The Human Person Flourishing in Terms of Science and Technology

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the philosophical, ethical, and scientific concepts of human flourishing, technology, and environmental issues from Chapters 4 to 11.

Techne

The Ancient Greek word for "craft" or "skill," representing a combination of art and knowledge.

Poiesis

A term meaning "bringing forth," referring to the process of revealing something hidden into existence.

Enframing (Gestell)

A concept by Martin Heidegger describing how humans view nature and everything around them as usable resources to be controlled.

Human Flourishing

The achievement of happiness, fulfillment, virtue, purpose, and well-being.

Eudaimonia

Aristotle's term for "true happiness," which is achieved through virtue and balance.

Hedonism

A philosophical view where happiness is derived from seeking pleasure and avoiding pain.

Stoicism

A philosophy that focuses on achieving inner peace and happiness through self-control and wisdom.

Materialism

The belief that happiness is achieved through the accumulation of possessions and wealth.

Humanism

A perspective that emphasizes the importance of human dignity and potential.

Existentialism

A philosophy focusing on freedom of choice, individual responsibility, and the creation of meaning in life, associated with Jean-Paul Sartre and Soren Kierkegaard.

Public Good

Resources or services accessible to everyone without reducing availability to others, characterized as being non-excludable and non-rivalrous.

Non-excludable

A characteristic of a public good where no individual can be prevented from using the resource.

Non-rivalrous

A characteristic of a public good where one person's use of the resource does not decrease its availability for others.

Robotics

The field involving the design and use of robots, which raises ethical dilemmas such as job replacement and accountability.

Isaac Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics

1. A robot may not harm a human. 2. A robot must obey humans. 3. A robot must protect itself unless it conflicts with the first two laws.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Machines capable of learning, reasoning, and decision-making, though lacking genuine human compassion.

Johannes Gutenberg

The inventor of the movable printing press around the year $1440$, which led to the mass production of books.

Information Age

The post-Gutenberg period characterized by digital communication, the internet, social media, and globalization.

Digital Divide

The gap between individuals or populations with access to technology and those without it.

Biodiversity

The variety of living organisms in an ecosystem, categorized into genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)

Organisms whose genetic material has been altered using biotechnology, such as Bt corn or golden rice.

Nanotechnology

The manipulation of matter at the nanoscale, specifically between $1-100\,\text{nanometers}$.

Gene Therapy

A medical technique that modifies genes to treat disease by replacing defective genes or inactivating harmful ones.

Somatic Gene Therapy

Gene therapy that targets body cells; the resulting genetic changes are not inherited by offspring.

Germline Gene Therapy

Gene therapy that targets reproductive cells, meaning the genetic changes can be inherited by future generations.

Stem Cells

Cells capable of developing into specialized cells, used in regenerative medicine and tissue repair.

Climate Change

A long-term change in Earth’s temperature and weather patterns caused by the increase of greenhouse gases like $CO_2$.

Energy Crisis

A situation that occurs when the demand for energy exceeds the available supply.