HUMAN FLOURISHING
The Good Life
-it is characterized by happiness that springs from living and doing well. ... both the many and the cultivated call it happiness, and suppose that living well and doing well are the same as being happy (Nicomachean Ethics 1:4).
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
. He examines the common understanding of technology as a neutral instrument under the control of humans.
Human Person
Flourishes and finds meaning in the world that he/she builds
A person's pursuit of good life
He/she may unconsciously acquire, consume, or destroy what the world has to offer
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
Still the enframing is a disclosure. It involves human being ,therefore harbors the possibility of saving power.
Human Person
The bearer and beneficiary of science and technology
The Causa Formalis
The form The shape into which the material enters
Technology as Poeisis:Applicable to Modern Technology?
We no longer need to work with the rhythms of nature because we have learned to control it. We order nature, and extract, process, make ready for consumption, and store what we have forced it to reveal.
The Causa Efficiens
Which brings about the effect that is the finished, actual chalice, in this instance, the silversmith What technology is, when represented as a means, discloses itself when we trace instrumentality back to fourfold causality
Intellectual Virtue
in the main owes its birth and growth to teaching (for which reason it requires experience and time)
ALETHEIA
means unhidden or disclosure
POEISIS
Øis defined as bringing forth For Aristotle - it means making or producing something for a purpose
TECHNE
Øthe root word for technology ( means skill, art, or craft) ØIt is a means of bringing forth something
NICOMACHEAN ETHICS AND MODERN CONCEPTS; ARISTOTLE
-An ancient Greek philosopher -Attempted to explain what the good life is -His definition may be useful in our pursuit of the truth
EUDAIMONIA
-The term used by Ancient Greeks about the good life concept of "living well and doing well" - It came from Greek word 'eu' meaning "good" 'daimon' meaning "spirit" Taken together, it generally refers to the good life which is marked by happiness and excellence
Two Kinds of Virtue
1.Intellectual Virtue - in the main owes its birth and growth to teaching (for which reason it requires experience and time) 2.Moral Virtue - comes about as a result of habit (Nicomachean Ethics 2:1)
(HAPPINESS) On the other hand:
Activities CONTRARY to virtue - DO NOT result in happiness
Heidegger also put forward the ancient Greek concepts of:
Aletheia Poeisis Techne
In Nicomachean Ethics, ARISTOTLE stated:
All human activities aim at some good. Every art and human inquiry, and similarly every action and pursuit, is thought to aim at some good; and for this reason the good has been rightly declared as that at which all things aim (Nicomachean Ethics 2:2).
Medical Research
And ways to prevent illnesses to ensure a good quality life
Science and Technology
Are one of the highest expressions of human faculties They allow us to thrive and flourish in life if we so desire it It may also corrupt a person, but grounding oneself in virtue will help him/her steer clear of danger
HAPPINESS
Defines a good life This happiness, however, is not the kind that comes from sensate pleasures. It is that which comes from living a life of virtue, a life of excellence, manifested from the personal to the global scale
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
Destiny is neither an inevitable fate that descends on humanity nor the result of human willing.
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
Disclosure of destiny and human freedom are one and the same.
Medical Research
Employs the best scientific and technological principles to come up with the cures for diseases
Art as a Way Out of Enframing
Enframing as the mode of revealing modern technology, tends to block - poeisis. In modern technology, the way of revealing is no longer poetic; it is challenging. For example: the watermill is a primitive structure compared to the hydropower plant; or the first iPhone model is just an obsolete piece of machine. People no longer realize how the watermill is more in tune with the rhythms of nature or how much genius went into the building of the first iPhone
VIRTUE
Everyone has the capacity within himself/herself to be good, but he/she also has to be disciplined to make a habit of exercising the good
The Good Life
Everyone is in pursuit of the good life We do certain things because we want to achieve a life which will make us happy and content By studying and working hard, we try to attain this goal not only for ourselves but also for our love ones and the rest of humanity
The good life
Everyone is moving towards the good Completing one's studies, training for a sport, or taking a rest is a good The good is expressed and manifested in many various ways for different persons and circumstances The good life is more than these countless expressions of what is good
HAPPINESS FOR EXAMPLE
Financial stability for one's family The power achieved from winning the elections The harmony and peace as a reward for taking care of the environment - All these and more are pursued for the sake of happiness
Aristotle's conception of the four causes was mechanical. As explained by Heidegger
For centuries, philosophy has taught that there are four causes: 1.The Causa Materialis 2.The Causa Formalis 3.The Causa Finalis 4.The Causa Efficiens
Questioning as the Piety of Thought
For example: it is a known truth that we, human beings and everything around us , are made of the same substances that constitute the stars. Therefore, we actually are stardust It is when we start questioning that we submit ourselves to our thoughts. It is through this process that one builds a way towards knowing the truth of who he/she is as being in this world
SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY
Gives meaning to the life of a person making his/her way in the world
According to Aristotle- HAPPINESS
HAPPINESS -is the ultimate end of human action -It is that which people pursue for its own sake
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
He analyses the notion of instrumentality to reach the truth or the essence of technology- it is traced to causality.
