HUMAN FLOURISHING

Eudaimonia – often translated as “happiness”, but it actually refers to human flourishing or

living well, not just a state of mind or contentment.

- For Aristotle, it is the highest human good, desirable for its own sake, and
ultimate goal of human life.

2 Ethical Treatises of Aristotle / Views on Eudaimonia

• Nichomachean Ethics
- Emphasizes philosophical contemplation as the highest form of Eudaimonia,
with political action or practical wisdom as secondary.
• Eudemian Ethics
- He suggests Eudaimonia consists of full exercise of both intellectual and
moral virtue.

20th Century – Eudaimonia and virtue ethics were revived in modern philosophy as a more
psychologically realistic alternative to action-based ethical theories like deontology and
consequentialism.

Science, Technology, and Human Flourishing

- Human flourishing is the rational use of one’s talents, abilities, and virtues to
pursue freely chosen values and goals.
- Involves self-actualization, where individuals have the right to pursue their
own growth.
- Science and Technology are important aspects of life that require thoughtful
reflection.

Science as Method of Results

When conducting research, scientists use scientific methods to collect measurable,

empirical evidence in an experiment related to a hypothesis. Steps of scientific method go
something like this:

1. Make an observation
2. Ask questions and gather information
3. Form a hypothesis
 4. Test the hypothesis
5. Analyze data and draw conclusions
6. Reproduce experiment until no discrepancy

Verification Theory

- A sentence must be considered meaningless unless it can be associated with an

observable fact or state of affairs that determines its truth.
- It is advocated by philosophers like Rudolph Carnap.
- This theory emerged from 20th-century logical empiricism.
- However, it faced significant technical challenges and has been largely
rejected, though the broader empiricist idea remains influential.

Falsification Theory

- The action of falsifying an information or a theory. It is the investigation into

fraud or false theory.
- In science studies, falsification can’t even work in principle, because
experiment results is not a simple fact obtained directly from nature.
- For example, when a “theoretical prediction” disagrees with “experimental”
data it shows that there is disagreement between two sets of theories. So we
cannot say that any particular theory is falsified.

Science as Social Endeavor

- Science can’t exist without interaction between people. Modern science relies
heavily on communication and teamwork.
- To understand science, it is important to consider the personalities behind
scientific work, as it is not purely objective or dispassionate.
- The concept of truth in science is fluid, with many ideas evolving over time.

Science and Results

- Results are the most important findings in a study.

➢ Results and Implications
Results are direct outcomes from the study. Implications are the
interpretation of the results, often discussed at the end of a study.
➢ Objective Results
 Results must be objective; it must be stated as derived fact, untainted
by the personal opinion of the scientist reporting.
➢ Statistics
No science is perfect, but statistics allow a scientist to show how close
to perfect he/she can get.

Science as Education

- Science education cultivates students’ curiosity about the world and enhances
scientific thinking.
- The emphasis of science education is to enhance students’ scientific literacy
through investigative activities.

BIODIVERSITY

Biodiversity

- The sum of all the different species of animals, plants, fungi, and microbial
organisms living on Earth and the variety of habitats in which they live in.
- Scientists estimate that more than 10million different species inhabit Earth.
- Humans use at least 40,000 species of plants and animals on a daily basis.
- Healthy ecosystems are vital to life; they regulate many of the chemical and
climatic systems that make available clean air, water, plentiful oxygen.

Benefits of Biodiversity

1. Provisioning services such as food, clean water, timber, fiber, and genetic resources
2. Regulating services such as climate, food, disease, water quality, and pollination
3. Cultural services such as recreational, aesthetic, and spiritual benefits
4. Supporting services such as soil formation, and nutrient cycling

3 TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY

Genetic Diversity
 - Every species on earth is related to every other species through genetic
connections. The more closely related any two species are, the more similar
they will appear. Members of a species share genes, the bits of biochemical
information that determine, in part, how animals look, behave and live.

Species Diversity

- Is a variety of species within a habitat or a region.

- Species richness is the term that describes the number of different species in a
given area.
- The world total is estimated at 5 to 10 million species, though only 1.75
million have been named scientifically so far.

Ecological Diversity

- Is the intricate network of different species present in a local ecosystems and

the dynamic interplay between them.
- An ecosystem consists of organisms from many different species living
together in a region and their connections through the flow of energy,
nutrients, and matter.
- The sun’s radiant energy is converted to chemical energy by plants. That
energy flows through the system when animals eat plants and then are eaten,
in turn, by other animals. Fungi derive energy by decomposing organisms,
which releases nutrients back into the soil.

Ecosystems
- Collection of living components and non-living components that are
connected by energy flow.

4 TYPES OF ECOSYSTEMS

1. Forest Ecosystems
2. Grassland Ecosystems
3. Desert Ecosystems
 4. Aquatic Ecosystems

5 MAJOR THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY

Climate Change

- This shifts ecosystems, affecting the services they provide and the species
they support. For instance, melting ice cuts off polar bears' access to food,
while warming waters contribute to coral reefs' disappearance.

Pollution
- Air, water, and soil pollution harm ecosystems. More than 430 species listed
under the Endangered Species Act were impacted by pollution. Marine plastic
pollution alone has increased tenfold since 1980.

Habitat Loss

- Human activities like deforestation and urbanization destroy habitats. Over

1.6 million square miles of forest habitat have been lost since the 1990s.
Habitat loss affects 80% of Endangered Species Act-listed species.

Overexploitation of Species
- Humans have a history of overhunting species to extinction. Many species,
like the southern sea otter, are at risk due to large-scale harvesting.

Invasive Species
- Non-native species can cause significant damage. Invasive species have
contributed to the decline of over 40% of species listed under the Endangered
Species Act, causing $20 billion in damages annually in the US
 CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate Change

- Defined as statistically significant changes in climate over a long time period.

- The word “climate change” refers to a long-term shift in the climate
- ( temperature, rainfall, extreme weather, etc. )
- According to studies, recent global warming has been caused by high levels
of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere, which primarily emitted as a
results of human activity.

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

- Assess that world’s climate has dramatically changes over the last century.
The global mean surface temperature will rise between 1°C and 3.5°C by
2100 if the current trend continues.

Natural Factors

1. Changes in Earth's orbit

2. Volcanic eruptions

Human Activities
1. Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, gas)

2. Deforestation

3. Pollution

4. Greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane)

Effects
1. Rising sea levels

2. Extreme weather events (heatwaves, droughts, floods)

3. Melting glaciers and polar ice

4. Changes in ecosystems and wildlife habitats