STS- Module E. Latest Update with Certified Solutions

STS- Module E. Latest Update with Certified Solutions Martin Heidegger was born on September 26, 1889 in Messkirch, Germany. His academic life started with him studying theology at the University of Freiburg. However, in 1911, he shifted his focus to philosophy. He is most known for his works on phenomenology and existentialism. His Being and Time (1927) is considered as one of the most important works of the 20th century. The Question Concerning Technology by Martin Heidegger Here he draws our attention to technology's place in bringing about our decline by constricting our experience of things as they are. He argues that we now view nature and humans only too technologically, only as raw materials for technical operations. He believes that modern civilization has been shackled. He, however, offers a solution. It does not involve rejecting technology per se, but rather only perceiving its danger. Heidegger argues that technology should be a mode of revealing, something that brings forth truth. For example, when we say the Earth is weeping, this truth could be revealed by the information and data taken by modern devices (McNamara, Valverde and Beleno III, 2018). We bring forth this truth by using our modern devices to measure, for example, the level of pollution in a river. Technology,, in Heidegger's work is a poiesis(to make) that reveals the truth. We use technology to understand our immediate environment and the universe. Take for example the amazing achievement in space science of recent years. We are now able to send satellites and probes that reach the far reaches of the universe. They send data back to Earth that help us understand distant planets and give clues about the origin of the universe. Truly, we have gone a long way from the time the ancient Greeks were merely looking up at the sky and described these planets as "wanderers." poiesis bringing forth (from Ancient Greek: ποίησις) is "the activity in which a person brings something into being that did not exist before Aletheia - Hiddenness or disclosure (revealing something) Techne - skill,art or craft (for producing something) Aristotle - using technology to produce something for a purpose Modern Technology and our relationship with nature In contrast, Heidegger describes modern technology as challenging forth since it is overly aggressive in its activity. It expedites or speeds up the un-concealment of nature. Modern technology gave us the ability to extract minerals from the earth, turn forested lands into agricultural and later commercial lands, we developed plastics and found different uses for it. All of these in the name of meeting human needs and wants. Through technology, we have become overly aggressive in extracting resources from nature and changing the landscape. Kreutzer puts it this way: "Modern technology views Earth as a huge gas station representative of the extraction, drilling and rape of Mother Nature." Modern technology it seems, has also influenced our attitude towards nature. In our lesson on history of science, our ancestors treated river, lakes and seas with respect and built their lives around them. Nature rewarded their efforts and it led to the rise of the major civilizations. But now, we see how we use modern technology to alter and change nature to make way for our needs: deforesting our forest to timber and to make way for plantations and human habitation. The invention of plastics has caused our aquatic resources to be choked with plastic wastes, causing pollution and endangering animal life as well. Plastic pollution as seen on the banks of the Guagua-Pasak River. (Photo by the Department of Biological Sciences) Heidegger also stated that Questioning is the piety of thought. As modern technology brings forth the truth, it can cause us to engage in deep thinking and reflection. As science and technology helps us understand nature, the design of living things, we cannot help but be at awe at the new things we learn. This can cause us to think and ask more questions. This leads us to self-discoveries that lead us to realize our place in the world. Modern Technology and its impact on our relations with one another Remember that time when Nokia, then dominating the cellphone industry goes by the tagline "Connecting people?" Nowadays we see people too busy toying with their gadgets. Friends seated together but instead of enjoying each other's company, are taking advantage of the free Wi-Fi. It has become so common they even coined a term for that, phubbing. Does the situation below look familiar to you? Or people too preoccupied taking the perfect selfie or video while on vacation or in a concert. This, instead of taking in the moment, the experience or enjoying nature. Modern technology has also revolutionized the way we get, share and process information. In this age of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, how did these platforms affect the way we get information, the way we express our opinion and the way we relate with each other? Look at the picture below. Have you seen this photo on the Internet? Technology is usually thought of as that which solves problems. But Heidegger asserts it is something we must question. If our dependence on technology is causing us to overconsume and be aggressive in extracting resources from the environment, if it leads us to be wasteful, if it causes us to pollute our planet, then technology has indeed consumed our humanity. Heidegger is not telling us to reject technology all together. He is just telling us that it should be something that we continuously question Technology should build bridges between us, open means for healthy discussion and exchange of ideas. It should not keep us from effectively communicating with each other. It should not cause us to be trapped in our own rooms, but it should be something that would help us realize our role in life and in the world. How about every now and then, we put down our gadgets or look up from our screens and communicate the old-school way: talk. Let's have meaningful discussions once again. Just like the people in the photo below: Modern technology tends to keep us from seeing artistry and poetry in nature. Enframing tends to block poeisis If we just see technological advances as merely a way to meet our needs or make life easy for us, we fail to appreciate the artistry and the poetry behind these advancements. We must appreciate how that advancement