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
He claims for the sciences the aggressive approach to nature that goes well with technology, but poorly with science.
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
He discusses the relation of modern science to the essence of technology-
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
He proposes to get to the true sense via the correct sense
Technology as Poeisis:Applicable to Modern Technology?
Heidegger characterizes modern technology as a challenging forth since it is very aggressive in its activity Modern technology
Human Person Swallowed by Technology
Heidegger further asserted that the "essence of technology is nothing technological" (1977). The essence of technology is not found in the instrumentality and function of machines constructed, but in the significance such technology unfolds He also expressed that the various problems brought about by human's dependence on technology cannot be simply resolved by refusing technology altogether
Art as a Way Out of Enframing
Heidegger proposes art as a way of this enframing. With art, we are better able to see the poetic in nature in reality. It lead us away from calculative thinking and towards meditative thinking Through meditative thinking, we will recognize that nature is art par excellence. Hence, nature is the most poetic
Human Person Swallowed by Technology
Heidegger stated: Thus we shall never experience our relationship to the essence of technology so long as we merely represent and pursue the technological, put up with, 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 as something neutral; for this conception of it, to which today we particularly like to pay homage, make us utterly blind to the essence of technology
Human Person Swallowed by Technology
Holderlin expressed "But where danger is, grows the saving power also." The saving power lies in the essence of technology as technology ESSENCE - is the way in which things are, as that which endures.
Human Person Swallowed by Technology
Humans do not really call the shots on this Earth. If we allow ourselves to get swallowed by modern technology, we lose the essence of who we are as beings in this world. If we are constantly plugged online and no longer have the capacity for authentic personal encounters - then we are truly swallowed by technology.
EUDAIMONIA For example:
If one is a student, then he/she acts to be the best version of a student by studying well and fulfilling the demands of school If one is an athlete, then he/she strives to be the best version of an athlete by training hard as well as joining and winning in sports competitions
Human Person Swallowed by Technology
If we cannot let go of the conveniences and profits brought about by processes and industries that pollute the environment and cause climate change - then technology has consumed our humanity
Technology as a Mode of Revealing
In Martin Heidegger's work, "The question of Technology" he urges us to question technology and see beyond people's common understanding of it.
Enframing: Way of Revealing in Modern Technology
In looking at the world, Heidegger distinguished between calculative thinking and meditative thinking CALCULATIVE THINKING - one orders and puts a system to nature so it can be understood better and controlled MEDITATIVE THINKING - one lets nature reveal itself to him/her without forcing it
Art as a Way Out of Enframing
In the nuclear age, we view nature as a problem to be solved. The calculative thinking in which we perceive nature in a technical and scientific manner is becoming more important in the modern world
THE GOOD LIFE
Is marked by happiness brought about by virtuous human actions and decisions that affect the individual self and the greater community It is characterized by a life of flourishing of oneself and of others
VIRTUE
Is the excellence of character that empowers one to do and be good Such virtue is cultivated with habit and discipline as it is not a one-time deed, but a constant and consistent series of actions
Technology as Poeisis:Applicable to Modern Technology?
It brings about a "setting upon" of the land. Mining is an example of modern technology that challenges forth and brings about the setting upon of land. It extracts minerals from the earth and forcefully assigned the land as a means to fulfill the never ending demands of people
EUDAIMONIA
It is a flourishing life filled with meaningful endeavors that empower the human person to be the best version of himself/herself
HAPPINESS
It is the activities that express virtue that control happiness, and the contrary activities that controls its contrary (Nicomachean Ethics 1:10).
A person's pursuit of good life
It is thus necessary to reflect on the things that truly matter
HAPPINESS FOR EXAMPLE
Making sure that one avoids sugary and processed foods to keep healthy - is an activity that expresses virtue. The resulting health adds to one's well being and happiness
Technology as Poeisis:Applicable to Modern Technology?
Modern technology challenges nature and demands of its resources that are, most of the time, forcibly extracted for human consumption and storage
Technology as Poeisis:Applicable to Modern Technology?
