Science, Technology, and Society 8 - The Human Person Flourishing in Terms of Science and Technology

Summary

This video explores the intersection of science, technology, and society, focusing on human flourishing. It delves into two perspectives on happiness: the hedonistic view, which seeks to maximize pleasure and minimize pain, and the eudaimonic view, which defines happiness as self-improvement and intellectual growth. The speaker highlights Aristotle's concept of eudaimonia as the highest form of human flourishing, emphasizing the importance of community in Eastern cultures and individualism in Western cultures. The video concludes by connecting technological advancements with the pursuit of knowledge and self-importance, setting up the next discussion on technology's role in human life.

Takeaways

• 🙂 The video discusses the relationship between science, technology, and human flourishing, focusing on how happiness is viewed in different disciplines.
• 🧠 In psychology, happiness is defined as a mental or emotional state of well-being, ranging from contentment to intense joy.
• 🔬 Neurologically, happiness is seen as the release of hormones in the brain as a reward for behavior that promotes survival.
• 🤔 The question is posed: Is happiness a destination or a journey? Two main views are explored—hedonism and eudaimonia.
• 🌞 Hedonism defines happiness as the absence of suffering, with the purpose of life being to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.
• 🌱 Eudaimonia, rooted in Aristotle's philosophy, defines happiness as the pursuit of becoming a better person through intellectual and spiritual growth.
• 📈 The comparison between hedonia and eudaimonia shows that combining both can lead to a fulfilled life, where purpose and feeling good coexist.
• 🧘‍♂️ Eudaimonia, as a concept of human flourishing, emphasizes that it is the highest good humans can achieve, striving for excellence in human activities.
• 🌍 Human flourishing, as discussed in Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics, involves key components like making the right decisions, friendship, wealth, and power.
• ⚖️ A comparison is made between Eastern and Western conceptions of society: Eastern focuses on community-centric values, while Western prioritizes individual happiness and fulfillment.

Q & A

What is happiness according to psychology?

In psychology, happiness is defined as a mental or emotional state of well-being, characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

How do neurologists view happiness?

Neurologists view happiness as the experience of a flood of hormones released in the brain as a reward for behavior that prolongs survival.

What is the hedonistic view of happiness?

The hedonistic view defines happiness as the opposite of suffering, where the presence of happiness indicates an absence of pain. Hedonists believe the purpose of life is to maximize happiness and minimize misery.

What is eudaimonia, and how does it differ from hedonism?

Eudaimonia, originating from Greek words meaning 'good spirit,' is the pursuit of becoming a better person by challenging oneself intellectually and spiritually. Unlike hedonism, which focuses on pleasure, eudaimonia emphasizes personal growth and flourishing.

How did Aristotle describe eudaimonia?

Aristotle described eudaimonia as the pinnacle of happiness attainable by humans. It is the highest good of human endeavors, representing flourishing, and success as a human being through excellence in human activity.

What is human flourishing according to Aristotle?

Human flourishing, according to Aristotle, is the state of achieving the highest good, where one's life is lived with excellence in human activity. It represents success as a human being and is desired for its own sake.

What are some components of human flourishing?

Components of human flourishing include virtues such as prudence, friendship, wealth, and power. These elements contribute to living a fulfilling and successful life.

How do Eastern and Western societies differ in their conceptions of human flourishing?

Eastern societies focus on community-centric values, where individuals sacrifice for the sake of society. In contrast, Western societies emphasize individual achievement, with a focus on personal growth and eudaimonia as the ultimate goal.

What role does technology play in human flourishing?

Technology is seen as a human activity that excels due to advancements in science. It contributes to human flourishing by enabling discoveries and innovations that improve our knowledge and quality of life.

How has the concept of human flourishing evolved over time?

The concept of human flourishing has changed over time as people developed more comfortable living conditions, explored new places, created products, and amassed wealth. Modern times emphasize globalization, cooperation, and communication as essential aspects of human flourishing.

Outlines

00:00

🤔 Exploring Happiness in Science and Technology

The video introduces the topic of human flourishing through the lens of science and technology, particularly focusing on happiness. It defines happiness in psychology as a mental and emotional state of well-being marked by positive emotions, and neurologically as the brain's reward system triggered by survival-promoting behavior. The question posed is whether happiness is a journey or a destination. Two main views of happiness are discussed: the hedonistic view, which sees happiness as the absence of suffering, and eudaimonia, a Greek term referring to personal growth and intellectual challenge as the path to happiness.

