technology and nation-building (Part II) 28
STS and the Human Condition

Week 5 The Human Person flourishing in terms of science and technology (Part I) 37
Week 6 The Human Person flourishing in terms of science and technology (Part II) 42
Week 7 The Good Life 46
Week 8 When technology and humanity cross 51
Week 9 Mid-term Examination 58
Final Term
Week 10 Why the future does not need us (Part I)
Week 11 Why the future does not need us (Part II)
Specific Issues in STS

Week 12 The Information Age
Week 13 Biodiversity and the healthy society (Part I)
Week 14 Biodiversity and the healthy society (Part II)
Week 15 The nanoworld

Gene therapy
Week 16 Climate Change
Week 17 Energy Crisis

Environmental Awareness
Week 18 Final Examination

5
PARTS OF THE MODULE
This collection of modules for STS is divided into 16 topics to be taken suggestively on a weekly basis.
Each module is composed of 12 parts described below. Read each part understandably and carefully
note of any instruction. As a student, you are expected to follow instructions as they will become part of
the faculty’s assessment of your learning in this subject.
Week This part shows the number order that the topic should be taken starting from the first
week of classes. In a regular semester, there are 18 weeks of classes, 16 of which are
devoted to the discussion of topics, while the remaining two are devoted to the
assessment of learning (examination) in a group of topics. By practice, there are only
two assessments in a semester: midterm examination and final examination. Dividing
the semester equally into these two assessments, there will be 9 weeks of classes for
midterm, and 9 weeks for final.
Title This is the name of the topic to be discussed, a phrase that summarizes the lesson in
the topic.
Topic Letter This is an alphabet letter that indicates the order of the topic from the outline of topics
prepared by the faculty in this subject. Beside this letter is the title (in parenthesis) of
the chapter or division on which the topic belongs. This is included so that you can
keep track of the topic organization in this subject.
Duration This indicates the optimum number of hours within the specified week that you are
prescribed to devote in studying the topic.
Overview This part is a short paragraph that serves as a ‘mini warm-up’ upon engaging in the
topic. It states the expectations, what that part of the module contains. It serves like
an abstract in a study.
Objectives This part contains a short list of important goals that you should aim to achieve in
accomplishing the activities prepared by the faculty for the topic. Take note that these
goals serve as basis in the assessment of your learning in the topic.
Activity This contains the things that you should do, mentally and/or physically, to learn about
the topic. The activity has been carefully selected and prepared for you to appreciate
the topic, but not compromise the quality of your learning.
Discussion This is generally the bulk of the module. It contains the concepts, insights, and
reflections of the faculty on the topic. This is the part where transfer of knowledge
happens between the faculty and the student (you). It is advised that you carefully read
and take the discussion into heart. In case you need further discussion, you can
contact the faculty by texting the phone number that will be provided for you.
Synthesis It is comprised of short paragraphs that summarize the discussion. It includes the final
word, or key ‘takeaway’ messages, regarding the topic lesson.
Evaluation This part assesses your learning with respect to the objectives of the lesson.
Coordinate with your assigned faculty on how you will submit your answers.
Enrichment This is an extended activity for your further learning and appreciation of the topic.
References It contains the list of articles, books, and various communication media from where
the lessons were derived.

6
WEEK 1
Title Historical antecedents in which social considerations changed the course of

science and technology
Topic Letter A (General Concepts and STS Historical Development)
Duration 3 hours
Overview Welcome to STS. As a first topic, it is important to give you a background on science,
technology, and society. In this topic, you will learn the definitions of these three big words
and a bit of their history. You will also identify some scientific discoveries and
technological inventions that have or can have a direct impact on you as a student in your
respective course. You will also note that paradigm shifts happen in history and mainly
because of developments in science and technology.
Objectives At the end of this topic, you should be able to:
1. Describe science, technology, and society and their interactions.

2. Discuss how scientific and technological developments affect society.
3. Identify paradigm shifts in history concerning science and technology.
Activity Below is a timeline table of inventions and discoveries chronologically listed from
prehistory to present day1. Browse through the list and search for as much as possible all
those inventions or discoveries that you think are relevant to your course. You can follow
an example given after the timeline table.
Date Invention or discovery Present Invention

Prehistory
4–5 billion years ago Sun starts to produce energy Solar cells
10 million years ago Humans make the first tools from stone, wood, antlers, Tools and machines
and bones
1–2 million years ago Humans discover fire Biofuels; Candles
10,000 BCE Earliest boats are constructed Ships and boats
8000–9000 BCE Beginnings of human settlements and agriculture Water
6000–7000 BCE Hand-made bricks first used for construction in the Middle Brick (ceramics)
East
Ancient times
4000 BCE Iron used for the first time in decorative ornaments Iron and steel
3500– 5000 BCE Glass is made by people for the first time Glass
3500 BCE Humans invent the wheel Wheels and axles
3000 BCE First written languages are developed by the Sumerian Digital pens; Typewriters
people of southern Mesopotamia (part of modern Iraq)
~2500 BCE Ancient Egyptians produce papyrus, a crude early version Paper
of paper
c1700 BCE Semites of the Mediterranean develop the alphabet Digital pens
600 BCE Thales of Miletus discovers static electricity Electricity
400BCE– 300BCE Chinese experiment with flying kites Airplanes
~300– 200 BCE Chinese invent early magnetic direction finders. Compasses
~250 BCE Archimedes invents the screw pump for moving water and Tools and machines
other materials
c.50 BCE Roman engineer Vitruvius perfects the modern, vertical Turbines
water wheel
62 CE Hero of Alexandria, a Greek scientist, pioneers steam Steam engines
power
105 CE Ts'ai Lun makes the first paper in China Paper
27 BCE–395 CE Romans develop the first, basic concrete called pozzolana Steel and concrete
Middle Ages
700–900 CE Chinese invent gunpowder and fireworks Bullets; Fireworks
1450 Johannes Gutenberg pioneers the modern printing press, Printing
using rearrangeable metal letters called movable type
16th century
1530s Gerardus Mercator helps to revolutionize navigation with Satellite navigation
better mapmaking
1590 A Dutch spectacle maker named Zacharias Janssen Microscopes
makes the first compound microscope
17th century
~1600 Galileo Galilei designs a basic thermometer Thermometer
1609 Galileo Galilei builds a practical telescope and makes new Space telescopes
astronomical discoveries

7
mid-17th century Antoni van Leeuwenhoek and Robert Hooke independently Microscopes
develop microscopes
1643 Galileo's pupil Evangelista Torricelli builds the first Barometers
mercury barometer for measuring air pressure
1687 Isaac Newton formulates his three laws of motion Motion
18th century
1701 English farmer Jethro Tull begins the mechanization of Tractors
agriculture by inventing the horse-drawn seed drill
1703 Gottfried Leibniz pioneers the binary number system now Computers
used in virtually all computers
1769 Wolfgang von Kempelen develops a mechanical speaking Speech synthesizers
machine: the world's first speech synthesizer
1770s Abraham Darby III builds a pioneering iron bridge at a Bridges
place now called Ironbridge in England
~1780 Josiah Wedgwood (or Thomas Massey) invents the Pyrometers
pyrometer
19th century
1800 Italian Alessandro Volta makes the first battery (known as Batteries
a Voltaic pile)
1801 Joseph-Marie Jacquard invents the automated cloth- Programmable
weaving loom. The punched cards it uses to store patterns computers
help to inspire programmable computers
1803 Henry and Sealy Fourdrinier develop the papermaking Paper
machine
1806 Humphry Davy develops electrolysis into an important Electrolyzers
chemical technique and uses it to identify a number of
new elements
1827 Joseph Niepce makes the first modern photograph Photography.
Digital cameras
1830s William Sturgeon develops the first practical electric motor Electric motors
1830s William Henry Fox Talbot develops a way of making and Digital cameras.
printing photographs using reverse images called Photography
negatives
1839 Charles Goodyear finally perfects a durable form of rubber Rubber
(vulcanized rubber) after many years of unsuccessful
experimenting
1840s Scottish physicist James Prescott Joule outlines the theory Energy; Great physics
of the conservation of energy experiments
1840s Scotsman Alexander Bain invents a primitive fax machine Fax machines
based on chemical technology
1849 James Francis invents a water turbine now used in many Turbines; Water
of the world's hydropower plants
1850s Henry Bessemer pioneers a new method of making steel Iron and steel
in large quantities
1850s Louis Pasteur develops pasteurization: a way of preserving Pasteurization
food by heating it to kill off bacteria
1860s Frenchman Étienne Lenoir and German Nikolaus Otto Car engines
pioneer the internal combustion engine
1860s James Clerk Maxwell figures out that radio waves must Radio
exist and sets out basic laws of electromagnetism
1860s Fire extinguishers are invented Fire extinguisher
1861 Elisha Graves Otis invents the elevator with built-in safety Elevators
brake
1867 Joseph Monier invents reinforced concrete Reinforced concrete
1868 Christopher Latham Sholes invents the modern typewriter Typewriters
and QWERTY keyboard
1876 Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone, though the Telephones
true ownership of the invention remains controversial
even today
1870s Thomas Edison develops the phonograph, the first CD players;
practical method of recording and playing back sound on MP3 players
metal foil
1877 Thomas Edison invents his sound-recording machine or Record players;
phonograph—a forerunner of the record player and CD Sound
player
1877 Edward Very invents the flare gun (Very pistol) for sending Flares
distress flares at sea
1880 Thomas Edison patents the modern incandescent electric Incandescent lamps
lamp
1880s Thomas Edison opens the world's first power plants Power plants
1880s Charles Chamberland invents the autoclave (steam Autoclaves
sterilizing machine)
1880s Carrie Everson invents new ways of mining silver, gold, Copper
and copper
1883 George Eastman invents plastic photographic film Digital cameras;
Plastics
1884 Charles Parsons develops the steam turbine Steam turbines
1885 Karl Benz builds a gasoline-engined car Car engines
1888 Friedrich Reinitzer discovers liquid crystals LCD screens and
displays
1888 John Boyd Dunlop patents air-filled (pneumatic) tires Pneumatics

8
1888 Nikola Tesla patents the alternating current (AC) electric Electric motors;
induction motor and, in opposition to Thomas Edison, Induction motors;
becomes a staunch advocate of AC power Power plants
1899 Everett F. Morse invents the optical pyrometer for Pyrometers
measuring temperatures at a safe distance
1890s French brothers Joseph and Louis Lumiere invent movie Projection TV
projectors and open the first movie theater
1890s German engineer Rudolf Diesel develops his diesel Diesel engines
engine—a more efficient internal combustion engine
without a sparking plug
1894 Physicist Sir Oliver Lodge sends the first ever message by Radio
radio wave in Oxford, England
1895 German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen discovers X rays X rays
1898 Nikola Tesla invents remote, radio control Remote control
20th century
1901 The first electric vacuum cleaner is developed Vacuum cleaners
1903 Brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright build the first engine- Airplanes; Jet engines
powered airplane
1905 Albert Einstein explains the photoelectric effect Photoelectric cells
1906 Willis Carrier pioneers the air conditioner Air conditioners
1906 Mikhail Tswett discovers chromatography Chromatography
1907 Leo Baekeland develops Bakelite, the first popular Plastics
synthetic plastic
1907 Alva Fisher invents the electric clothes washer Washing machine
1906 Frederick Gardner Cottrell develops the electrostatic Electrostatic
smoke precipitator (smokestack pollution scrubber) precipitators
1908 American industrialist and engineer Henry Ford launches Cars
the Ford Model T, the world's first truly affordable car
1909 German chemists Fritz Haber and Zygmunt Klemensiewicz pH meters
develop the glass electrode, enabling very precise
measurements of acidity
1912 American chemist Gilbert Lewis describes the basic Lithium-ion batteries
chemistry that leads to practical, lithium-ion rechargeable
batteries (though they don't appear in a practical,
commercial form until the 1990s)
1912 Hans Geiger develops the Geiger counter, a detector for Geiger counters
radioactivity
1916 Robert Hutchings Goddard, an American physicist, Space rockets
publishes influential ideas on building space rockets
1919 Francis Aston pioneers the mass spectrometer and uses it Mass spectrometers
to discover many isotopes
1920s John Logie Baird develops mechanical television Television; LCD TV
1920s Philo T. Farnsworth invents modern electronic television Television; LCD TV
1920s German engineer Gustav Tauschek and American Paul OCR
Handel independently develop primitive optical character
recognition (OCR) scanning systems
1920s Albert W. Hull invents the magnetron, a device that can Magnetrons;
generate microwaves from electricity Microwave ovens
1921 Karel Capek and his brother coin the word "robot" in a play Robots
about artificial humans
1921 John Larson develops the polygraph ("lie detector") Forensic science
machine
1928 Thomas Midgley, Jr. invents coolant chemicals for air Air conditioners;
conditioners and refrigerators Refrigerators
1928 The electric refrigerator is invented Refrigerators
1930s Peter Goldmark pioneers color television Television; LCD TV
1930s Laszlo and Georg Biro pioneer the modern ballpoint pen Digital pens
1930s Wallace Carothers develops neoprene (synthetic rubber Kevlar; Nomex;
used in wetsuits) and nylon, the first popular synthetic Nylon; Wetsuits
clothing material
1930s Arnold Beckman develops the electronic pH meter pH meters
1938 Chester Carlson invents the principle of photocopying Photocopiers
(xerography)
1938 Roy Plunkett accidentally invents a nonstick plastic Gore-Tex;
coating called Teflon Nonstick pans
1939 Igor Sikorsky builds the first truly practical helicopter Helicopters
1945 Arthur C. Clarke conceives the idea of the communications Satellites
satellite, a space-based signal "mirror" that can bounce
radio waves from one side of Earth to the other
1947 John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley Amplifiers;
invent the transistor, which allows electronic equipment Electronics;
much smaller and leads to the modern computer Transistors
revolution
1949 Bernard Silver and N. Joseph Woodland patent barcodes— Barcodes
striped patterns that are initially developed for marking and barcode scanners
products in grocery stores
1950s Charles Townes and Arthur Schawlow invent the maser Lasers
(microwave laser). Gordon Gould coins the word "laser"
and builds the first optical laser in 1958
1950s Percy Spencer accidentally discovers how to cook with Microwave ovens
microwaves, inadvertently inventing the microwave oven
1954 Indian physicist Narinder Kapany pioneers fiber optics Fiber optics