was discovered. As we had discussed in the unit on history of science and technology, there is so much history in the invention of every instrument, gadget, and technology we enjoy today. Many of them were invented or discovered by our ancestors who observed how nature works (example, water clocks, wind and watermills). We fail to appreciate these old technologies and simply declare them as obsolete in favor of a more updated model or instrument. Heidegger proposes art as a way out of this enframing. Art enables us to see the poetry in nature. It causes us to meditate on the role of technology in our life. We stop looking at it merely as a means to an end, as something that we use. This will keep us from being ruled by our technological devices. Confucianism started in the 6th Century BCE in China by Confucius (K'ung-fu-Tze or Master Kong). He is considered as on the greatest philosophers of the Hundred Schools of Thought. Being good means knowing the difference between right and wrong. This causes us to have moral standards and the lack thereof, causes us to do immoral things. The way out of this is to live a life which adheres to an ethical code which also includes the observance of rituals. Being good also means having the tendency to do what is right most especially under difficult situations. ___________ also does not involve believing in one all-powerful being or deity because this may not be enough to cause someone to choose what is right. He instead advocated a strict code of ethics to live a life of peace and prosperity. He called this code the Five Constants and Four Virtues: The core belief of Confucianism is that ___________________ all human beings are essentially good. Five Constants and Four Virtues: [Confucianism] Ren- benevolence Yi- righteousness Li- ritual Zhi- knowledge Xin- integrity Xiao- filial love and piety Zhong- loyalty Jie- contingency Yi- justice/righteousness all equal in their importance(in Five Constants and Four Virtues) , but everything begins with _________________ Filial love and piety meaning everything begins in the family It is in the family that we learn how to be humble and kind. Eventually, what we learn in the family, we also practice in the community. We begin to act with benevolence and kindness towards the world around us- the environment and other people. When this happens, harmony exists in society. Taoism is often associated with the Daode-jin (Tao Te Ching), a text often attributed to Laozi (Lao Tzu) though now we know that he was not along in writing this sometime in the 3rd or 4th Century BCE. One basic belief is on the universal energy of chi. The chi is the life-giving force from the dynamic balance between the yin and the yang. - Yin and Yang Heaven is yang and Earth is yin. The balance between these two forces that allows the chi to flow is believed to be needed to achieve good health, fortune and prosperity. They also believes that man must place his will in harmony with the natural universe. The Tao is a principle which embraces nature. Again, the yin-yang diagram encourages us to work with natural forces, to always deal with life in a natural manner The yin is said to be dark, feminine and passive. The yang is light, masculine and active. The "dao" (Taoism) is a way of path that is the appropriate way to behave and lead others. Zoroastrianism is a monotheistic (one-God) faith established by Zoroaster in Persia between BCE). -Ahura Mazda It is based on the principle that goodness is expressed as Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds. As long as one follows the precepts of Ahura Mazda, one lives a happy, fulfilling life. Not doing so will cause suffering and confusion. This is done by: · Telling the truth always · Being charitable · Showing love for others · Moderation in all things (in way of life, food, etc) Ahura Mazda The God of Zoroastrianism It holds that there is only one supreme being named _____________ who created and sustains everything. One interesting expression of this is how Zoroasters bury their dead Their funerals are quiet and moderate. The corpse is cared for at home. There is also the rite called sagdid or "glance of the dog." A dog is brought into the room to scare away evil spirits. The body is then carried out of the house and placed in structures called Towers of Silence. It is forbidden to allow the body to lay on the ground. On the Towers of Silence, the body is left exposed to the elements, to be picked clean by vultures. Once only the bones are left, these are collected and buried. Laudato Si' is the encyclical letter of Pope Francis on the care of our common home. This is derived from the canticle of Saint Francis of Assisi which reminds us that our common home is like a sister with whom we share our life and a beautiful mother who opens her arms to embrace us. (Francis I, 2015). Here, he expressed his intention to enter a dialogue with all people about our common home and how we should all be united by a common concern: that of the state of our planet. He appealed to bring all of humanity to work together towards sustainable and integral development. Laudato Si', mi Signore means _____________ "praise be to you, my Lord." Catholicism and Laudato Si' He appealed for a new inclusive dialogue on how we are affecting our planet. He mentioned about attitudes that obstruct our vision and prevent us from solving the problem. This ranges from denial of the environmental problems to indifference, giving up that the problem will ever be solved to resting one's confidence on purely scientific solutions. The encyclical also includes a discourse on pressing environmental problems plaguing our planets such as pollution, climate change, waste problem, water crisis, loss of biodiversity and how all of these have led to the decline in our quality of life and also led to inequalities in our society. Environmental problems tend to expose the injustices present in our society, how some vulnerable sectors and communities are deprived of their rights to access basic needs such as food, shelter, and health care. These are the very communities that are often hardest and first to be hit by environmental disasters. He appealed that everyone acknowledges the great contribution of humanity to the deterioration of our environment. In 2016, Pope Francis declared acts of care for our common home as a corporal and spiritual work of mercy. This means that acts of kindness towards the environment is one way to follow Jesus.