05:01

🌿 Hedonism vs. Eudaimonia: Paths to Fulfillment

A deeper dive into the hedonistic and eudaimonic views of happiness. Hedonists strive to maximize happiness and avoid misery, equating happiness with feeling good. In contrast, eudaimonia focuses on self-improvement, intellectual challenge, and spiritual fulfillment. The concept of eudaimonia, coined by Aristotle, is considered the pinnacle of happiness and an essential aspect of human flourishing. A graph is introduced to compare these two views, illustrating how combining elements of both can lead to a fulfilled life. Aristotle's philosophy emphasizes that eudaimonia is the highest good for humans, a state where all actions aim towards flourishing.

10:03

📜 Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics and Human Flourishing

This paragraph introduces Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, a key philosophical text exploring the components of a good life. Written by Aristotle’s son, Nicomachus, the text outlines the importance of virtues like making the right decisions and pursuing excellence. Other components of flourishing include friendship, wealth, and power. In ancient Greek society, achieving these elements was believed to lead to complete happiness. The concept of 'the good' is also introduced, which ties into human flourishing. Over time, society's understanding of flourishing has evolved, but its core elements, such as cooperation and communication, remain critical.

🌏 Eastern vs. Western Views on Human Flourishing

A comparison is made between Eastern and Western perspectives on human flourishing. Eastern societies, like China and Japan, focus on a community-centric approach where the individual sacrifices for the greater good. Examples include Confucianism and Bushido, which encourage intellectual and spiritual development for the benefit of society. In contrast, the Western perspective, largely influenced by Aristotle’s eudaimonia, centers on individual fulfillment. In the Western view, human flourishing is achieved through personal excellence and individual growth. This comparison highlights the cultural differences in how happiness and flourishing are understood.

🔬 The Role of Research and Technology in Human Progress

The conclusion emphasizes how scientific discoveries, innovations, and research contribute to human knowledge and flourishing. The video touches on the philosopher Martin Heidegger’s idea that technology is a core human activity born out of science. It also references how individuals are constantly seeking to place themselves in the world through research, adding to the broader pool of human knowledge. The pursuit of truth and understanding is framed as an essential part of human flourishing, tying back to earlier discussions on happiness and the good life.

🎥 Closing Remarks and Preview of Next Video

The video wraps up with a thank-you message and a preview of the next topic, which will delve into 'technology as a way of revealing.' The speaker encourages viewers to like and subscribe, and mentions that the slides were adapted for the video format. This concluding section signals a transition to further exploration of technology’s role in human flourishing and its philosophical implications, specifically referencing Heidegger’s ideas on technology.

Keywords

💡Happiness

Happiness is defined differently across various disciplines. In psychology, it refers to a mental or emotional state of well-being, often characterized by positive emotions such as joy or contentment. In a more scientific perspective, like neurology, happiness is the result of hormonal reactions in the brain that reward behaviors linked to survival. The video contrasts these views to explore the role of happiness in human flourishing.

💡Hedonism

Hedonism is the belief that the purpose of life is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. According to this philosophy, happiness is the absence of suffering, and individuals should aim to experience as much pleasure as possible. The video explains how this contrasts with other views of happiness, like eudaimonia, which focuses on personal growth.

💡Eudaimonia

Eudaimonia is a concept derived from Greek philosophy, particularly from Aristotle, which refers to a form of happiness that comes from living a life of virtue and purpose. Unlike hedonism, eudaimonia is about personal growth and achieving excellence in human activity. In the video, it is presented as a key aspect of human flourishing and the highest good one can attain.

💡Human flourishing

Human flourishing refers to the state of living in a way that enables an individual to reach their full potential, often linked to the concept of eudaimonia. It involves intellectual, emotional, and spiritual growth. The video discusses human flourishing as the ultimate goal of both individual and collective actions in society.

💡Science and technology

Science and technology are presented as tools that contribute to human flourishing by increasing comfort, improving life, and enabling the pursuit of knowledge. The video discusses how scientific advancements and technological innovations have allowed humanity to explore more, produce more, and live more comfortably.

💡Aristotle

Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher, is mentioned in the video as the originator of the concept of eudaimonia. His work 'Nicomachean Ethics' outlines the philosophy of living a life of virtue and flourishing, which is central to the video’s discussion on human happiness and the good life.

💡Nicomachean Ethics

Nicomachean Ethics is a philosophical work by Aristotle that explores the nature of happiness and the good life. The video refers to this work to explain the concept of eudaimonia, emphasizing that true happiness comes from virtuous living and personal growth rather than merely seeking pleasure.