9
1955 US electrical engineer Eugene Polley invents the TV Remote control
remote control
1957 Soviet Union (Russia and her allies) launch the Sputnik Satellites
space satellite
1957 Lawrence Curtiss, Basil Hirschowitz, and Wilbur Peters Endoscopes
build the first fiber-optic gastroscope
1958 Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce, working independently, Integrated circuits;
develop the integrated circuit Transistors
1959 IBM and General Motors develop Design Augmented by Computer graphics
Computers-1 (DAC-1), the first computer-aided design
(CAD) system
1962 Nick Holonyak invents the LED (light-emitting diode) while Diodes and LEDs
working at General Electric
1963 Ivan Sutherland develops Sketchpad, one of the first Computer graphics
computer-aided design programs
1964 IBM helps to pioneer e-commerce with an airline ticket E-commerce
reservation system called SABRE
1965 Frank Pantridge develops the portable defibrillator for Defibrillators
treating cardiac arrest patients
1966 Stephanie Kwolek patents a super-strong plastic called Kevlar
Kevlar
1966 Robert H. Dennard of IBM invents dynamic random access Computer memory
memory (DRAM)
1969 World's first solar power station opened in France Solar cells; Energy
1969 Astronauts walk on the Moon Space rockets
1960s Douglas Engelbart develops the computer mouse Computer mouse
1960s James Russell invents compact discs CD players
1973 Martin Cooper develops the first handheld cellphone Cellphones
(mobile phone)
1973 Robert Metcalfe figures out a simple way of linking Computer networks;
computers together that he names Ethernet. Most Internet
computers hooked up to the Internet now use it
1980s Japanese electrical pioneer Akio Morita develops the Sony CD players; MP3 players
Walkman, the first truly portable player for recorded music
1981 Patricia Bath develops laser eye surgery for removing Lasers
cataracts
1981 Fujio Masuoka files a patent for flash memory—a type of Flash memory
reusable computer memory that can store information
even when the power is off
1989 Tim Berners-Lee invents the World Wide Web World Wide Web
1994 American mathematician John Daugman perfects the Iris scans
mathematics that make iris scanning systems possible
1994 Israeli computer scientists Alon Cohen and Lior Haramaty VoIP
invent VoIP for sending telephone calls over the Internet
1995 Broadcast.com becomes one of the world's first online Streaming media
radio stations
1995 Pierre Omidyar launches the eBay auction website E-commerce
21st century
2001 Apple revolutionizes music listening by unveiling its iPod MP3 players
MP3 music player
2001 Bram Cohen develops BitTorrent file-sharing BitTorrent
2001 Scott White, Nancy Sottos, and colleagues develop self- Self-healing materials
healing materials
2007 Amazon.com launches its Kindle electronic book (e-book) Electronic books
2007 Apple introduces a touchscreen cellphone called the Cellphone touchscreens
iPhone
2010 Apple releases its touchscreen tablet computer, the iPad Computer touchscreens
2010 3D TV starts to become more widely available. 3D Television
2015 Supercomputers (the world's fastest computers) are now a Supercomputers
mere 30 times less powerful than human brains
2016 Three nanotechnologists win the Nobel Prize in Chemistry Nanotechnology
for building miniature machines out of molecules
2019 Google claims to have achieved "quantum supremacy"— Quantum computers
with a quantum computer that calculates faster than a
conventional one
Example
Course: BS Environmental Science

Relevant inventions and discoveries in history for my course:
Date Invention or discovery Present Invention

4–5 billion years ago Sun starts to produce energy Solar cells
8000–9000 BCE Beginnings of human settlements and agriculture Water
1530s Gerardus Mercator helps to revolutionize navigation with Satellite navigation
better mapmaking
1590 A Dutch spectacle maker named Zacharias Janssen Microscopes
makes the first compound microscope
~1600 Galileo Galilei designs a basic thermometer Thermometer
….. …. …..

10
Discussion What is Science?
The dictionary (Merriam-Webster) defines science as a study of the natural world based
on facts learned through experiments and observation. The word ‘science’ came from the
Latin word Scientia, meaning ‘knowledge.’ A widespread definition of science states that
it is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable
explanations and predictions about the world.
Scale, branches, and hierarchy of Science (Wikipedia, 2015).
What is Technology?
Technology is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life
or to the change and manipulation of the human environment (Encyclopedia Britannica).
Thus, science and technology (S&T) are two independent fields but they work together in
a ‘brains and hands’, ‘mind and action’, ‘knowledge and application’, ‘theory and practice’
partnership.
What is Society?
Society is a large group of people who live together in an organized way, making decisions
about how to do things, and sharing the work that needs to be done (Cambridge
Dictionary). The word ‘society’ was derived from the Latin word Socius, meaning
‘companionship or friendship’. Sociology is the field that studies society. It formally
defines society as a group of people in the same geographical territory, sharing a
common culture, social structure, and laws. For example, the people in the Philippines
can be collective called the Filipino society.
What then is Science and Technology and Society (STS)?
STS is where the fields of Science, Technology, and Sociology meet. The integration of the
three is shown by the following framework:

11
Three-way interaction of science, technology, and society (Ihueze et al., 2015).
The field of science provide data for innovation in technology, but technological
development requires more scientific knowledge. Technology improves the quality of life
in the society, but societal progress is highly dependent on technological advancement.
Societal needs are accommodated by science, and scientific discoveries help improve the
quality of life.
History of STS
It is not known whether science and technology created society or society created S&T.
But history has it that the three emerged almost simultaneously. The earliest record of
the existence of science and technology was in ancient Mesopotamia (presently, a region
shared by Iraq, Kuwait, Turkey, and Syria), which is the same time that the earliest
civilization has also been recorded, both between 600 BC to 1400 AD. It was in ancient
Greece that science was first recognized as a distinctly separate field from human, artistic
philosophy. It was called ‘natural’ philosophy by the Greeks, or the philosophy concerning
nature. Later, historical records show that the ancient China and India have developed
their own science and technology which proliferated in the entire Asian continent. In the
Middle East, the Golden Age of Islam was recorded due to their development of science
and technology. It was only in 1400–1700 AD that there was an age of Great Scientific
Revolution. Since then, science and technology became so vast, covering the study and
application of the smallest matter on Earth up to the extraterrestrial objects in the
universe, while societies on Earth continue to expand.
The timeline table in the Activity was originally a long list (10 pages) of scientific
discoveries and inventions, but it was trimmed down to 3½ pages to fit in this module.
But take note, if we would list down every discovery and invention in the world since the
beginning of time up to this modern day, we could have 10,000 pages, or more!
Meanwhile, in the Philippines, there is a scarce record of science and technology in the
pre-colonization period of Spain, Japan, and the United States of America, although we
have remnant proofs, such as the rice terraces in the Mountain Province and folkloric
medicines, to name a few. However, history narrates that our S&T proliferated through
our educational system starting from the Spanish colonization, when our country started
producing scientist-turned doctors, such as our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal.

12
Paradigm Shifts
While STS is a unification of three fields (science, technology, and society), the unification
actually experiences paradigm shifting. Consider the following infographic that shows how
in a span of about 50 years, technology has great evolved, causing impact on the
development of social businesses.
Evolution of technology timeline (by Emily Kesselman at Feathered Hat Studios).

If not readable, please visit image @ www.digitaltrike.com/the-evolution-of-technology
Notice how technology evolves every decade. In the 1960-70’s, technology in business
only has minimal impact so that during this period, businesses focus more on price
margins and profit. In the 1980-90’s, new technology was slowly being integrated in
businesses so that companies tend to improve client communication. In the 2000-10’s,
social media technology boomed, thus requiring businesses to formulate new strategies
as business focus shifted to more customer satisfaction and building potential clients.
Take note that this paradigm shifting is true not only in business fields, but to other fields
as well such as in media communication, engineering, and education.
Synthesis Science, Technology, and Society are three interdependent yet interacting, interrelated
fields. The three have emerged simultaneously in history that since then have given much
of the quality of human life in general. The list of discoveries and inventions is endless,
changing the world since the beginning of time up to this modern day, and beyond. S&T
proliferated together with society; we can testify that here in our country. However, we
can identify paradigm shifts wherein S&T impacted much of society.
Evaluation  REFLECTION
1. Why is STS called ‘Science, Technology, and Society,’ and not ‘Science and
Technology and Sociology’?
2. From the table list that you created in Activity, how does each invention/discovery in
your list qualify to be relevant to your course?
3. Did this pandemic (COVID-19) cause a paradigm shift? Explain in the perspective of
science, technology, and society.

13
Enrichment Watch “Mankind: The History of All of Us” Episode 10 (Revolutions) in
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6ci9q6 and reflect on how science and technology
impacted human history.
References 1. Woodford, Chris. (2008/2019) Technology timeline. Retrieved from

https://www.explainthatstuff.com/timeline.html. [Accessed July 17, 2020]
2. Ihueze, Christopher Chukwutoo & Okpala, Charles & Okafor, Christian & Okonkwo,
Ugochukwu. (2015). Harnessing Science, Technology, and Innovations (STI) for Sustainable
Industrial and Economic Development. International Journal of Engineering and Management
Research. 5. 379-388.
3. McCllelan, James, and Dorn, Harold (2006). Science and Technology in World History. The
Johns Hopkins University Press.
4. Wilms, Todd. (2012 Jan 10). [Infographic]: The Evolution of Technology; Its Impact on the
Development of Social Businesses. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sap/2012/01/10/infographic-the-evolution-of-technology-its-
impact-on-the-development-of-social-businesses/#6d4ad20466f9
[Accessed August 5, 2020]

14
WEEK 2
Title Intellectual revolutions that defined society
Topic Letter B (General Concepts and STS Historical Development)
Duration 3 hours
Overview In this topic, you will get to know about people who have big names in science, and that
is because of their great, revolutionary contributions not just in science but to the world.
They are not only scientists but intellectuals as well. What an intellectual is will be
defined in this topic, and how intellectuals were able to ‘revolutionize’ the society will
also be discussed.
1. Identify scientists who have made significant impacts in human societies.

2. Define what is an intellectual and intellectual revolution.
3. Articulate ways on how intellectual revolutions defined societies.
Activity  READING AN ARTICLE
Top 10 Greatest Scientists Who Changed the World1

by Naman Bista
Right from the beginning of human settlement, a lot of people came up with ideas,
philosophies, beliefs, experiments, research, redesigning of thoughts, and surveys to
bring myths to reality. People contributed for science to study different aspects of
nature to prosper mankind. These genius minds put a keen interest on every
phenomenon right from when they were kids. The zeal, passion, dedication, hard work
and the effort they put in their work helped them discover something new about the
world we live in.
The world today dwells in the abode of scientific advancement in different sectors of
medical science, engineering, and technology because of these scientists. The present
picture of the world that we see would not have transformed without the contribution
of these great personalities. Great philosophers and masterminds that existed in the
ancient Greek era to the present-day scientists, we have seen inexplicable abilities that
helped us define our existence and human life. Their names are engraved in the sands
of time for their work in the welfare of mankind with different inventions that has made
our modern lives easy. The following list commemorates 10 of the greatest scientists
we have ever seen who changed the world.
#10
Aristotle
384 - 322 BC
Student of Plato and a tutor to Alexander the Great, Aristotle
was a genius Greek philosopher and scientist of the ancient
age. Born on 384 BC, Aristotle was a biologist, a zoologist,
ethicist, a political scientist and the master of rhetoric and logic.
He also gave theories in physics and metaphysics. Aristotle
gained knowledge in different fields with his expansive mind
and prodigious writings. However, only a fraction of his writings
is preserved at present. Aristotle made collections to the plant
and animal specimens and classified them according to their
characteristics which made a standard for future work. He further gave theories on the

15
philosophy of science. Aristotle also elaborated and estimated the size of earth which
Plato assumed to be globe. Aristotle explained the chain of life through his study in flora
and fauna where it turned from simple to more complex.
#9
Archimedes
287 - 212 BC
Regarded as the greatest mathematician ever, Archimedes

developed profound and influential knowledge on mathematical
physics and engineering that are widely used in machines as well
as in constructions. He is one of the finest scientists who broke
through in both theories and practice. He introduced
infinitesimals and laid the foundation for calculus. He gave
descriptions on the first finite geometric progression, computed
areas and volumes of sphere and parabolic segments. He also
discovered the laws of lever, density, fluid equilibrium, buoyancy
in different fields statics and hydrostatics. He is regarded as the prophet to the formal
science that was started in Ancient Greece. “Give me a place to stand and I can move
the whole world”, he said. All the scientists after him stand on his shoulders. Even
though most of his work were burned in the museum of Alexandria, the remnants gave
enough ideas for modern day science and technology.
#8
Galileo
1564 - 1642 AD
Born in Pisa, Italy, Galileo is called the ‘father of modern science’

because of his discoveries in astronomy and physics. He was
sent to study medicine by his father, but he chose his career in
science and mathematics and made the first telescope to
observe stars and planets. He also discovered the law of
pendulum as he watched a chandelier swing in the cathedral of
Pisa. He also discovered that the surface of moon was not
smooth but contained burrows and holes to what he called
crater. He also discovered 4 revolving moons around Jupiter
which are named after him. He proved what Copernicus said about sun being the center
of the solar system. Galileo became blind in his old days before he died.
#7
Michael Faraday
1791 - 1867
British citizen Michael Faraday was a son of a blacksmith who

had to leave school in the fourth grade. He started working as a
bookbinder and taught himself to read and write. He developed
a fascination with science and particularly in electricity after he
studied lot of serious academic works during his days. Faraday
is specially known for his discoveries of electromagnetic
inductions and rotations, field theory, diamagnetization and the
magneto-optical effect. This humble genius invented the electric
motor and Faraday’s ring. Faraday’s inquisitive and curious
nature made him take chemistry lectures and taught at the Royal Institution as a
lecturer. Faraday also published research papers on optical deceptions, condensation
of gases, and isolation of benzene from gas oils. He also wrote books on “Experimental
Researches in Electricity” and the “Chemical History of the Candle”.

16
#6
Thomas Alva Edison
1847 - 1931
Thomas Alva Edison is nicknamed “The Wizard of the Menlo

Park”. Excelled as both scientist and inventor, Edison patented
a whopping total of 1,093 inventions in his lifetime. Most of the
inventions that came from Edison are batteries, phonographs,
cement, mining, telegraphs, lights, and powers. He also
improved the telephone made by Graham Bell and invented the
kinetoscope that was used for viewing moving films. He was
seen working almost more than 20 hours a day. Edison
masterminded the digital voting system with his electro-graphic
vote recorder for the legislative of the parliament. He also proposed ideas on preserving
fruits by keeping it in vacuum. Edison pioneered the idea for storage batteries that was
later used by Henry ford in his automobile. “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99
percent perspiration” is one of the most famous quotes by this genius.
#5
Maria Salomea Sklodowska Curie
1867 - 1934
Marie Curie holds record for the first female to be awarded with
a Nobel Prize. Inventor-scientist Curie was born as the youngest
of five children in Warsaw, Poland. Marie Curie has always
remained a source of inspiration and motivation for different
female scientists because of her determination to work. She
invented the first mobile X-ray machine which helped to check
the injured soldiers in the battlefield. Radium is another great
invention from her. Curie experimented different elements to
check their radio activity and found thorium. She also invented
the pitch-blend which was the source of radiation in a mixture more powerful than
uranium or thorium. She is also called “the mother of atom bomb” with her invention
of the radioactive materials. However, with all her brilliance, hard work and patience in
careful experiments she performed, her own invention killed her because of radiation
poisoning.
#4
Louis Pasteur
1822 - 1895
Louis Pasteur made astounding contributions in the field of

science, technology. and medicine. This genius spent his life
working in chemistry and microbiology. Pasteur was the first-ever
scientist to study about fermentation in food elements that was
caused by microbes. He also explained about biogenesis and
proposed a theory named as the “Germ Theory”. He also created
a process of toning and treating milk free from the damage
causing microbes to what he called “Pasteurization”. Pasteur is
also regarded as the first man on earth to ever discover cure for
puerperal fever and make the vaccines for rabies and anthrax. He also explained the
asymmetry in various crystals on a molecular basis. His breadth of accomplishment
and approaches in different fields of discoveries and inventions makes him a giant
genius.