Modern technology may also be a mode of revealing but not as the harmonius bringing forth that is described in his thesis of technology as poeisis
SCIENCE and TECHNOLOGY
Must be taken as part of human life that merits reflective and meditative thinking (according to Martin Heidegger) - a German philosopher
Aristotle
Now such a thing as happiness above all else, is held to be; for this we choose always for itself and never for the sake of something else, but honor, pleasure, reason, and every virtue we choose indeed for themselves, but we choose them also for the sake of happiness, judging that by means of them we shall be happy. Happiness on the other hand, no one chooses for anything other than itself (Nicomachean Ethics 2:7).
Art as a Way Out of Enframing
On the other hand, it is meditative thinking that provides a way for us to remain rooted in the essence of who we are It grounds us so we as not to let our technological devices affect our real core and warp our nature
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
One is the danger that human being reduces itself to standing reserve and in so appearing to have taken total control encounters nothing any more.
Questioning as the Piety of Thought
Piety is associated with being religious For Heidegger, Piety means obedience and submission In addressing what technology has brought for, one cannot help but be submissive to what his/her thoughts and reflections elicit
VIRTUE
Plays a significant role in the living and attainment of the good life It is the constant practice of the good no matter how difficult the circumstances may be
Questioning as the Piety of Thought
Sometimes, thinking brings forth insights that the mind has not yet fully understood or developed. There are times when one's thinking brings forth eureka moments Whatever understanding is found becomes significant because it is evoked by questioning who or what we essentially are in the world
HAPPINESS FOR EXAMPLE
Taking care of the environment through proper waste management which results in a clean environment and adds to people's well-being and happiness These virtuous actions requires discipline and practice
Technology
Technology is a means to an end and Technology is a human activity belongs together
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
Technology is a very particular kind of revealing to, and the description articulates the key terms of Heidegger's philosophy of technology: Modern technology challenges-forth nature to yield treasures to humans; technology sets-upon ( positions and orders) the yields of nature so that they are available and of humans, becoming part of the standing reserve
Technology
Technology itself is a contrivance - in Latin, an instrumentum
The Causa Finalis
The end For example: the sacrificial rite in relation to which the chalice required is determined as to its form and matter;
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
The enframing of technology is destiny.
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 GOOD LIFE
The good life does not happen in a bubble where only one person is flourishing; others have to be in it, too.
Enframing: Way of Revealing in Modern Technology
The human person has the faculty of both calculative and meditative thinking and would do well to use them in synergy Enframing is done because people want security, even if the ordering that happens in enframing is violent and even if the Earth is made as a big gasoline station from which we extract, stockpile, and put in standing-reserve, ready to be used as we see fit
Activities CONTRARY to virtue - DO NOT result in happiness (EXAMPLE)
The lack of discipline in eating unhealthy food eventually makes one sick The lack of concern for the environment destroys the Earth we live in Thus, disregard for virtuous actions, especially for the sake of convenience and gratification, does not contribute to happiness
The Causa Materialis
The material The matter out of which For example: a silver chalice is made
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
The other is the danger that the disclosure of the enframing forecloses every other dispensation and conceals that too is a disclosure.
Enframing: Way of Revealing in Modern Technology
The way of revealing in modern technology is - ENFRAMING. This enframing challenges forth and sets upon nature is a way of looking at reality. In simpler terms - it is as if nature is put in a box or in a frame so that it can be better understood and controlled according to people's desires. Poeisis is concealed in enframing as nature is viewed as an orderable and calculable system of information
The various gadgets, machines, appliances and vehicles are all tools
Their utility lies on providing people with certain good, convenience or knowledge
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
There is a twofold danger to destiny.
To be able to appreciate the fruits of Science and Technology
They must be examined not only for their function and instrumentality but also for their greater impact on humanity as a whole
Heidegger described modern technology as the age of switches, standing, reserve, and stockpiling for its own sake
This observation is manifest in the mechanization and digitization of many aspects of our life - from agriculture to communications and transportation, among many others
Technology as Poeisis:Applicable to Modern Technology?
With modern technology, revealing never comes to an end. The revealing always happens on our own terms as everything is on demand. Information at our fingertips, food harvested even out of season, gravity defied to fly off to space - such is the capacity of the human person
MARTIN HEIDEGGER
begins by portraying his investigation of technology as the building of a path.
Moral Virtue
comes about as a result of habit
MEDITATIVE THINKING
one lets nature reveal itself to him/her without forcing it
CALCULATIVE THINKING
one orders and puts a system to nature so it can be understood better and controlled
In HEIDEGGER'S work -
technology is a poeisis that discloses or reveals the truth
The various gadgets, machines, appliances and vehicles are all tools
that make human lives easier because they serve as a means to an end