💡Community-centric

Community-centric refers to the Eastern perspective of prioritizing the well-being of society over the individual. The video contrasts this approach with the Western focus on individual achievement, explaining that in Eastern societies like China and Japan, individuals are encouraged to sacrifice personal desires for the greater good.

💡Western individualism

Western individualism is the belief that personal achievement and individual happiness are the primary goals of life. The video highlights how Western philosophies, like those of Aristotle, focus on the individual’s journey toward happiness through personal growth and self-actualization, contrasting this with Eastern community-centric values.

💡Martin Heidegger

Martin Heidegger, a German philosopher mentioned in the video, is known for his thoughts on technology and its role in human life. Heidegger views technology as a way of revealing truth and shaping human existence. The video briefly introduces his perspective as part of the discussion on how technology contributes to human flourishing.

Highlights

Happiness in psychology is defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

In neurology, happiness is seen as the release of hormones in the brain as a reward for behavior that promotes survival.

The hedonistic view defines happiness as the opposite of suffering, where the purpose of life is to maximize happiness and minimize misery.

Eudaimonia, from Greek words meaning 'good spirit,' defines happiness as the pursuit of becoming a better person.

Aristotle coined the term 'eudaimonia,' which represents the pinnacle of human happiness and flourishing.

Eudaimonia focuses on intellectual and spiritual growth, challenging oneself to become richer in spirit.

Happiness in eudaimonia is viewed as an end in itself, being pursued for its own sake and resulting in human flourishing.

Human flourishing is the highest goal of human endeavors, characterized by success as a human being through excellence in activity.

Four key components of human flourishing include making the right decisions (prudence), friendship, wealth, and power.

Eastern societies, such as those influenced by Confucianism and Bushido, focus on community-centric human flourishing.

Western societies, following the Aristotelian view, emphasize individual flourishing through eudaimonia.

Coordination and cooperation are emphasized over competition in today's globalized world for human flourishing.

Technological advancements and research contribute to human flourishing by expanding the pool of human knowledge.

Technology, as a human activity, is a result of the pursuit of science and contributes to self-importance and progress.

Human flourishing evolves with time, incorporating new elements as society advances, including comfort, exploration, and wealth.