17
#3
Sir Isaac Newton
1643 - 1727
Born in Woolsthorpe, England, Sir Isaac Newton is best known

for his law on gravitation. He was a poor student at school or at
running the family estate. However, he loved making mechanical
toys and models of windmills. Newton explained the theory of
gravity and gravitation by inventing calculus as no other
principles could explain it. The new revolution in mathematics,
Calculus was derived from his binomial theorem to infinite series
which accurately could measure the area inside the curve or rate
of change of it. He also explained the theory on tides which
occurred due to the gravitation pull from the sun, moon and earth. He also invented the
reflecting telescope. Newtons laws can be found in different areas of mechanics, optics,
and chemistry. He was knighted with the title Sir by Queen Anne in 1705. Newton died
at the age of 84.
#2
Albert Einstein
1879 – 1955
Born in Ulm, Germany, Einstein is considered as one of the

greatest revolutionary scientists the world has ever known. The
“Man of Century” has some spectacular works in physics which
even makes him the father of modern physics for his contribution
in developing the general theory of relativity. The world’s most
famous equation E=mc2 on which the bomb is based comes from
his theory. One of the greatest scientists of the 20th century,
Einstein’s Special theory of relativity revolutionized physics
which even challenged the scientists at CERN. Albert Einstein’s
genius mind for the scientific advancement cause immeasurable change to the world.
Together with his intellect, he was also a celebrity with his flirtatious behavior that
could impress any women. This rare genius was awarded Nobel Prize in 1921 for his
work on theoretical physics and for his discovery of the photoelectric effect. The
greatest physicist ever, Einstein died on 1955 in Princeton, New Jersey (USA).
#1
Nikola Tesla
1856 – 1943
This Serbian born scientist atop the list because of his immense
knowledge in different fields of science and technology. Without
a question, this guy was a cool geek. He could speak 8
languages, recite a whole book completely with just one reading,
make a device just by seeing it once and not writing down
anything. A funny fact about him was that he was a celibate his
whole life. Tesla had developed almost everything by himself and
did not expose any of it which later was invented by other
scientists in his time. Tesla had generated AC current before
Edison knew about charges. Markoni who got noble prize for inventing radio used all
the ideas of Tesla. X-rays by Roentgen, RADAR by Watson-watt were all devised by
Nikola Tesla. There was almost nothing that Tesla did not do. First hydroelectricity plant
in Niagara Falls, experiments with cryogenic engineering, transistors, radio wave
recorder from outer space were all built by Tesla. Remote control, neon lightening,
modern electric motor, earthquake machine are finest inventions from Tesla. He was a

18
true genius. However, most of his ideas and inventions were either copied, stolen, or
taken by somebody else. Tesla made a way to charge a house with electric lightening
for electricity purpose but did not share it thinking somebody else will take it. This
incredible mind created revolution with his inventions. He was a future-thinker and his
minds would run on any wavelengths. However, he died tragically in a hotel room and
was found dead only after two days of his death.
Conclusion
The advancement of human civilization is possible just because of enormous

contribution made by scientists throughout the course of time. They are one of the most
influential people of today’s world. With practical advantages in engineering, medicine,
and technology, they have helped us to grow better understanding about the world and
different working phenomenon that governs us. Their way of shaping the modern-day
culture is completely unrivaled.
Discussion What is an ‘intellectual revolution’?2
Intellectual revolution is a movement about enlightenment that was said to be initiated

during 17th century when people are more driven by the new discoveries in science
and technology and cultural relativism resulting from the explorations. It is a revolution
of people where faith in the power of human reason should not be set aside and the
great premium was actually placed on the discovery of the truths through observations
of nature more willingly than just through the study of authoritative sources. The
scientific experiments and philosophical writing became “in” or trendy. And then, the
18th century is an era marked by questioning of traditional dogmas/values. Intellectual
revolution emphasizes the idea of universal human progress, the most pragmatic
systems in science, as well as free use of reason, logic, and critical thinking.
How do intellectual revolutions define/transform societies?
Intellectuals are those who are rational, logical, wise (not just smart) and have a big
heart for the world. No bias, no prejudice. Intellectuals are the brave ones who
transform our society open for humane changes, and not just open but embrace it, too.
The intellectual revolutions were (and still are) organized by the most misunderstood
people who fought for the privileges we enjoy these days. Intellectuals will always try to
make our world a less messy place to live in. Intellectuals are those who have diverse
knowledge and perceptions, as well as valuable foresights. They apply their brainpower
and revolutionary visions for the purpose of awakening the society, and they help divert
the masses from what is injudicious and unwise toward what is upright and just.
The ability and willingness to awaken society for a noble cause and the lack of any one
of these elements is not consistent with the definition of an intellectual. Thus, from this
point of view, the intellectuals’ role is about social responsibility. A person with
capabilities and knowledge bears this kind of responsibility and owes his or her world
the benefits of their profound wisdom. Intellectuals need to use their capacity to
contribute to steering society away from the negatively impacting results that they
foresee, not just for past mis-directed efforts, but also for current and future
inappropriate endeavors. Good communication is vital if the intellectual is to succeed
effectively and convincingly conveying his or her vision for a better society. Building on
universal and timeless values, intellectuals also apply their knowledge to shape, and
protect, social standards and values.

19
What are the intellectual (scientific) revolutions known in history?3
1. Copernican. This caused the paradigm shift of how the earth and sun were
placed in the heavens/universe. It is the idea that rejected Ptolemaic model
(earth is the center of the solar system) and proved the heliocentric model (Sun
is the center of the solar system having the earth revolving around it.)
2. Darwinian. This has brought a great impact on how people approach Biology
forever. This revolution provided a different than the "theory of Creation". The
Darwinian revolution started when Charles Darwin published his book "The
Origin of Species" which emphasized that humans are the result of an evolution.
3. Freudian. This theory started to revolutionize Psychiatry with Sigmund Freud.

This includes the "Freudian Theory of Personality" which states that human
development contributes to personality and also to "psychoanalysis" that is the
process for achieving proper functioning if a person does not complete his/her
developmental stage.
4. Information. This was the era which technology has been prevalent. It is also
known as the Computer Age that has brought so much change on how we are
living today.
5. Meso-American. It has contributed a lot of ideas or discoveries for Archaeology.

The temples and pyramids left a lot about of Architecture that leads us to study
more of it.
6. Asian. The revolution itself taught Asian countries about freedom and
independent nationhood along with the improvement brought by it internally.
7. Middle East. The revolutions in the Middle East 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.
8. African. The fight against colonialism and imperialism in Africa.
Synthesis “The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those
who look on and do nothing.” Societies all around the world are still striving hard to
achieve a progressive humanity.
Intellectual revolutions that define society are the intellectual revolutions that defined
or changed societal information that we access in the past, present, and future, as well
as cherish. Together with the responsibility to awaken society, intellectuals need to be
constantly aware of their own shortcomings because they are also human; no one is
perfect. However, their flaws that limit their understanding might also damage society.
Revolutions of intellectual people must be progressive too so that it can always offer
effective contributions to improve our societies in meaningful ways.2
Evaluation LOOKING BACK
1. Take a look back on the chronological table list given in Week 1’s Activity. Not only
were the inventions stated there, but also their inventors. From the table, select
your top five (5) inventors who you think are the greatest contributors to humanity
and explain your selection according to the definition of an intellectual.

20
2. Among the intellectual (scientific) revolutions known in history, select one (1) that
you think is most related to your course and explain how this revolution defined the
field of your course today.
Enrichment What is ‘Society 5.0’? Read “From Industry 4.0 to Society 5.0: the big societal
transformation plan of Japan” written by i-Scoop (www.i-scoop.eu/industry-4-0/society-
5-0/) and reflect if the so-called ‘Society 5.0’ can be considered an intellectual
revolution.
References 1. Bista, Naman (2013 October 17). Top 10 greatest scientists who changed the world.
https://www.elist10.com/top-10-greatest-scientists-changed-world/
2. Brainly.ph - https://brainly.ph/question/1602367#readmore
3. Brainly.ph - https://brainly.ph/question/1623302#readmore
4. The Intellectual Revolution. https://pages.uoregon.edu/klio/tx/gr/presoctx.htm
5. The Scientific Revolution.

https://www.sparknotes.com/history/european/scientificrevolution/context/

21
WEEK 3
Title Science and technology and nation-building (Part I)
Topic Letter C (General Concepts and STS Historical Development)
Duration 3 hours
Overview In this topic, the concept of nation-building and the contributions of science and
technology to this endeavor will be discussed. You will look into how our local key
sectors, such as energy, agriculture, fisheries, communication, transportation, military,
education, and health, have benefitted from scientific and technological
advancements. From a global view, the science and technology between developed and
developing countries will be described.
1. Define nation-building in the perspective of science and technology.

2. Discuss the benefits of science and technology to several key sectors.
3. Describe the science and technology in developed and developing countries.
Activity NAME GAME
A. Name a sector that starts with the letters of the word “SCIENCE”. Example:
S – Service
C – Cultural
I – Industry
E – Energy
N – Non-government organizations (NGOs)
C – Civil
E – Employment
Your answer (do not repeat the example given above):
S – ____________________
C – ____________________
I – _____________________
E – ____________________
N – ____________________
C – ____________________
E – ____________________
B. Name a country that starts with the letters of the word “TECHNOLOGY”. Example:
T – Turkey
E – Ethiopia
C – Cambodia
H – Hungary
N – Norway
O – Oman
L – Lithuania
O – Oman
G – Greece
Y – Yemen

22
Your answer (do not repeat everything in the example given above):
T – ____________________________
E – ____________________________
C – ____________________________
H – ____________________________
N – ____________________________
O – ____________________________
L – ____________________________
O – ____________________________
G – ____________________________
Y – _____________________________
Discussion Science and technology (S&T) are interconnected and interdependent. Science can be
defined as the study of the nature and the behavior of natural things. Science basically
is the study of knowledge, which is made into a system, and depends on analyzing and
understanding facts. Technology, on the other hand, is the application of scientific
knowledge that results to the production of tools, machines, goods, and services.
Technology can be in the form of hardware, software, or method.
Nation-building
Throughout history, S&T drive the progress of human civilization. They induce economic
growth and social development, thus playing a significant role in nation-building.
According to Stephenson (2005), nation-building is all about the process of unifying

people within a state so that that the state remains politically stable and economically
viable. The term nation-building is often used simultaneously with state-
building, democratization, modernization, political development, post-
conflict reconstruction, and peacebuilding. Nation-building is intertwined with the
processes of industrialization, urbanization, and social mobilization (Mylonas, 2019).
Industrialization is the process by which an agrarian-based economy is transformed
from one based on the manufacturing of goods through factory system and industries.
Urbanization on the other hand is defined as the process through which society is
transformed from one that is predominantly rural in economy to one that is mainly
urban. Social mobilization is an important process that allows people and communities
to collectively think and act upon their development.
Goals of Nation-building
The following are the goals of nation-building:
• To make a country’s economy firm, viable, stable, and prosperous
• Encourage a strong sense of national identity
• Create effective social institution
Components of Nation-building
According to Stephenson 2005, the following are the main components of nation
building:
Economic Development
Economic development has been defined as the process whereby simple, low-income
national economies are transformed into modern industrial economies. Economic
development is sometimes used as a synonym for economic growth (Myint and
Krueger, 2016).

23
The application of both science and technology can aid in the economic
development of a nation. For example, the used of modern-day technology aids in
greater production using smaller quantity of inputs (Caliskanaa, 2015). In addition, the
use of computer technology can now automate the processes of factories and
industries which can result to larger supply/output.
Social Development
Social development is about uplifting the well-being of every individual in the society so
they can reach their full potential. The success of society is related to the well-being of
its citizen (Government of New Brunswick, 2009). S&T have been the solutions to
human needs and have provided the engine to propel social improvement. (Li and
Piachaud, 2018). S&T have been used by poor people to cut their way out of poverty.
For instance, the used of improve variety of seeds have helped farmers increased their
yield resulting to more income.
Political Development
Political development has been defined as an increase in national political unity,
political participation, and political stability. Neureiter (2003) pointed out that the
integration of S&T in politics revolves in the provision of science-based policies and
regulations. Science-based policies have been seen to have viable and sustainable
impacts to society.
Institutional Development
Institutional development refers to the processes that improve the capacity of a social
institutions (e.g. health, education, religion) to achieve its goals and objectives. Over
the years, the delivery of services by social institutions have greatly improved through
S&T. For example, health related technologies such as x-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) have expanded the way doctors and medical professionals
diagnosed diseases.
S&T and Sectoral Development

The progress in S&T have created profound beneficial impacts to all aspects and
sectors of a nation. The following are key sectors that have greatly benefited from the
breakthroughs of S&T:
Energy Sector
The use of new technologies such as solar panel, wind turbines and generators have
improved the way human harnesses renewable energy.
Agriculture Sector
With the used of technologically produced farm machineries such as tractors and
harvesters, farmers can efficiently produce more with less manpower, aiming increased
yield while using lesser inputs.
Rice Harvester used in the Philippines (www.admaco.ph)

24
Fisheries Sector
Technological innovations offer an opportunity to improve fisheries management
practices. Technology also empowers small-scale fishers generating information not
just on fisheries but on markets, which allows them to make better business decisions.
For example, in the Curvina Fishery in the Gulf of California, Mexico, digital technologies
are used by fishers and authorities in accessing daily information on fish catches and
prices (Ortis, 2019).
Communication Sector
Science and Technology has greatly improved the sector of communication. Modern
communication has made instant using emails, social medias, phones and videocalls.
The used of wireless signals, satellites, undersea cables, and other advanced
technology have guaranteed the instant delivery of messages and other forms of data
to any locations (Prajapati, 2020).
Transportation Sector
With the use of modern technologies, people can now get to more destinations more
efficiently and quickly. For example, the Japanese bullet trains can reach a speed of
320km/h. Artificial intelligence is also integrated to manage traffic congestion on
roads. The used of automated buses and trains aids in saving manpower and in
managing the ageing population in some cities (Tan, 2018).
Shinkansen Bullet Train in Japan (© JR Tokai, news.panasonic.com)
Military Sector
Information technology, artificial intelligence and sensors have the potential to vividly
improve all aspects of future military capabilities. Modeling and simulation have already
made major contributions to training, readiness, weapons design, and acquisition
management. Together, these technologies can significantly reduce combat losses in
lives and equipment.
Education Sector
Technological advancement has greatly changed the sector of education. Digital
simulations and models can help teachers in explaining difficult concepts and can
also help students who are visual or tactile learners to better understand a specific
concept (Khan, 2019).
Health Sector
The advances in digital healthcare technologies, such as artificial intelligence, VR/AR,
3D-printing, robotics and nanotechnology help transform unsustainable healthcare
systems into sustainable ones, equalize the relationship between medical

25
professionals and patients, provide cheaper, faster and more effective solutions for
diseases.
Global Perspective on S&T in Nation-building

Science and Technology has a great impact to rapid development. S&T affect every
aspects of life and was regarded as the greatest evidence of modernization.
Convenience, simplicity, and easiness in everyday living has been offered by the
introduction of modern technology. The absence of modern equipment, in all sectors
and or any other field, the advancement and benefits that being experienced today
would not have been possible (Pujari, 2016).
In a global perspective, moving on with the flow of modernity determines the nation’s
capability to sustain its people’s lives. Such is the influence of science and technology
for the development of a nation.
Countries are being categorized today based on economy and the application of science
and technology. It can be analyzed from various reports that the countries which have
a strong base in science and technology are the ones that developed faster.
State of S&T of Developed Nations

United States, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Israel will benefit
the most from advances in science and technology, and they will be able to exploit
technology regardless of its sophistication. Examples of sophisticated applications
include the possibility of: growing tissues to implant and replace human body parts;
creating pervasive sensor networks; providing access to information anytime and
anywhere; creating wearable computers; and using of micro computational devices to
do things like continuously monitor a person's health (RAND, 2006).
Developed countries have mainstreamed S&T in their nation’s development. In Japan

for example, the acquisition, effective adaptation, and improvement of technologies
has served as the basis for the country’s rapid economic growth and international
competitiveness. The Japanese government's role in the acquisition and diffusion of
technologies complemented the development of superior production and enterprise
systems by Japanese industry. The key elements underlying Japan's industrial and
technological rise have remained remarkably consistent over time. The reasons for this
successes includes (1) central government policies have encourage the adoption and
diffusion of foreign technologies through lowering private-sector risks, stimulating
demand, and providing educational and other infrastructure; (2) a diffuse base of
entrepreneurial vitality and a strong competitive private-sector that is receptive to new
technologies and capable of improving them; and (3) a political and ideological climate
that generally allows for consensus on national imperatives and flexibility in policy
approaches (Japan National Research Council, 1995).
In the case of Israel, the country has relied in science and technology to achieved
progressive economy. Israel has redirected its institutions and policies to poster S&T.
In addition, the government parties have come together to support major fiscal reforms,
which lowered taxation on business and investment. Patent laws were also
strengthened. The research and development expenditure of Israel have quadrupled.
New universities were founded, and existing Science, Technology Engineering and
Mathematics (STEM) training programs were enhanced (Taylor, 2016).
State of Science and Technology of Developing Nations

In many developing countries, science and technology plays an important role in social
and economic progress. The importance of science and technology in addressing the
national and international issues necessitate the promotion of various S&T programs
throughout developing countries.

