STS and Philosophy

• Science is a system of acquiring knowledge based on the Scientific Method, used to solve problems or develop an understanding of nature through observation and experimentation
• Science is an organized, systematic, and methodical activity of building and organizing knowledge about how the universe behaves through observation, experimentation, or both
• Technology refers to methods, systems, and devices resulting from scientific knowledge used for practical purposes, aiming to change the world by creating products that make life easier
• Technology is the application of scientific knowledge, laws, and principles to produce services, materials, tools, and machines aimed at solving real-world problems
• Society is a large group of people living together in an organized way, making decisions and sharing work, grouped by common interests, culture, and institutions
• Science explores for the purpose of knowing, technology explores for the purpose of making something useful, and society explores science and technology for a better life
• Science, Technology, and Society (STS) seeks to engage students to confront the realities brought about by science and technology in society, instilling reflective knowledge for ethical decision-making
• Philosophy of Science is the study of basic ideas about knowledge, truth, right and wrong, religion, and the nature and meaning of life
• Science, Technology, and Society (STS) deals with interactions between science, technology, and social, cultural, political, and economic contexts that shape and are shaped by them
• Science, Technology, and Society (STS) includes mandatory topics on climate change and environmental awareness
• Epistemology focuses on the method and its importance in the formation of knowledge
• Inductive reasoning is a logical process drawing general conclusions based on specific observations or patterns, used to make predictions, form hypotheses, and develop theories
• Hypothetico-deductive method by Karl Hempel states conclusions are determined through rigorous experimentation, emphasizing the importance of quantitative data
• Bayesian Confirmation Theory by Rev. Thomas Bayes provides numerical support to hypotheses, based on probability tools
• Deductive reasoning by Karl Popper requires observations to formulate a problem and solidify the existence of a hypothesis
• Falsificationism by Paul Feyerabend argues there is no scientific method, stating that "anything goes"
• Testing scientific theories involves confirmation and falsification as different strategies, where even accepted theories remain theories
• Scientific Realism states the universe described by science is real regardless of representation, while Antirealism requires undeniable physical evidence for unobservable concepts to be accepted as real
• Realism includes Naive, Structural, and Entity realism, while Antirealism includes Constructive Empiricism, Instrumentalism, and Social Constructivism
• Reductionism to Theoretical Pluralism is the practice of analyzing and describing a complex phenomenon in terms of phenomena representing a simpler level
• The scientific method is a process for conducting scientific research, involving steps like asking a question, doing background research, constructing a hypothesis, testing it with an experiment, analyzing data, and communicating results

  
• Social constructivism argues that every aspect of scientific knowledge is borne out of the collective observations of many
• Reductionism is the practice of analyzing and describing a complex phenomenon in terms of phenomena that represent a simpler or more fundamental level
• Theoretical pluralism, in contrast to reductionism, promotes a multidisciplinary approach to the various fields of science rather than a succession of knowledge in between disciplines
• Religious pluralism is the idea that people of different religious groups live and interact together for the common good, like in India where religious communities do not blend but are identified as separate entities with their own values and beliefs
• Historical antecedents of science and technology are factors that paved the way for the presence of advanced and sophisticated scientific and technological innovations today
• Ancient civilizations paved the way for advances in science and technology, allowing civilization to flourish by finding better ways of communication, transportation, self-organization, and ways of living
• In the ancient period, inventions like the ancient wheel, paper, shadoof for irrigation, aeolipile (Heron’s engine), and gunpowder significantly impacted society and technology
• In the modern ages, the development of the compound microscope, Jacquard loom, engine-powered airplane, first automobile, television, and other inventions revolutionized transportation, communication, and production
• 20th-century inventions by Filipino scientists include the video phone by Gregorio Zara, the water-powered car by Daniel Dingel, and the fluorescent lamp by Agapito Flores
• Time/hyperhistory marks the advancements in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that have made societies entirely dependent on them, impacting the progression of knowledge and mankind
• The history of Philippine science and technology includes periods like the precolonial period, Spanish occupation, American occupation, Japanese period, and the post-war era, each with its own developments and impacts on education and science sectors