Transcripts

um in this video we're going to talk

about more on science technology and

society

and in this particular video we're going

to tackle

the topic on the human person

flourishing

in terms of science and technology

so in this topic we may ask the question

well what is happiness

okay so for you what is happiness for

you so in psychology

happiness is a mental thing or

it's an emotional state shall we say of

well-being which can be defined by

positive or pleasant emotions ranging

from contentment

to intense joy so that is in

in the field of psychology that is how

they define

um happiness is two behaviors there

specifically happiness is a cocktail of

emotions

okay shall we say we experience that

when we do something good

or positive okay but to a more

scientific

you know um perspective of it to

neurologists shall we say

happiness is the experience of a flood

of hormones

released in the brain as a reward for

behavior

that prolongs survival okay so that's

um what happiness is in different um

branches

of sciences or study so the quest next

question is that i want to ask you is

that

is happiness a destination or is it a

journey

let's say you right so there are two

main views when we

look at happiness the first view here

is what we call the hedonistic view the

this hedonistic view of well-being is

that happiness

is the opposite the complete opposite of

suffering

okay so the presence of happiness

indicates that there is an absence

of pain okay so that's how they define

and for headness what happiness is

because of this hedonists believe that

the purpose of life

is to maximize happiness and minimize

the bad things or shall we call that

misery

okay in contrary with a hedonistic view

okay we have also one kind of happiness

which we will call

eudaimonia this is a term that combines

the greek words

good and spirit we get good in spirit to

describe

this ideology of what eudaimonia is so

eudaimonia defines happiness as the

pursuit

of becoming a better person there is

the pursuit of becoming a better person

so you the monists shall we call them

do this by challenging themselves

intellectually or engaging in activities

that make them spiritually richer richer

people so let's talk about more on

eudaimonia again it's

from greek words good in spirit so

um from its word itself so we can say

that eudaimonia shall we say it's good

spirited okay from

from the word itself so it was

originally coined by

aristotle okay and this describes the

pinnacle of happiness that is attainable

for us humans it is also one

um very important concept of human

flourishing

that is eudaimonia so to compare

and uh you know see the the perspective

of

hedonists the hedonia and the eudaimonia

i will present this graph here okay

picture not mine

so as you can see here in this in this

um

y-axis and this y variable um feel good

this is headerness what they want

so when you feel good it's either you

will enjoy the sweet life

or the fulfilled life either way

um if it's not so you'll go and get the

void and the dry life

for the you demonia if you felt the

purpose

you will have the fulfilled life and

you'll have the dry life

or the dried life rather so combining

them

the hedonia and the eudaimonia you will

have the fulfilled life

in this quadrant here shall we say okay

so that's the fulfilled life

so according to aristotle the one that

coined the word

there is an end of all the actions that

we perform which we desire

for itself we call that eudaimonia again

it's also called flourishing or

happiness

simple as it is which is desired for its

own sake

with all the other things being desired

okay

your ammonia is a property of one's life

when considered as a whole flourishing

is the highest good

of human endeavors and then towards with

with all actions aim it is success

as a human being and the best life is

one

with excellence in the human activity

that's what the

the the one that that uh you will

experience

if you reach this state of the

eudaimonia

okay and then this is also called

flourishing okay

so specifically since we are human

beings we will call this

human flourishing okay so this

eudaimonia

concept this human flourishing came from

the nicoma nicomachean ethics so this is

these are

philosophical inquiry into the nature of

good life for a human being

this is written actually by aristotle's

son nico marcus that's why

from the name nicomachean ethics so

human flourishing arises as a result of

different components

such as number one we have four furnaces

this is the habit of making the right

decisions and taking the right actions

into context

and the pursuit of excellence for the

common good okay so we called it from

furnaces this is one of the areas okay

or the results

um of the human of human exploration we

also have friendship as one

wealth is one and then power also one so

we have four

okay furthermore um

to further our our

topic in human flourishing in the

ancient greek society

they believe that acquiring this will

surely bring the seekers

happiness complete happiness which in

effect allows them to partake in greater

notion

of what we call the good okay the good

as time changes elements that comprise

human flourishing

have changed we know that people found

means to live more comfortably explore

more places develop more products and

make more

money which is of course one very

important

part now of our daily lives humans of

the day are expected to become

the man of the world because we know

that

we are little by little being you know

becoming

globalized supposed to situate himself

in a global neighborhood the one that i

said

working side by side among institutions

and the government to be able to reach a

common goal

now this times these times competition

as a means of survival has become a

passe

which means it's outdated anymore okay

and coordination is a new trend meaning

helping with each other

you know um cooperation

okay and talking communication with with

others

so that's a new trend instead of

competition this time these days

okay and after this slide we're going to

have this a little bit of comparison

of the eastern and western conception

regarding society

and the human flourishing so we're going

to compare the eastern that is

asia or shall we say um specifically

china and the

other parts here um asia and then the

western part

is you know europe so for the eastern

conception

what is their perspective in society

and the human flourishing their main

focus actually is community-centric

so their their main goal is to have this

community as a whole

individuals should sacrifice for himself

for the sake of society that's how

easterns okay eastern people look at

society in human flourishing at times

um just say for examples are the chinese

confusion system

the japanese bushido and these encourage

studies of literature

sciences and art for greater core

greater cause

so just take note eastern conception is

made mainly

for community centric compared to the

western conception

which is more focused on individual as

we can see

more of our discussion in in human

flourishing especially in eudaimonia

came from the western civilization from

aristotle

so yeah to be to be very clear

we talked about human flourishing as an

end for the western culture

we have this aristotelian view

okay because arizona aristotle rather

is the one that gave us the eudaimonia

in the new commanding

ethics from his son nicomachus

so aims for eudaimonia as the ultimate

goal for the western conception

so we can see here some um comparison

compared to eastern and the western

conception so we have

again eastern is focus focusing on the

community

western is based on individual

okay so what are the main tech

takeouts in this lesson in science

technology and the human flourishing so

let's have the last

parts of the slide every discovery

innovation and success

contributes to our pool of human

knowledge okay

right now technically technical

technically we call this now research

you know in order for us to add

something to that body of knowledge

humans perpetual need to locate himself

the world by finding proofs to trace

evolution

elicits our idea sorry

what's that okay elicits our idea of

self-self-importance

and we have technology is a human

activity now

we excel in as a result of achieving

science so this is

um said by hideger okay this is

he is a german philosopher um martin

hitiger and we're going to talk more of

him in the next video actually

so here good is inaudible truth

okay again good is inherently related to

the truth

so that's it thank you for watching this

video

in the human person flourishing in terms

of science and technology so this is

still part of our

science technology science technology

society playlist

this is the source of the slides i took

okay not really

copied it off but you know edited some

of it

okay and make it um suited for the video

format so thank you for so much for

watching i hope you like and subscribe

this video

and yeah um there will there is going to

be a next video after this that will

talk about technology as a way of

revealing

okay so see you soon thank you so much

bye