26
According to RAND (2006), developing countries will be helped or hindered by what is
termed as “science and technology capacity”. This encompasses human capacity (such
as the level of education and scientific literacy of a country's people) and physical
capacity (including transport and freight infrastructures, schools, hospitals, research
facilities and utilities), as well as broader dimensions such as their systems of
governance, banking, law, education and health.
The state of S&T of scientifically developing countries such as Mexico, Turkey, Brazil,
Colombia, Indonesia, South Africa and Chile are poised to take advantage of modestly
sophisticated technology applications, including: devices to constantly track the
movement of everything from products to people; easy-to-use health diagnostic tests;
and environmentally friendly manufacturing methods. On the contrary, for scientifically
lagging countries such as Fiji, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Nepal, Pakistan, Egypt,
Iran, Jordan, Kenya, Cameroon and Chad, unstable political systems; lack of resources
and infrastructure; and class disparities are expected to disrupt the penetration of
science and technology in attaining modernization and industrialization of these
nations. However, when such countries have the will to make changes and make a
concerted effort to eliminate barriers and support the implementation of science and
technology, they can improve the lives of their citizens. Advances they can exploit
include cheap solar energy for portable applications; means to purify water; and rural
wireless communications (RAND, 2006).
Synthesis S&T affects the development of a nation. It enhances local economy, social changes,
political stability, and institutional effectiveness. It supports the energy, agriculture,
fisheries, communication, transportation, military, education, and health sector
development that lead to national progress. Countries, both the developed and
developing, have to depend on S&T for national development. If countries do not
prioritize S&T in their national development programs, then their progress only become
minimal. The advancement in S&T is synonymous to the modernity of a nation.
Evaluation  ESSAYS
1. What is nation-building? Discuss the different components of nation-building.
2. Discuss the importance of S&T to a nation’s sectoral development. Use the sectors
you have identified to form the word “SCIENCE” in the Activity part. Example:
Sector Importance of S&T

S – Service S&T have shortened the time of processing and release of
documents through computerization
C – Cultural S&T have helped preserve artifacts of national heritage
....
3. Describe the status of S&T in any four (4) countries that you have identified in the
Activity part. State whether the country is developed or developing. Example:
Country Development Status Status of Science and Technology (S&T)

T – Turkey Borderline (between Centralized; responsibility of universities
developed and and research institutes
developing)
E – Ethiopia Developing Has a national S&T and innovation policy
…
…

27
Enrichment You may access online the following articles and videos and have a reflection:
• Globalization of Science and Technology

https://www.nap.edu/read/18816/chapter/3
• What Is the Role of Science in Developing Countries by Jose Goldemberg

http://www.ub.edu/prometheus21/articulos/obsprometheus/goldemberg1140.pdf
• Science, Technology, and Development by F.K.A. Allotey

http://www.math.buffalo.edu/mad/physics/allotey.science.technology.pdf
• What is nation-building? (Video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EocVaEQOus8
References 1. Çalışkanaa, H. K. (2015). Technological change and economic growth. Procedia-Social

and Behavioral Sciences, 195, 649-654.
2. Government of New Brunswick (2009). Economic and Social Inclusion Corporation.

Retrieved from:
https://www2.gnb.ca/content/gnb/en/departments/
esic/overview/content/what_is_social_development.html
3. Japan National Research Council (1995). Maximizing US Interests in Science and

Technology Relations with Japan. Retrieved from:
https://www.nap.edu/read/5850/chapter/5
4. Khan, T. A. (2019). How technology can and (does) improve education. Retrieved from:
https://www.trustradius.com/buyer-blog/how-technology-improves-education
5. Li, B. & Piachaud, D. (2019). Technological innovations and social development in Asia.
6. Myint, H. and Krueger, A. O. (2016). Economic Development. Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.

Retrieved from:
https://www.britannica.com/topic/economic-development
7. Mylonas, H. (2019). Nation-building. Oxford Bibliographies Online. Retrieved from:

https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/ obo-9780199743292/obo-
9780199743292-0217.xml
8. Neureiter, N. P. (2003). Science and Technology in Foreign Policy. Retrieved from:

https://issues.org/p_neureiter/
9. Prajapati, V. (2020). How technology helps to improve communication.

Retrieved from: https://www.techprevue.com/technology-helps-improve-communication/
10. Pujari, S. (2016). Importance of science and technology in national development web log
post. Retrieved from: http://sciencetechnoinfo.blogspot.com/2016/02/
11. Ortis, F. (2019). How technology can help transform the fishing industry. Retrieved from:
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/how-technology- can-help-transform-fishing-industry
12. Research and Development (RAND) Corporation (2006), Advanced Countries will Benefit
most from Progress in Technology, with Lesser Benefits to Other Nations. Retrieved from:
https://www.rand.org/news/press/2006/06/01.html
13. Stephenson, C. (2005). Nation-building Beyond Intractability. Eds. Guy Burgess and Heidi
Burgess. Retrieved from:
https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/nation_building/%3B
14. Tan, J. (2018). How does technology affect transportation? Retrieved from:
https://www.quora.com/How-does-technology-affect-transportation
15. Taylor, M. Z. (2016). The politics of innovation: Why some countries are better than others
at science and technology. Oxford University Press

28
WEEK 4
Title Science and technology and nation-building (Part II)
Topic Letter C (General Concepts and STS Historical Development)
Duration 3 hours
Overview You have learned in the previous topic that science and technology (S&T) play an
important role in nation-building. This time, you will focus your attention on the S&T of our
beloved country, the Republic of the Philippines. In this topic, you will find that our 1987
Philippine Constitution has a provision for S&T, that we have a government agency and
related agencies in-charge of and supporting the S&T, that we have a national research
and development agenda in S&T to achieve our national development plan, and that we
have our own local human resources in S&T.
1. Cite provisions of the Constitution to the science and technology in the country.
2. Describe the roles of the Department of Science and Technology and its different
attached institutes and related agencies.
3. Explain how science and technology enables the attainment of the Philippine
Development Plan through a harmonized research and development agenda.
4. Name some Filipino national scientists and inventors.
Activity  READINGS
THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

In Filipino and English languages
Provisions to Science and Technology 1
ARTIKULO XIV ARTICLE XIV
EDUKASYON, AGHAM AT Education, Science and Technology,

TEKNOLOHIYA, MGA SINING, KULTURA, Arts, Culture, and Sports
AT SPORTS
Agham at Teknolohiya Science and Technology
SEKSYON 10. Napakahalaga ng agham at SECTION 10. Science and technology

teknolohiya sa pambansang pag-unlad at are essential for national development
pagsulong. Dapat mag-ukol ng priority ang and progress. The State shall give
Estado sa pananaliksik at pagbubuo, priority to research and development,
imbensyon, inobasyon, at sa invention, innovation, and their
pagpapasagamit ng mga ito; at sa utilization; and to science and
edukasyon, pagsasanay at mga lingkurang technology education, training, and
pang-agham at panteknolohiya. Dapat services. It shall support indigenous,
suportahan nito ang mga kakayahang appropriate, and self-reliant scientific
siyentipiko at teknolohikal na katutubo, and technological capabilities, and their
angkop at umaasa sa sariling kakayahan at application to the country’s productive
ang kanilang kabagayan sa mga sistemang systems and national life.
pamproduksyon at pambansang
kapamuhayang pambansa.

29
SEKSYON 11. Maaaring magtadhana ang SECTION 11. The Congress may
Kongreso para sa mga insentibo, kasama provide for incentives, including tax
ang mga kabawasan sa buwis, upang deductions, to encourage private
maganyak ang paglahok na pribado sa mga participation in programs of basic and
programa ng batayan at gamiting applied scientific research.
pananaliksik na siyentipiko. Dapat Scholarships, grants-in-aid, or other
magkaloob ng mga scholarship, kaloob-na- forms of incentives shall be provided to
tulong, o iba pang mga anyo ng mga deserving science students,
insentibo sa mga karapatdapat na researchers, scientists, inventors,
estudyante sa agham, mga mananaliksik, technologists, and specially gifted
mga scientist, mga imbentor, mga citizens.
technologist, at mga mamamayang may
natatanging likas na talino.
SEKSYON 12. Dapat regulahin ng Estado SECTION 12. The State shall regulate
ang paglilipat at itaguyod ang pag-aangkop the transfer and promote the adaptation
ng teknolohiya mula sa lahat ng batis para of technology from all sources for the
sa pambansang pakapkinabangan. Dapat national benefit. It shall encourage the
pasiglahin nito ang pinakamalawak na widest participation of private groups,
paglahok ng mga pribadong pangkat, mga local governments, and community-
pamahalaang lokal, at mga organisasyong based organizations in the generation
salig-pamayanan sapglikha, at and utilization of science and
pagsasagamit ng agham at teknolohiya. technology.
SEKSYON 13. Dapat pangalagaan at SECTION 13. The State shall protect
seguruhin ng Estado ang mga eksklusibong and secure the exclusive rights of
karapatan ng mga scientist, mga imbentor scientists, inventors, artists, and other
mga artist at iba pang mga mamamayang gifted citizens to their intellectual
may likas na talino sa kanilang ari at mga property and creations, particularly
likhang intelektwal, lalo na kung kapaki- when beneficial to the people, for such
pakinabang sa sambayanan para sa period as may be provided by law.
panahong maaaring itakda ng batas.
Department of Science and Technology (DOST)
The Department of Science and Technology is the primary science and technology agency
of the Philippines. DOST is responsible for providing central direction, leadership, and
coordination of all scientific and technological activities, formulating activities, programs,
and projects to support national development.
Originally, it was named National Science Development Board (NSDB) created on June
13, 1958 under the presidency of Carlos P. Garcia. Later, it was reorganized as the
National Science and Technology Authority (NSTA) on March 17, 1982 under the
presidency of Ferdinand E. Marcos. Eventually, it was elevated to cabinet level upon
Executive Order No. 128 by then President Corazon C. Aquino on January 30, 1987 and
was renamed the Department of Science and Technology.
DOST is composed of councils and agencies with specific scope and responsibilities2:
• sectoral planning council
• research and development institutes
• S&T service institutes
• collegial bodies
• regional offices
• provincial S&T centers

30
Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research
and Development (PCIEERD)
The central agency in the formulation of policies, plans, and programs as
well as in the implementation of strategies in the industry, energy, and
emerging technology sectors.
Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD)

The central agency that formulates policies, plans, programs, project, and
strategies for health S&T development, allocates government and external
funds for R&D, monitors R&D projects, and generates external funds.
Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research

and Development (PCAARRD)
The central agency that formulates policies, plans, and programs for R&D in
agriculture, aquatic, and natural resources, coordinates and monitors R&D
efforts, allocates government and external funds for R&D, and generates
resources to support its programs.
Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI)

Undertakes research and development activities aimed at strengthening
and modernizing Information and Communications Technology and
microelectronics and dedicates itself to delivering technology solutions in
support of a productive and resilient Filipino society.
Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI)

Develops nutritious, safe, and affordable food products and transfers this
technology to entrepreneur for their commercial production and
distribution.
Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI)

Conducts research and development on wood and non-wood forest
products, transfer technologies, and provide technical services and
trainings.
Industrial Technology Development Institute (ITDI)

Undertakes technical services such as standardization, analysis, and
calibration, transfers research results directly to end-users or via linkages
with other government agencies, conducts training, and provides technical
advisory and consultancy to industry and end-users.
Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC)

Provides metals and engineering industry with professional management
and technical expertise, training of engineers and technicians, information
exchange, trade accreditation services, quality control and testing of metal
products, R&D, and business economics advisory services.
Philippine Nuclear Research Institute (PNRI)

Undertakes R&D activities in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, institutes
regulations on the said uses, and carries out enforcement of said regulations
to protect the health and safety of radiation workers and the general public.
Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI)

Conducts R&D for the textile industry sector, undertakes transfer of
completed researches to end-users or via linkage units of other government
agencies, undertakes technical services, and provides training programs.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services

Administration (PAGASA)
Provides flood and typhoon warnings, public weather forecasts and
advisories, meteorological, astronomical, climatological, and other
specialized information and services for the protection of life and property
and in support of economic productivity and sustainable development.

31
Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS)

Mitigate disasters that may arise from volcanic eruptions, earthquakes,
tsunami, and other related geotectonic phenomena.
Philippine Science High School System

Provides scholarship to students with high aptitude in science and
mathematics, prepares its students for careers in Science and Technology,
and contributes to nation-building by helping the country attain a critical
mass of professionals and leaders in S&T.
Science Education Institute (SEI)

Accelerates the development of S&T human resources of the country by
administering undergraduate and graduate scholarships and advanced
specialized trainings, promotes S&T culture, and develop innovative science
education innovative programs.
Science and Technology Information Institute (STII)

Establishes a science and technology databank and library, disseminate
science and technology information, and undertakes training on science
and technology information.
Technology Application and Promotion Institute (TAPI)

Promotes the commercialization of technologies and market the services of
other operating units of the DOST.
National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST)

Recognizes outstanding achievements in science and technology, provides
meaningful incentives to those engaged in scientific and technological
researches, and advises the President and the Cabinet on matters related
to science and technology.
National Research Council of the Philippines (NCRP)

Promotes frontier and problem-oriented researches in the sciences and
humanities that provide solutions to pressing and anticipated national
issues and seeks an enabling environment where members can
continuously generate new knowledge and exemplary researches as well as
mentor future members.
AmBisyon Natin 2040: The Vision, Our Ambition3
On October 11, 2016, President Rodrigo R. Duterte signed Executive Order No. 5, s. 2016
approving and adopting the 25- year long-term vision entitled AmBisyon Natin 2040 as a
guide for development planning. According to EO 5, the Philippine Development Plan
2017-2022 (PDP 2017- 2022) and the succeeding PDPs until 2040 shall be anchored
on AmBisyon Natin 2040. In its preamble, EO 5 recognizes the need for a “bold vision and
effective development planning” based on a “forward-looking approach that goes beyond
a single administration”. It also emphasized the centrality of people in development
planning and their aspirations as requisite for the design of government interventions to
achieve development outcomes.
AmBisyon Natin 2040 is the result of a long-term visioning process that began under the
previous administration in 2015. More than 300 citizens participated in focus group
discussions (FGDs) and close to 10,000 responded to the national survey designed to
gather information about the kind of life Filipinos want for themselves and their children
and what they hope the country would be like in 2040. Technical studies were
commissioned to identify strategic options for realizing the vision articulated by citizens.
The exercise benefitted from the guidance of an advisory committee composed of select
representatives from government, academe, civil society, and the private sector.

32
AmBisyon Natin 2040 represents the collective long-term vision and aspirations of the
Filipino people for themselves and for the country in the next 25 years. It is a vision, not
a plan. A vision presents a picture of the future, a set of personal life goals as well as
ideals for the country; a plan, on the other hand, consists of a set of strategies to achieve
the goals. Plans are contingent on various factors and circumstances, just as routes to a
given destination can vary depending on weather or road conditions. A vision, like a goal
or a destination, remains fixed, at least for the given time horizon. AmBisyon Natin 2040
provides the anchor for the country’s development plans until 2040.
Middle-class aspirations
The Filipinos’ vision for the Philippines in 2040 is a prosperous, predominantly middle-
class society where there is equality of opportunities and poverty has been eradicated. It
will be a society where people live long and healthy lives with a higher life expectancy at
birth of 80 years. Longevity will be enhanced by the ability of individuals and communities
to withstand natural as well as man-made shocks and disasters. With smarter and more
innovative people, the country in 2040 is also envisioned to be a major player in the global
knowledge economy, producing innovative products and processes that are used to make
high-quality goods and services at competitive prices. The Philippines will be a high trust,
more caring, and peaceful society where human security is assured, and government
enjoys the people’s trust because it is clean, efficient, and service-oriented. High trust will
also prevail between the private sector and the government, as well as between and
among peoples. Overall, a high trust society will facilitate official and business
transactions, and smooth interpersonal relations.
On the kind of life that they want for themselves, Filipinos want a life that is strongly
rooted, comfortable, and secure: matatag, maginhawa, at panatag. The terms “strongly-
rooted, comfortable, and secure” used to describe the life envisioned by Filipinos by 2040
reveal middle-class aspirations. They include home ownership, a steady source of income
to support family and self, college education for the children, a motor vehicle, stable
finances to cover daily needs and contingencies, savings for retirement, and time for
vacation and travel. There is also a strong family orientation that underlies the
preferences as reflected in the choice of living and working in the same locality, the desire
for adequate spaces that allow for activities with family and friends, and the desire for
access to convenient and affordable transportation for occasional visits to family and
friends, among other reasons. The same value is reflected in the importance attached to
education. Nearly every Filipino family considers college education a requisite to a decent
job and so aspires to have the children complete a college degree.
Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-20224
The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2017-2022 is the first medium-term plan
anchored on the AmBisyon Natin 2040, consistent with Executive Order No. 5, s.
2016. The priorities are guided by the Duterte Administration’s 0 to 10-point Socio-
economic Agenda, the regional consultations conducted by the various planning
committees, and the social development summits that culminated in the 2022
Agenda: Malasakit at Pagbabago. The goal of the PDP 2017-2022 is to enable Filipinos
to attain a matatag, maginhawa at panatag na buhay. It acknowledges the
accomplishments of the previous administrations, adopts the good practices, and
carefully considers the lessons gleaned from these experiences.
Targets
1. The Philippines will be an upper middle-income country by 2022. In the medium

term, GDP growth is expected to strengthen further to 7-8 percent, in real terms.
This means that the economy will expand by about 50 percent by 2022 from its

33
base in 2016. Per capita income will increase from USD 3,550 in 2015 to at least
USD 5,000 in 2022.
2. Growth will be more inclusive as manifested by a lower poverty incidence in the

rural areas, from 30 percent in 2015 to 20 percent in 2022. Overall poverty rate
will decline from 21.6 percent to 14.0 percent in 2022 – equivalent to lifting
about 6 million Filipinos out of poverty. The proportion of subsistence poor
individuals will fall from 8.1 percent to 5.0 percent. Food inflation will also be
closely monitored, to serve as an early warning indicator on the welfare of the
poor. It should not go beyond the bounds set for overall inflation, which is at 2 to
4 percent.
3. The Philippines will have a high level of human development by 2022. This will be
supported by improvements in education and health outcomes and the significant
increase in incomes.
4. The unemployment rate will decline from the current 5.5 percent to 3-5 percent
in 2022. Assuming a slight increase in labor force participation rate to 64.1
percent, this implies that 950,000 to 1.1 million new jobs will be generated per
year. Youth unemployment rate will decline to about 8 percent from the current
11 percent. In areas outside NCR (AONCR), emphasis will be on improving the
quality of employment. The underemployment rate in AONCR will be reduced to
16-18 percent by 2022.
5. There will be greater trust in government and in society. The indicators for this
will need to be developed and then measured by the Philippine Statistics Authority
for 2017 and 2022.
6. Individuals and communities will be more resilient. It should be noted that the
Philippines ranks fourth in terms of number of natural calamities faced in 1995-
2015. This is on top of risks from human-induced hazards like ideologically
motivated conflict, criminality, house fires, etc. Building up resilience involves
reducing exposure to hazards, mitigating the impact of the risks, and accelerating
recovery if and when the risk materializes. An index will be developed, considering
the interplay of these three components; data will be collected to estimate the
baseline (2018) value and the value in 2022.
7. Filipinos will have greater drive for innovation. As measured by the Global
Innovation Index, the Philippines will rank among the top one-third by 2022 from
being in the top 60 percentile (74 out of 128 economies) in 2016. More
individuals will be encouraged to obtain knowledge or acquire skills and expertise.
There will be more of the youth and adults (aged 15 and up) who will be engaged
in employment, education, or training.
Discussion Our 1987 Philippine Constitution necessitates the assurance of implementing efforts in
utilizing S&T as a tool for advancing the welfare of our nation and improving our condition,
the Filipinos. The Philippine government agencies, specifically the Department of Science
and Technology (DOST), together with its attached institutes and related agencies, play
significant roles in sustaining and promoting S&T for the progress of our nation.
AmBisyon Natin 2040 represents our collective vision as Filipinos over the next 25 years,
articulating that by 2040, we will be a progressive middle-class nation. We will live long,
healthy lives, and will be smart and innovative. Our country will be a high-trust society
where families thrive in vibrant, culturally diverse, yet resilient communities in terms of
calamities and disasters.

34
The Philippine Development Plan (PDP), the present government’s strategic plan to start-
up achieving the AmBisyon Natin 2040, is anchored on three values:
Malasakit. Regain people’s trust in public institutions and cultivate trust among
fellow Flipinos.
Pagbabago. Inequality-reducing transformation through increasing opportunities

for growth of output and income.
Kaunlaran. Increasing potential growth through sustaining and accelerating

economic growth.
To align S&T to the national vision (AmBisyon Natin 2040) and government plans (PDP),
the DOST formulated a Harmonized National R&D Agenda (HNRDA).5
Framework of the Harmonized National R&D Agenda (www.dost.gov.ph)
The HNRDA is divided into five (5) sectors, each having identified priority areas and
programs.
1. National Integrated Basic Research Agenda (NIBRA)

In-charge: National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP)
2. Health
In-charge: Philippine Council for Health Research and Development (PCHRD)
3. Agriculture, Aquatic, and Natural Resources (AANR)

In-charge: Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources
Research and Development (PCAARRD)
4. Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology

In-charge: Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology
Research and Development (PCIEERD).
5. Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (DRR CCA)

In-charge: Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and
Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
(PAGASA)

35
On the other hand, our country honors an individual who has earned distinction in
independent research or has made significant innovative achievements in S&T.
Presidential Decree (PD) 1003 during the time of President Ferdinand E. Marcos created
a National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) to select National Scientists, while
Executive Order (EO) 236 during the time of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo created
the Order of the National Scientist. To date, as of 2020, we have 42 members in the Order
of the National Scientist.6
Name Year Conferred Field of Specialization

1. Juan S. Salcedo, Jr., M.D. (+) 1978 Nutrition and Public Health
2. Alfredo C. Santos, Dr.phil. (+) 1978 Physical Chemistry
3. Gregorio Y. Zara, D.Sc. (+) 1978 Engineering and Inventions
4. Fe Del Mundo, M.D. (+) 1980 Pediatrics
5. Eduardo A. Quisumbing, Ph.D. (+) 1980 Plant Taxonomy, Systematics, and Morphology
6. Geminiano T. de Ocampo, Ph.D. (+) 1982 Ophthalmology
7. Casimiro V. del Rosario, Ph.D (+) 1982 Physics, Astronomy, and Meteorology
8. Gregorio T. Velasquez, Ph.D. (+) 1982 Phycology
9. Francisco M. Fronda, Ph.D. (+) 1983 Animal Husbandry
10. Francisco O. Santos, Ph.D. (++) 1983 Human Nutrition and Agricultural Chemistry
11. Carmen C. Velasquez, Ph.D. (+) 1983 Parasitology
12. Teodoro A. Agoncillo, Litt.D. (++) 1985 Philippine History
13. Encarnacion A. Alzona, Ph.D. (+) 1985 Philippine History
14. Hilario D. G. Lara, M.D., Dr. P.H. (+) 1985 Public Health
15. Julian A. Banzon, Ph.D. (+) 1986 Chemistry
16. Dioscoro L. Umali, Ph.D. (+) 1986 Agriculture and Rural Development
17. Luz Oliveros-Belardo, Ph.D. (+) 1987 Phytochemistry
18. Jose Encarnacion Jr., Ph.D. (+) 1987 Economics
19. Alfredo V. Lagmay, Ph.D. (+) 1988 Experimental Psychology
20. Paolo C. Campos, M.D. (+) 1989 Nuclear Medicine
21. Pedro B. Escuro, Ph.D. (+) 1994 Genetics and Plant Breeding
22. Clara Y. Lim-Sylianco, Ph.D. (+) 1994 Biochemistry and Organic Chemistry
23. Dolores A. Ramirez, Ph.D. 1998 Biochemical Genetics and Cytogenetics
24. Jose R. Velasco, Ph.D. (+) 1998 Plant Physiology
25. Gelia T. Castillo, Ph.D. (+) 1999 Rural Sociology
26. Bienvenido O. Juliano, Ph.D. (+) 2000 Organic Chemistry
27. Clare R. Baltazar, Ph.D. 2001 Systematic Entomology
28. Benito S. Vergara, Ph.D. (+) 2001 Plant Physiology
29. Onofre D. Corpuz, Ph.D. (+) 2004 Political Economics and Government
30. Ricardo M. Lantican, Ph.D. 2005 Plant Breeding
31. Lourdes J. Cruz, Ph.D. 2006 Marine Biology
32. Teodulo M. Topacio, Ph.D. (+) 2008 Veterinary Medicine
33. Mercedes B. Concepcion, Ph.D. 2010 Demography
34. Ernesto O. Domingo, M.D. 2010 Infectious Diseases
35. Perla D. Santos-Ocampo (+) 2010 Pediatrics
36. Raul V. Fabella, Ph.D. 2011 Economics
37. Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J., Ph.D. 2011 Mathematics
38. Angel C. Alcala, Ph.D. 2014 Biological Sciences
39. Ramon C. Barba, Ph.D. 2014 Horticulture
40. Gavino C. Trono, Ph.D. 2014 Marine Biology
41. Edgardo D. Gomez, Ph.D. 2014 Marine Biology
42. Emil Q. Javier, Ph.D. 2019 Plant Breeding and Genetics
Legend: (+) deceased; (++) posthumous conferment
Synthesis The importance of S&T in nation-building is enshrined in our Philippine Constitution. The
DOST has served, and is still serving, to catalyze the country’s S&T capabilities. Its
Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda (HNRDA) have identified
priority areas to set direction in the country’s S&T towards achieving the forward-looking
AmBisyon Natin 2040, a vision of every Filipino in the next 25 years. We are honoring our
scientists who have achieved distinction in their fields in order to encourage fellow
Filipinos to also achieve in S&T.
Yet even though the S&T programs in our country are well-established, we still lag behind
from most countries in the world. For instance, we ranked 55th out of 82 (or at the bottom
33%) countries surveyed in 2018 in terms of technological readiness, which includes
internet access, digital infrastructure, and innovations, such as international patents,
R&D spending, and research infrastructure. But this is already a big leap compared to our
rank 60th in 2013.7 This means that we still have a big room for improvement, as there

36
are still perennial problems in S&T that we need to solve. On top of the list is the so-called
“brain-drain”, wherein our Filipino scientists are leaving the country to serve other
countries due to the offer of higher salaries, better compensation, and better
environment. Another is the poor mathematical and scientific literacy of Filipino high
school students, as reported in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in 2018.8 Indeed,
we have a long, long way to go to advance our local S&T capabilities. The important thing
is, we are making our steps forward, even though little, but forward.
1. What are the provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution to the S&T in our country?
2. How important are DOST and its attached institutes and related agencies to Philippine
nation-building? Give examples.
3. How will the DOST’s Harmonized National R&D Agenda contribute to the attainment
of the middle-class aspirations as stated in AmBisyon Natin 2040 and the targets of
the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022? Give specific examples.
4. Name five (5) members in the Order of the National Scientist and specify their
contributions to S&T in the country.
Enrichment Watch and reflect on “Prometheus Bound” by Agham Nasyunal in YouTube. It is a 30-min
documentary video that tackles the science and technology issues in the Philippines.
References 1. Article XIV of the Philippine Constitution

https://www.tagaloglang.com/article-xiv-philippine-constitution/
2. Department of Science and Technology website

http://www.dost.gov.ph/agency-links.html
3. Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 Chapters. Part I: Introduction, Chapter 1: The Long
View. http://pdp.neda.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/01-06-06-2017.pdf
4. Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 Chapters. Part I: Introduction, Chapter 4: Philippine

Development Plan 2017-2022 Overall Framework. http://pdp.neda.gov.ph/wp-
content/uploads/2017/01/04-06-07-2017.pdf
5. DOST Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda.

http://www.dost.gov.ph/phocadownload/
Downloads/Journals/Approved%20Harmonized%20National%20RD%20Agenda%20%2020
17-2022.pdf
6. List of National Scientist. National Academy of Science and Technology.

https://members.nast.ph/index.php
7. The Economist Intelligence Unit. Preparing for disruption: Technological Readiness Ranking.
http://pages.eiu.com/rs/753-RIQ-438/images/Technological_readiness_report.pdf
8. Reysio-Cruz, M. (2019, December 5). Worst PH ranking in math, science, reading prompts
DepEd review. Inquirer.net. Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1198208/ worst-
ph-ranking-in-math-science-reading-prompts-deped-review#ixzz6TxYii0Sz
9. National Economic and Development Authority (2016). About AmBisyon Natin 2040.
Retrieved from: http://2040.neda.gov.ph/about-ambisyon-natin-2040/

37
WEEK 5
Title The Human Person flourishing in terms of science and technology (Part I)
Topic Letter D (STS and the Human Condition)
Duration 3 hours
Overview This part of the module will discuss about the philosophy of technology. A reaction
article is presented in the activity for you to read. It discusses the salient points on an
essay written by a renowned philosopher on the essence of technology. In this topic,
you will reflect on the philosophical views concerning technology.
1. Discuss the philosophical views on technology.

2. Analyze the relationship of technology and the human person.
3. Recognize the dangers of the controlling power of technology over humans.
Activity  ARTICLE READING
Reading Heidegger: The Question Concerning Technology1
Martin Heidegger
(from Hope Wilson blogpost @ sites.psu.edu/philosophyandeverydaylife)
Heidegger was one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century. Technology
was an important element in his work: for Heidegger, technology was the key to
understanding our current time. Especially his text ‘The Question Concerning
Technology’ (1954, English Translation 1977), which has been very influential in
philosophy of technology.
Three claims
As we just heard, Heidegger’s analysis of technology in The Question Concerning

Technology consists of three main ‘claims’: (1) technology is “not an instrument”, it is
a way of understanding the world; (2) technology is “not a human activity”, but develops
beyond human control; and (3) technology is “the highest danger”, risking us to only
see the world through technological thinking.
Heidegger is a notoriously difficult philosopher to read. We think, however, that it will

still be valuable to present you with a piece of his original writing. The following

38
fragment presents Heidegger’s analysis of what technology is, and how it is positioned
in our world:
“Technology is not equivalent to the essence of technology. When we are seeking the
essence of “tree,” we have to become aware that that which pervades every tree, as
tree, is not itself a tree that can be encountered among all the other trees.
Likewise, the essence of technology is by no means anything technological. Thus, we

shall never experience our relationship to the essence of technology so long as we
merely conceive and push forward the technological, put up with it, or evade it.
Everywhere we remain unfree and chained to technology, whether we passionately
affirm or deny it. But we are delivered over to it in the worst possible way when we
regard it as something neutral; for this conception of it, to which today we particularly
like to do homage, makes us utterly blind to the essence of technology.
According to ancient doctrine, the essence of a thing is considered to be what the thing
is. We ask the question concerning technology when we ask what it is. Everyone knows
the two statements that answer our question. One says: Technology is a means to an
end. The other says: Technology is a human activity. The two definitions of technology
belong together. For to posit ends and procure and utilize the means to them is a
human activity. The manufacture and utilization of equipment, tools, and machines, the
manufactured and used things themselves, and the needs and ends that they serve,
all belong to what technology is. The whole complex of these contrivances is technology.
Technology itself is a contrivance, or, in Latin, an instrumentum.
The current conception of technology, according to which it is a means and a human

activity, can therefore be called the instrumental and anthropological definition of
technology.
Who would ever deny that it is correct? It is in obvious conformity with what we are
envisioning when we talk about technology. The instrumental definition of technology
is indeed so uncannily correct that it even holds for modern technology, of which, in
other respects, we maintain with some justification that it is, in contrast to the older
handwork technology, something completely different and therefore new. Even the
power plant with its turbines and generators is a man-made means to an end
established by man. Even the jet aircraft and the high-frequency apparatus are means
to ends. A radar station is of course less simple than a weather vane. To be sure, the
construction of a high-frequency apparatus requires the interlocking of various
processes of technical-industrial production. And certainly, a sawmill in a secluded
valley of the Black Forest is a primitive means compared with the hydroelectric plant in
the Rhine River.
But this much remains correct: modern technology too is a means to an end. That is
why the instrumental conception of technology conditions every attempt to bring man
into the right relation to technology. Everything depends on our manipulating
technology in the proper manner as a means. We will, as we say, “get” technology
“spiritually in hand.” We will master it. The will to mastery becomes all the more urgent
the more technology threatens to slip from human control.
But suppose now that technology were no mere means, how would it stand with the will
to master it? Yet we said, did we not, that the instrumental definition of technology is
correct? To be sure. The correct always fixes upon something pertinent in whatever is
under consideration. However, in order to be correct, this fixing by no means needs to
uncover the thing in question in its essence. Only at the point where such an uncovering
happens does the true come to pass. For that reason, the merely correct is not yet the
true. Only the true brings us into a free relationship with that which concerns us from

39
out of its essence. Accordingly, the correct instrumental definition of technology still
does not show us technology’s essence. In order that we may arrive at this, or at least
come close to it, we must seek the true by way of the correct. We must ask: What is the
instrumental itself? Within what do such things as means and end belong?”
Reference
Heidegger, Martin. “The question concerning technology (W. Lovitt, Trans.) The question
concerning technology: and other essays (pp. 3-35).” (1977).
Discussion Technology has become a subject of philosophers. To this day, there are several
philosophical views on technology. They include:
1. Aristotelianism (Aristotle)
According to Aristotle, technology is basically a means to an end. It is organizing
techniques in order to meet the demand that is being posed by humans. It is
primarily concerned with the product and will be judged as either good or bad based
on the value given to the product which is based on its use and effect to the society.
Aristotle’s Four Causes

1. Causa Materialis or the Material Cause – the material by which it is made of
2. Causa Formalis or the Formal Cause – the form or shape of the material
3. Causa Finalis or the Final Cause – the purpose or the primary use of the
material
4. Causa Efficiens or the Efficient Cause – the agent that has caused for the
material to come about
2. Technological Pessimism (Jacques Ellul – French Philosopher, 1912-1994)

Ellul believes that technology has become a way of life. The said techniques have
become a framework which humans cannot escape. He has several pessimistic
arguments, such as technology progress having a price to pay, it creates more
problems, damaging effects, and as well as unpredictable devastating effects.
3. Technological Optimism (strongly supported by technologists and engineers)

If there is a pessimist side, then there is also the optimist side. This philosophy
believes that technology can alleviate all the difficulties and provide solutions for
problems that may come. Technological problems may rise but technology will still
be the solution. Technology is the supreme authority on everything.
4. Existentialism (Martin Heidegger)

This is the view on the article read above in the activity. This view basically
investigates on the meaning of existence or being and is always faced with the
selection one must make with which the existent will commit himself to. It believes
that the real essence of technology lies in “enframing” - the gathering of the setting
which challenges man to bring the unconcealed to unconcealment. In other words,
technology is a way of revealing.
Martin Heidegger’s Views on Technology
Martin Heidegger (1889-1996) is a well-known German philosopher. He questioned the

Aristotelian and Ellulian definitions of technology (a means to an end, a human activity).
Technology has been instrumentally viewed as the same in all periods of time, geared
towards meeting a human need. It invites man to a continual desire to master it which
unconsciously making it go out of hand. Everything depends on manipulating
technology in a proper manner as a means.

40
But for Heidegger, the real essence of technology is found in enframing. It is the
continuous bringing forth of the concealed to unconcealment - a non-stop revealing. It
continues to demand for something to be brought out into the open. The concealed is
calling out for someone to set upon and act upon to unconceal the concealed.
For modern technology, Heidegger viewed it as being revealed by challenging nature

instead of bringing forth. it is setting upon challenges or demands on nature in order to
a) unlock and expose, carrying the idea that nature will not reveal itself unless challenge
is set upon it; and b) stock pile for future use, aiming to meet the future demands.
What is the essence of technology? This gathering of the setting-upon which challenges
man to bring the unconcealed to unconcealment, called enframing by Heidegger, also
shows the essence of technology. Enframing is basically putting in order whatever is
presented to the man who sets upon the unconcealed. Man cannot set himself upon
unconcealment without unconcealment’s call and the unconcealed will not go into
unconcealment without the man responding to its call.
However, there are also dangers in non-stop revealing. Revealing opens up a

relationship between man and the world, but an opening up of something means a
closing down of something, which means as something is revealed another is
concealed. An example given by Heidegger on this is the closing off of a cause-effect
understanding of reality when an understanding of God as something mysterious and
holy opens; but God is reduced to ‘the god of the philosophers.’
Another danger is when man falls into a misinterpretation of that which is presented
into him. That is, when he sees himself in the object before him rather that seeing the
object itself. This happens when he starts to believe that everything in the human
condition can be answered by technology and that even man’s happiness is dependent
on the continuous modernization of technology.
Synthesis When one looks around now, s/he will see that people tend to find their happiness in
the works of modern technology. Smart phones, tablets, laptops, etc. that come in
different shapes and sizes with distinct features seem to be the measure of a person’s
value. Social media has also affected the lives of many. Face-to-face social interactions
are being lessened and people keep working hard to update their gadgets. There seems
to be no contentment as every time a new product is released. People find another
need that can only be answered by a new product. These new products also tend to
replace people in the society as the demand for manual labors is becoming less and
less because of the availability of machineries.
This human condition is not of without hope. Heidegger argued that this can be
prevented if people will not allow themselves to be overwhelmed with the enframing
that they were set upon but should pause for a while and reflect on the value of what
is presented before them. A balance has to struck between technology being
instrumental and being anthropological. One has to understand that technology does
not only concern the means but also the end. “The end does not justify the means,” as
the saying goes. For Heidegger, the solution for this is that people should not be
controlling and manipulative of what they were set upon but to also allow nature to
reveal itself. With this, according to Heidegger, people will have a free relationship with
technology.

41
1. It was said that technological advances have provided immense improvements in

our lives, but often with hidden cost. How does Heidegger’s arguments relate to
this?
2. Technology as a way of revealing has something to do with the concept of unlocking

and stocking. How is this so?
3. How can you as a student help spread awareness about the dangers of technology
in such a way that technology is not condemned in the process?
Enrichment Visit Sam Harris’ Home of the Making Sense Podcast and listen to the topic on “What
is Technology Doing to Us?” (https://samharris.org/podcasts/what-is-technology-
doing-to-us/). Reflect on the relationship of scientific and technological progress and
human flourishing based on the statements of Mr. Harris.
Mr. Sam Harris is a neuroscientist, philosopher, and best-selling author of books

discussing controversial issues and problems of our time.
References 1. University of Twente, The Netherlands. Philosophy of Technology and Design: Shaping the
Relations Between Humans and Technologies, an online course. Reading Heidegger: The
Question Concerning Technology.
https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/philosophy-of-technology/0/steps/26315
2. Alawa, P. (2015). Martin Heigdegger on science and technology. It’s implication to the society.
IOSR Journal of humanities and social sciences (IOSR-JHSS), 12(6), 1-5. Retrieved from
http://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jhss/papers/Vol12-issue6/A01260105.pdf?id=2272
3. Wisecrack. (2015). Is technology dangerous? (Star Wars + Heidegger) – 8-Bit Philosophy

[Video File] Retrieved from htts://www.ypoutube.com/watch?v=1_JOM-sVbKI
4. The School of Life. (2014). PHILOSOPHY – Heidegger [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.yutube.com/watch?v=Br1GrA7XTU
5. Sandler, G. B. (2014, Jan. 9). Existentialism: Martin Heidegger, “The questions concerning
technology” (part 1) [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rsYhOOOw40

42
WEEK 6
Title The Human Person flourishing in terms of science and technology (Part II)
Topic Letter D (STS and the Human Condition)
Duration 3 hours
Overview In the previous week, the philosophical relationship of human person with technology
was discussed. This week, the topic will focus on human flourishing. What is human
flourishing? To give you a broad perspective, another article is presented in the activity
for you to read. It discusses about why societies, especially the rich countries, need to
cut out on growth. In this topic, you will reflect on redefining progress and happiness.
1. Define human flourishing.

2. Reflect on the relationship of scientific and technological progress and human
flourishing.
Forget ‘developing’ poor countries, it’s time to ‘de-develop’ rich countries1

By Jason Hickel
This week, heads of state are gathering in New York to sign the UN’s new sustainable
development goals (SDGs). The main objective is to eradicate poverty by 2030.
Beyoncé, One Direction and Malala are on board. It’s set to be a monumental
international celebration.
Given all the fanfare, one might think the SDGs are about to offer a fresh plan for how
to save the world, but beneath all the hype, it’s business as usual. The main strategy
for eradicating poverty is the same: growth.
Growth has been the main object of development for the past 70 years, despite the fact
that it’s not working. Since 1980, the global economy has grown by 380%, but the
number of people living in poverty on less than $5 (Php 250) a day has increased by
more than 1.1 billion. That’s 17 times the population of Britain. So much for the trickle-
down effect.
Orthodox economists insist that all we need is yet more growth. More progressive types
tell us that we need to shift some of the yields of growth from the richer segments of
the population to the poorer ones, evening things out a bit. Neither approach is
adequate. Why? Because even at current levels of average global consumption, we’re
overshooting our planet’s bio-capacity by more than 50% each year.
In other words, growth isn’t an option anymore – we’ve already grown too much.
Scientists are now telling us that we’re blowing past planetary boundaries at breakneck
speed. And the hard truth is that this global crisis is due almost entirely to
overconsumption in rich countries.
Right now, our planet only has enough resources for each of us to consume 1.8 “global
hectares” annually – a standardized unit that measures resource use and waste. This
figure is roughly what the average person in Ghana or Guatemala consumes. By

43
contrast, people in the US and Canada consume about 8 hectares per person, while
Europeans consume 4.7 hectares – many times their fair share.
What does this mean for our theory of development? Economist Peter Edward argues
that instead of pushing poorer 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
development. We should look at societies where people live long and happy lives at
relatively low levels of income and consumption not as basket cases that need to be
developed towards western models, but as exemplars of efficient living.
How much do we really need to live long and happy lives? In the US, life expectancy is
79 years and GDP per capita is $53,000 (Php 2.65 M). But many countries have
achieved similar life expectancy with a mere fraction of this income. Cuba has a
comparable life expectancy to the US and one of the highest literacy rates in the world
with GDP per capita of only $6,000 (Php 300k) and consumption of only 1.9 hectares
– right at the threshold of ecological sustainability. Similar claims can be made of Peru,
Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Tunisia. (In the Philippines, life expectancy is 69
years old2, GDP per capita is $3,485 or around Php 174k3, and consume 1.1 global
hectares per person4).
Yes, some of the excess income and consumption we see in the rich world yields
improvements in quality of life that are not captured by life expectancy, or even literacy
rates. But even if we look at measures of overall happiness and well-being in addition
to life expectancy, a number of low- and middle-income countries rank highly. Costa
Rica manages to sustain one of the highest happiness indicators and life expectancies
in the world with a per capita income one-fourth that of the US.
In light of this, perhaps we should regard such countries not as underdeveloped, but
rather as appropriately developed. And maybe we need to start calling on rich countries
to justify their excesses.
The idea of “de-developing” rich countries might prove to be a strong rallying cry in the
global south, but it will be tricky to sell to westerners. Tricky, but not impossible.
According to recent consumer research, 70% of people in middle- and high-income
countries believe overconsumption is putting our planet and society at risk. A similar
majority also believe we should strive to buy and own less, and that doing so would not
compromise our happiness. People sense there is something wrong with the dominant
model of economic progress and they are hungry for an alternative narrative.
The problem is that the pundits promoting this kind of transition are using the wrong
language. They use terms such as de-growth, zero growth, or – worst of all – de-
development, which are technically accurate but off-putting for anyone who’s not
already on board. Such terms are repulsive because they run against the deepest
frames we use to think about human progress, and, indeed, the purpose of life itself.
It’s like asking people to stop moving positively through life, to stop learning, improving,
growing.
Negative formulations won’t get us anywhere. The idea of “steady-state” economics is

a step in the right direction and is growing in popularity, but it still doesn’t get the
framing right. We need to reorient ourselves toward a positive future, a truer form of
progress. One that is geared toward quality instead of quantity. One that is more
sophisticated than just accumulating ever increasing amounts of stuff, which doesn’t
make anyone happier anyway. What is certain is that GDP as a measure is not going to
get us there and we need to get rid of it.

44
Perhaps we might take a cue from Latin Americans, who are organizing alternative
visions around the indigenous concept of buen vivir, or good living. The west has its
own tradition of reflection on the good life and it’s time we revive it. Robert and Edward
Skidelsky take us down this road in his book “How Much is Enough?” where they lay
out the possibility of interventions such as banning advertising, a shorter working week
and a basic income, all of which would improve our lives while reducing consumption.
Either we slow down voluntarily, or climate change will do it for us. We can’t go on
ignoring the laws of nature. But rethinking our theory of progress is not only an
ecological imperative, it is also a development one. If we do not act soon, all our hard-
won gains against poverty will evaporate, as food systems collapse, and mass famine
re-emerges to an extent not seen since the 19th century.
This is not about giving anything up. And it’s certainly not about living a life of voluntary
misery or imposing harsh limits on human potential. On the contrary, it’s about reaching
a higher level of understanding and consciousness about what we’re doing here and
why.
About the Author

Jason Hickel is an anthropologist at the London School of Economics.
Follow @jasonhickel on Twitter.
Discussion Human flourishing is defined as an effort to achieve self-actualization and fulfilment

within the context of a larger community of individuals, each with the right to pursue his
or her own such efforts. Humans, just like all organisms, have innate abilities and
characteristics that let them sustain their function and survive in a given environment.
But in the very center of human being is an unexplainable thirst for happiness, serenity,
and fulfilment. This unquenchable thirst towards indefinite bounds of life can only be
sufficed once fulfilled. Why? What is our ultimate desire for living?
The Greek philosopher Aristotle suggested that each man’s life has a purpose, and the
the function of one’s life is to attain that purpose. Happiness is the highest desire and
ambition of all human beings. To achieve it, one must cultivate the highest virtues
within one’s self. Aristotle believed that human beings have a natural desire and
capacity to know and understand the truth, to pursue moral excellence, and to
instantiate their ideals in the world through action. These actions are geared towards
one’s proper and desired end - flourishing, happiness, or “eudaimonia”- a Greek word
which refers to a state of having a good indwelling spirit, or being in a contented state
of being healthy, happy and prosperous. That is our ultimate desire for living.
Synthesis We live in a world where science and technology are the forefront of ever-changing
society. Advances and continuous technological growth are the results of intensified
application of scientific knowledge to deliver progress in the society. Indeed, progress
is inevitable, so is the desire of human to flourish. As scientific and technological
development increasingly play significant roles in human life, eudemonistic orientation
of happiness never ends.
Evaluation  REFLECTION
Sam Harris, a neuroscientist, modern-day philosopher, and best-selling author, said:
“Human well-being is not a random phenomenon. It depends on many factors – ranging

from genetics and neurobiology to sociology and economics. But clearly, there are

45
scientific truths to be known about how we can flourish in this world. Whenever we can
have an impact on the well-being of others, questions of morality apply.”
Give your reflection on the relationship of scientific and technological progress and
human flourishing based on the statement of Sam Harris.
Enrichment Watch and reflect on the following videos in YouTube:
The Magician's Twin: C.S. Lewis and the Case against Scientism
Uploaded by CS Lewis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPeyJvXU68k
Village of the Watermills

One of the short films called ‘Dreams’ by Akiro Kurosawa
Uploaded by James Roy Lesidan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK4mtPQ_THM
References 1. Hickel, J (n.d). Forget ‘developing’ rich countries, its time to ‘de-develop’ rich countries.
Retrieved from the website of THE GUARDIANS: https://www.theguardian.com/global-
development-professionals-network/2015/sep/23/developing-poor-countries-de-develop-
rich-countries-sdgs
2. World Health Rankings. Philippines Life Expectancy. Retrieved from

https://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/philippines-life-expectancy
3. GDP per capita (current US$) – Philippines. The World Bank Data. Retrieved from
https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.PCAP.CD?locations=PH
4. Global Footprint Network. National Footprints Accounts 2019. Retrieved from

http://data.footprintnetwork.org
5. Mabaquiao Jr.,N. (2013). Of essence and being: A look at the two face of phenomenology.
In L. D. Gracia, Exploring Philosophical Terrain (pp.289-292). Quezon City: C&E Publishing
Incorporated.

46
WEEK 7
Title The Good Life
Topic Letter E (STS and the Human Condition)
Duration 3 hours
Overview In the previous topics, Aristotle’s view on the ultimate goal of life is to achieve
happiness. Martin Heidegger (2012) defined happiness as loving one’s life, valuing it
in ways manifested by ample enjoyment and a robust sense of meaning. Achieving
happiness and man’s own desire and needs commonly gives essence for living a good
life. This being described by moral decency and goodness, authenticity, mental health,
self-fulfillment, and meaningfulness.
In this topic, you will have an overall view of the concept of a good life. It focuses on the
attributes of a good life, how it can be achieved, and why is it important for humans to
live a life in accordance with ethical standards and values.
1. Describe what good life is.

2. Examine shared concerns that make up the good life considering ethical standards
in order to determine appropriate decisions to contemporary issues.
Activity  FILLING THE TABLE

Fill in the table below by giving your own examples of five (5) persons living good lives
and your reason why these people are considered to be living a good life.
Persons with a Good Life Reason
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Discussion Living the good life can mean something different for everyone. However, there is still
a general understanding of what this idea entails to most human beings living in the
modern world. It is evident, however, that man’s personal decision and ideas – on
progress, happiness, beliefs, expectations, attitudes, and feelings – are directly
affected by convenience and benefits brought about by science and technology
(Dotson, 2012).

47
“The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a

direction,
not a destination.”
Carl Rogers, American Psychologist (1902-1907)
What is a good life?
The meaning of this term up to the present times remains vague. Philosophers and
thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Immanuel Kant, and Friedrich Nietzche once made the
question of the good life central to their philosophy. Similarly, questions such as, “Is a
meaningful life also a happy one?” and “Is living with happiness, means living a good
life?” are still parts of the debates even among the philosophers.
The most familiar view among people is that of Socrates, who said, “the unexamined
life is not worth living for”. The idea however, of worth living should be filtered with
experience and vice-versa. On the other hand, Aristotle viewed the good life as a life of
relationships. It is man’s nature to seek good life with and for others rather than
experiencing it by himself. He further elucidated the idea of relating the essence of
happiness to achieving well-being and experiencing good life. In relation to
psychological foundations, Steve Mueller (2016), the founder of the Planet of Success
defined the term as:
“…a (desirable) state that is primarily characterized by a high standard of living or the
adherence to ethical and moral laws… As such, the term can both be understood as
the quest for wealth, material possession or luxuries and the quest to create a
worthwhile, honest and meaningful existence.”
A different view on the aspect of life was also presented by an existentialist philosopher,
Martin Heidegger who dealt more on how we live an “authentic life” rather dealing with
the “good life”. For Heidegger, living an authentic life means living with deep
acceptance on the facticity of “death” and resulting to a “life lived according to what it
has clearly decided as its meaning and purpose.” (Corpuz, B. et al., 2016)
These declarations and definitions of good life somehow establish the idea of asking,
“how do we attain meaningful existence?” which eventually will lead to asking for the
meaning of good life. Despite of the fact that philosophers have dealt with these
questions for many years, the world tends to answer the problem of what constitutes
the good life through the modern science. Empirical methods have been devised by
various scientific disciplines for assessing subjective states of happiness and well-
being and providing innovative and advance technology which promotes happy and
meaningful life for modern society.
In the present conditions of human in the society, no one can deny the fact that science
and technology have profound impact on how modern human thinks and appreciate
matter. The desire to feel satisfaction of research and development through genetic
engineering, cloning, and the likes opened endless doors for skeptics.
The unending desire for perfection of altering human condition and productivity, which
is somehow questionable, continues to flourish. The introduction of cybernetics and
nanotechnology which are considered to be the pillars for the success of harmonizing
the function of machines and living organisms exposed the idea of achieving precise

48
and accurate function through it. The promotion of wireless technology revolutionized
the way how humans communicate and interact. These are just some of the conditions
which suggest material things and continuous path towards achieving the indefinite
level of happiness and good living.
One of the concepts studied in positive psychology which may explain different views is
the one of values which are argued to be one of the drivers to reach the good life. Values
such as power, security, tradition, or benevolence are a collection of principles that
guide the selection or evaluation of actions, events, and people and what deem to be
correct and desirable in life (Schwartz, 1992). Values may, to a certain extent,
codetermine what people consider the good life.
Ten Golden Rules

by Michael Soupios and Panos Mourdoukoutas
1. Examine life, engage life with vengeance; always search for new pleasures and
new destinies with your mind. Living life is about examining life through reason
which is nature’s greatest gift to humanity. Reason lets human beings participate
in life; to be human is to think, appraise, and explore the world, discovering new
sources of material and spiritual pleasure.
2. Worry only about the things that are in your control, the things that can be
influenced and changed by your actions, not about the things that are beyond your
capacity to direct or alter. Since people cannot control all of the outcomes they
seek in life, they certainly can control the responses to these outcomes which lies
to their potential for a life that is both happy and fulfilled.
3. Treasure friendship, the reciprocal attachment that fills the need for affiliation.
Friendship cannot be acquired in the marketplace but must be nurtured and
treasured in relations imbued with trust and amity.
4. Experience true pleasure. Avoid shallow and transient pleasures. Keep your life
simple. Seek calming pleasures that contribute to peace of mind. True pleasure is
disciplined and restrained.
5. Master yourself. Resist any external force that might delimit thought and action.
Stop deceiving yourself, believing only what is personally useful and convenient.
Complete liberty necessitates a struggle within, a battle to subdue negative
psychological and spiritual forces that preclude a healthy existence. Self-mastery
requires ruthless candor.
6. Avoid excess. Live life in harmony and balance. Avoid excesses. Even good things
pursued or attained without moderation can become a source of misery and
suffering.
7. Be a responsible human being. Approach yourself with honesty and thoroughness.

Maintain a kind of spiritual hygiene. Stop the blame-shifting for your errors and
shortcomings. Be honest with yourself and be prepared to assume responsibility
and accept consequences.
8. Don’t be a prosperous fool. Prosperity by itself is not a cure-all against an ill-led life
and may be a source of dangerous foolishness. Money is necessary but not a
sufficient condition for the good life.
9. Don’t do evil to others. Evildoing is a dangerous habit, a kind of reflex too quickly
resorted to and too easily justified that has a lasting and damaging effect upon the

49
quest for the good life. Harming others claims two victims – the receiver of the harm
and the victimizer, the one who does harm.
10. Kindness towards others tends to be rewarded. Kindness to others is a good habit
that supports and reinforces the quest for the good life. Helping others bestows a
sense of satisfaction that has two beneficiaries – the beneficiary, the receiver of
the help, and the benefactor, the one who provides the help.
In Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, he examines one of the most central themes to man,
the nature of goodness itself. He asserts that virtue is essential to happiness and to
achieve it, man must live in accordance with the “doctrine of mean” (the balance
between excess and deficiency). It is right to choose the mean and to avoid excess and
deficiency, and that the mean is prescribed by the right principle.
Five ‘Schools of Thought’ are provided in our quest to attain happy and good life:
1. Materialism (Democritus and Leucippus). Matter is what makes attain happiness.

For most people, material wealth would seem to be the primary source of the
meaning of their existence.
2. Hedonism (Epicurus). Life is about obtaining and indulging in pleasure because life
is limited and does not buy the notion of afterlife. Their famous mantra is, ‘Eat,
drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.’
3. Stoicism (Epicurus). To generate happiness, one must learn to distance oneself and
be apathetic. In this world, we should adopt the fact that some things are not within
our control.
4. Theism. The ultimate basis of happiness for theist is the communion with God. Most
people find the meaning of their lives using God as the fulcrum of their existence.
5. Humanism. This school of thought espouses the freedom of man to carve his own
destiny and to legislate his laws, free from the shackles of God to monitor and
control. For humanists, man is the captain of his own ship. They see themselves
not merely as stewards of the creation but as individuals who are in control of
themselves and the world outside them.
As a result of this motivation of the humanist, scientists eventually turned to technology

in order to ease the difficulty of life. Meanwhile, scientists of today are ready to confront
more sophisticated attempts at altering the world for the benefit of humanity.
Synthesis Man is constantly in pursuit of the good life. Every person has his/her perspective when
it comes to what comprises the good life. Throughout history, man has worked hard in
pointing out what amounts to a good and happy life. Some people like the classical
theorists thought that happiness has to do with the soul. The soul, being the seat of
humanity, has to attain a certain balance in order to have a good life, a life of flourishing.
Different views were also explained through the concepts studied in positive psychology
where values are argued to be one of the drivers to reach the good life. At present, we
see multitudes of schools of thought that promise to their own key to finding happiness.
Science and technology have been, for the most part, at the forefront of man’s attempts
at finding this happiness. The only question is whether science is taking the right path
toward attaining what it really means to live a good life.

50
1. What constitutes a ‘good life’ to you?
2. To what extent do scientific advancements impact your idea of a good life?
Enrichment Reflect on the question below. Present your answer by using hashtag (#) and brief
description.
If you were to program the emerging technologies, specifically the intelligent machines,
what morals should you program to these machines? Why?
References 1. Bautista, Denzyl Hubert et al. (2019). Science, Technology, and Society. MUTYA Publishing
House, Inc.
2. Amarille, Anna Theresa, et al. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. MUTYA Publishing
House, Inc.
3. Serafica, Janice Patria, et al. (2018). Science, Technology, and Society. REX Book Store

51
WEEK 8
Title When technology and humanity cross
Topic Letter F (STS and the Human Condition)
Duration 3 hours
Overview This topic will discuss on how scientific and technological advancements affect our
human principles, moral values, and emotions. Science and technology as we know
have impacted our society in a positive way. However, there are also negative impacts
in some development that question our sense of humanity. In this topic, an interesting
article on robotics is presented for you to read and to reflect on. You will realize that
somewhere between technology and humanity, there is a crossroad.
1. Identify scientific and technological advancements that have moral issues.

2. Identify human values affected by scientific and technological advancements.
3. Explain how scientific and technological advancements affect human values.
The ethical dilemmas of robotics1

by Dylan Evans
If the idea of robot ethics sounds like something out of science fiction, think again,
writes Dylan Evans.
Scientists are already beginning to think seriously about the new ethical problems posed
by current developments in robotics.
This week, experts in South Korea said they were drawing up an ethical code to prevent
humans abusing robots, and vice versa. And, a group of leading roboticists called the
European Robotics Network (Euron) has even started lobbying governments for
legislation.
At the top of their list of concerns is safety. Robots were once confined to specialist
applications in industry and the military, where users received extensive training on their
use, but they are increasingly being used by ordinary people.
Robot vacuum cleaners and lawn mowers are already in many homes, and robotic toys
are increasingly popular with children.
As these robots become more intelligent, it will become harder to decide who is
responsible if they injure someone. Is the designer to blame, or the user, or the robot
itself?
Decisions
Software robots - basically, just complicated computer programmes - already make

important financial decisions. Whose fault is it if they make a bad investment?
Isaac Asimov was already thinking about these problems back in the 1940s, when he
developed his famous "three laws of robotics."
He argued that intelligent robots should all be programmed to obey the following three
laws:
• A robot may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being
to come to harm

52
• A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders
would conflict with the First Law
• A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not
conflict with the First or Second Law
These three laws might seem like a good way to keep robots from harming people. But
to a roboticist they pose more problems than they solve. In fact, programming a real
robot to follow the three laws would itself be very difficult.
For a start, the robot would need to be able to tell humans apart from similar-looking
things such as chimpanzees, statues and humanoid robots.
This may be easy for us humans, but it is a very hard problem for robots, as anyone
working in machine vision will tell you.
Robot 'rights'
Similar problems arise with rule two, as the robot would have to be capable of telling an
order apart from a casual request, which would involve more research in the field of
natural language processing.
Asimov's three laws only address the problem of making robots safe, so even if we could
find a way to program robots to follow them, other problems could arise if robots became
sentient.
If robots can feel pain, should they be granted certain rights? If robots develop emotions,
as some experts think they will, should they be allowed to marry humans? Should they
be allowed to own property?
These questions might sound far-fetched, but debates over animal rights would have
seemed equally far-fetched to many people just a few decades ago. Now, however, such
questions are part of mainstream public debate.
And the technology is progressing so fast that it is probably wise to start addressing the
issues now.
One area of robotics that raises some difficult ethical questions, and which is already
developing rapidly, is the field of emotional robotics.
This is the attempt to endow robots with the ability to recognise human expressions of
emotion, and to engage in behaviour that humans readily perceive as emotional.
Humanoid heads with expressive features have become alarmingly lifelike.
David Hanson, an American scientist who once worked for Disney, has developed a
novel form of artificial skin that bunches and wrinkles just like human skin, and the
robot heads he covers in this can smile, frown, and grimace in very human-like ways.
These robots are specifically designed to encourage human beings to form emotional
attachments to them. From a commercial point of view, this is a perfectly legitimate way
of increasing sales. But the ethics of robot-human interaction are more murky.
Jaron Lanier, an internet pioneer, has warned of the dangers such technology poses to
our sense of our own humanity. If we see machines as increasingly human-like, will we
come to see ourselves as more machine-like?
Lanier talks of the dangers of "widening the moral circle" too much.
If we grant rights to more and more entities besides ourselves, will we dilute our sense
of our own specialness?
This kind of speculation may miss the point, however. More pressing moral questions
are already being raised by the increasing use of robots in the military.

53
The US military plans to have a fifth of its combat units fully automated by the year
2020. Asimov's laws don't apply to machines which are designed to harm people. When
an army can strike at an enemy with no risk to lives on its own side, it may be less
scrupulous in using force.
If we are to provide intelligent answers to the moral and legal questions raised by the
developments in robotics, lawyers and ethicists will have to work closely alongside the
engineers and scientists developing the technology. And that, of course, will be a
challenge in itself.
About the Author

Dylan Evans is an independent scientist and writer.
Discussion Have you seen a robot in real life? Me, I have not just seen one, but bought one, too.
Not to me, but to my two-year-old nephew during his birthday which happened to be also
Christmas. It was a 24-inch high robot (reaching up to my nephew’s chest at that time)
that can be manipulated by a remote control worn at the wrist. It can be moved forward
and backward, turned around, and talk with matching lights and other sounds. I was too
fascinated by it that among all the toys in the store, it was really my top pick. The idea
that I can give a robot toy to my nephew made me think that it was a perfect gift. It was
like giving him a playmate in an instant! But could a robot toy assume the role of a being
a playmate to my nephew? Well… I guess it could not, but at least, it is near to that
(haha). When I gave my nephew the gift, I actually saw how innocently stunned he was!
His parents declared it as the “champion” among all the gifts he received. And that
made me again his most favorite uncle – for the second straight year! ^_^
But that was just a robot toy. What more if I could afford to give him a real human-like,
toddler-like robot! I’m not even sure if that even exists. I bet that every kid in the world
would say, “sana all.”
The robot toy I gave to my two-year-old nephew.

It is an E.M.I.G.L.I.O. Robot, version 2015.
In the article you read above, “The ethical dilemmas of robotics,” it talked about how
people, especially in first world countries, or those with the most advanced technologies
like robots, have come to a point where they are already emotionally attached with
robots. Thus, they insist that robots should be given human rights, too, and be treated
with moral and ethical values like humans. How did this come to be?
With incredible advancements in science and technology, there are robots now which
look and act like real human beings. They can have normal conversations, give

54
emotional reactions, while some are even capable of making calculated decisions. The
irony is that the more they become like us humans, the more they also gain our negative
human traits. The possibility to commit error (as the saying goes, ‘to err is human’), the
danger of causing injury or harm, tendency to fail, and so on. The people who want to
grant robots human rights and ethics may also know (and probably fear) what robots
could do eventually. As the article said, they “used to be confined in the industry and
the military”, but now they are in homes. Does having a robot in homes compromise our
domestic safety? That is the dilemma. People want robots in their homes, but they do
not want to take responsibility when these robots do something undesirable or worse,
became dangerous, not just in home but also in the neighborhood.
We know robots to be simply machines. As a machine, it is limited only to what it is

designed or built to do. However, robots are designed to be the most sophisticated
machines, performing and looking like their creator, humans. We know a lot about
robots because we see them in movies and in computer games, the popular ones such
as Iron Man, Star Wars, Transformers… But wait, these are Western movies, right? Was
there a Philippine movie about robots? Or any Filipino movie that has a robot in its cast?
Hmmm… I doubt there was any. I’m afraid I have never seen one yet in Philippine
movies. In foreign movies, yes - and a lot of them! What does this mean? Are robots a
technology too advanced for the Philippines that we cannot even feature one in a movie?
Or maybe, having a robot in the cast is too expensive for us? How about in television
shows, in teleserye? I can only remember one possible robot: Kokey! (Haha). Or was he
an alien and not a robot? I bet this young generation do not even know him. It used to
be a popular comedy-fantasy drama in local primetime television in 2010.
Perhaps, robots are advanced technologies that third-world countries like the
Philippines may still have a hard time to afford developing, especially human-like ones.
But of course, robots, especially mechanical ones, already exist in our country. There is
even a local organization called the Mechatronics and Robotics Society of the
Philippines (MRSP)2, founded in 2006 (relatively young compared to other
organizations), which commit itself to the advancement of robotics technology in our
country. But still, as of the moment, robots have not yet become popular in our local
homes. I mean, do you have a robot in your home? Maybe a robot toy, or a robot mop (I
have seen many of this in online shopping), but what about a human-like, life-size, home
robot? Economically and technologically speaking, we may not be ready yet for home
robots. Once, there was even a local joke about robots that circulated in phone text:
Post by Smileypinoy Blogspot (2015)3

55
Kidding aside, we Filipinos still see robots or any technology for that matter as
something more of having economic, proprietary, and utilitarian values rather than with
emotional attachments just like what people in first world countries have now. The most
advanced robots may have near-human appearance, but we Filipinos still see them as
totally not human. Strictly speaking, if the basic criteria of classifying a thing to be living
is that it should be made up of cells, then robots cannot be living things because they
are made up of metallic, composite metals instead of fragile cells. Also, robots do not
get old like we living things do. But yes, they corrode anyway. They are also not capable
of digestion, or reproduction. However, being human-like makes them more costly than
any other non-living things in the world (or any machine, for that matter).
But what if a “sentient” robot (as the article described), a robot capable of showing
emotions: it can cry, laugh, or say sweet things we’d love to hear – had been developed
and made affordable in the Philippines, will we Filipinos eagerly get one for ourselves?
Will you get one?
I bet certainly, we will. Imagine having a human-like robot, at an affordable price!

Actually, this was what happened with other technologies. Before, only a few people
possess cellular phones, personal computers, cars, and so on, because they were very
expensive. But when they were made affordable, everybody seemed to have owned one!
For example, 20 years ago people can live without smart phones (you know, the one
with big screen and front and back cameras). But when its price dropped, like the
cheapest only costed less than Php 2k, and even had option of paying straight cash or
staggered monthly, everybody now has smart phones! Before, no one can survive a day
without a mobile phone. Now, no one can survive a day without a smart phone! An ever-
evolving mobile phone has become an essential part of everyday life, a basic human
necessity nowadays. Hunt (2017) described how the mobile technology has single-
handedly satisfied all of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs:
From an infographic made by comScore, Inc. shown in Hunt’s article (2017)4
Because we have become dependent on mobile phones for our everyday life, the quality
of life has become fast-paced, just like mobile phones. Everything now needs to run in
one click. We expect immediate reply when we communicate through email, text, or
messaging. Our deadlines became shorter, like minutes or days, not even weeks.
Everything has become virtual, even our social life! Before, we’d like to meet people in
schools, parties, church gatherings, and various places. Now, we meet people online.
We can follow a person’s life wherever on earth s/he lives. We can now gather a lot of
information in just a short span of time. But together with this automation and virtuality,
threats to life also came out, such as privacy breach, distracted driving, phishing, and
many others, even including health risk through radiation.

56
Can we have the same fate when robots also become affordable?
That brings us to the question of Lanier, “if we see machines as increasingly human-
like, will we come to see ourselves as more machine-like?”
Synthesis The ethical dilemmas of robotics involve issues on safety, emotional attachment, and
morality, to name a few. The advancement of science and technology may have brought
improvement and convenience to our lives, but it also challenged our human and social
values.
Science and technology are advancing every single day as there are discoveries,
inventions, and development made each day. Some are considered breakthroughs
which had significantly impacted human life, being able to solve human problems or
changing the way people live. But if these solutions and changes that S&T bring to
human life are continuous and spontaneous, does it unintentionally push the human
society in an evolution towards a new concept of humanity?
Many scholars outside the S&T field predict it that way. They express concern that we
may be losing our sense of humanity to S&T advancements. The idea that a robot or a
gadget becoming “smart” (such as a smart phone) is an indication of a nearing equality
of humans with machines. At present, there is an increasing reliance of humans to
machines; the life of machines still depends on humans. But in the future, it may be
humans who will rely completely on machines. When that happens, we may have to
redefine what being “human” means.
Our country, the Philippines, may not be as technologically advanced as first world
countries, as our capacity to advance depends largely on our economic capability. But
as more and more S&T advancements are being made affordable, in no time will we
also go with the flow with first world countries.
Finally, technology is a human activity and humanity is a human concept. Should we

come to the point where they cross, we will always be reminded that both are man-
made. Therefore, no other being in the world (or in the universe, rather) would be able
to reconcile the two except for man himself. Let us then put our hope in the rationality
and positivity of humankind.
Evaluation  SELF-INVENTORY OF TECHNOLOGIES
1. Make an inventory list (at least 5) of gadgets, devices, appliances, and any
equipment that can be found in your house/apartment where you presently live.
Classify them according to their usefulness to you. Place in one column a list of what
you think are useful to you while in another column a list of those which you think
are useless, but it is still there in your house/apartment anyway. The table on the
next page can be your guide.
2. In your inventory, rank the items in the ‘Useful Technologies’ column according to
their usefulness (rank 1st the most useful). In the same way for the ‘Useless
Technologies’ column, rank the items according to their uselessness (rank 1st the
most useless).

57
Inventory of Technologies in My Residence
Useful Technologies Useless Technologies
Rank Rank
1st 1st
2nd 2nd
3rd 3rd
4th 4th
5th 5th
… ….. ….. …
3. Observe the ranking you gave. Is the rank 1st in your useful technologies a complete
opposite of the rank 1st in your useless technologies? Give your criteria on how you
chose your 1st among the useful and 1st among the useless technologies. Have you
considered safety, emotional attachment, and morality in your ranking, or did you
have other criteria? Explain.
Enrichment The article you read, “The ethical dilemmas of robotics,” is actually one of the two
readings included in the CHED-prescribed STS syllabus. The other one, “Is Google
making us stupid?”5 by Nicholas Carr, is a longer article.
You can Google search and read the article by Nicholas Carr. Reflect on how Internet
has changed a lot of our world, from communication, to business, to culture, and how it
seriously affected people’s way of thinking as discussed in the article.
References 1. Dylan, Evans (March 2007). The ethical dilemmas of robotics. BBC News, Technology
Section. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6432307.stm
2. Mechatronics and Robotics Society of the Philippines. https://www.mrsp-phil.org/
3. Randy, Christopher (March 2015). Robot in the Philippines. Tagalog Jokes.

https://smileypinoy.blogspot.com/2015/03/robot-in-philippines.html
4. Hunt, Gordon (April 18, 2017). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs receives a mobile overhaul.
Gear, Silicon Republic. https://www.siliconrepublic.com/gear/digital-maslows-hierarchy-of-
needs
5. Carr, Nicholas (July/August 2008). Is Google making us stupid? The Atlantic Magazine,
Technology Section. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2008/07/is-google-
making-us-stupid/306868/

58
WEEK 9
MIDTERM EXAMINATION
Duration 2 hours
Instruction Communicate with your instructor for the date of the examination and how the exam
will be administered.

STS Instructional Modules Midterm Coverage

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

STS Instructional Modules Midterm Coverage

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

1

Course Science, Technology, and Society

The Faculty of the Department of Environmental Science

Engr. Bertrand Aldous L. Santillan

Dr. Rita E. Pulmano

Dr. Alma M. Corpuz

Prof. Victor M. Serrano

Mr. Wesley C. Gagarin

Ms. Geraldine R. Gamoso

This instructional material is intended for Tarlac State University students.

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

This course includes mandatory topics on climate change and environmental

Course Outline General Concepts and STS Historical Development

STS and the Human Condition

Specific Issues in STS

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

Week 2 Intellectual revolutions that defined society 14

Week 3 Science and technology and nation-building (Part I) 21

Week 4 Science and technology and nation-building (Part II) 28

STS and the Human Condition

Week 7 The Good Life 46

Week 8 When technology and humanity cross 51

Week 9 Mid-term Examination 58

Week 11 Why the future does not need us (Part II)

Specific Issues in STS

Week 13 Biodiversity and the healthy society (Part I)

Week 14 Biodiversity and the healthy society (Part II)

Week 15 The nanoworld

Week 16 Climate Change

Week 17 Energy Crisis

Week 18 Final Examination

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

Title Historical antecedents in which social considerations changed the course of

Topic Letter A (General Concepts and STS Historical Development)

Objectives At the end of this topic, you should be able to:

1. Describe science, technology, and society and their interactions.

Date Invention or discovery Present Invention

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

Course: BS Environmental Science

Date Invention or discovery Present Invention

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

Scale, branches, and hierarchy of Science (Wikipedia, 2015).

What then is Science and Technology and Society (STS)?

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

Three-way interaction of science, technology, and society (Ihueze et al., 2015).

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

Evolution of technology timeline (by Emily Kesselman at Feathered Hat Studios).

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

References 1. Woodford, Chris. (2008/2019) Technology timeline. Retrieved from

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

Title Intellectual revolutions that defined society

Topic Letter B (General Concepts and STS Historical Development)

Objectives At the end of this topic, you should be able to:

1. Identify scientists who have made significant impacts in human societies.

Activity  READING AN ARTICLE

Top 10 Greatest Scientists Who Changed the World1

INSTRUCTIONAL MODULES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND SOCIETY (STS)

Regarded as the greatest mathematician ever, Archimedes

Born in Pisa, Italy, Galileo is called the ‘father of modern science’

British citizen Michael Faraday was a son of a blacksmith who