Human Nature, the individual and Society
Individual and Sociability
1: Relationship between Individual and Society:
a) Man is Social Animal
b) Human Life and Society go together
c) Society is biological and psychological need
d) Society is essential condition of human life
2: The sociability of man: Central Problem of Sociology (Fundamental debates in sociology)
a) How man is social animal ?
b) Does man always belong to society?
c) In what sense society belong to us?
d) Who is prior? Individual and Collectivity? Person or group?
e) The conflict between individualism and collectivism: the deepest of ideological divisions
f) Relationship between the individual and society: the recurrent theme of politics and society
G) Essentiality of idea of human nature for all political doctrines, beliefs and debates.
3: Human Nature
Def: Human nature refers to the essential and immutable character of all human beings. It
highlights what is innate, natural, genetic, biological, essential, intrinsic.
a) Selfish or sociable?
b) Rational or Irrational?
c) Essentially moral or basically corrupt?
Vectors which shame human behavior
a) Natural/Innate
b) Nurture/Social Environment (Jean Paul Sartre , rejection of idea of human nature in
determination of human behavior. Existence comes before essence meaning that human beings
enjoy the freedom to define themselves through their own actions and deeds)
End of the argument: Theoretical models are present on both sides but no empirical, scientific,
scientific experimentation and surgical investigation is backed up to their claims.
All models of human nature are normative: in principle untestable.
Nature versus Nurture
1. Human beings reflect society or society reflects human nature
2. Nature: application of biological principles on politics. Popularity of biological
theories of politics in 20th century. Theory of natural Selection by Charles
Darwin. Herbert Spencer, Social Darwinism (success and failure, wealth and
poverty are biologically determined. Influenced classical liberalism and fascist.
Ethologists, Konrad Lorenz and Niko Timbergen (aggression was a natural drive
found in all species, including the human species. Sociobiology and evolutionary
psychology (Social behaviors in terms of biological programming linked to our
supposed evolutionary inheritance. (gene machine) Richard Dawkins (gene
machine. both selfishness and altruism have their origins in biology). These
theories embrace universalism , racialist theories (genetic differences amongst
the races of the world, reflected in their unequal physical, psychological, and
intellectual world. Nazi doctrine of Aryanism, radical feminism (essentialism:
differences are rooted in their essential nature)
3. Nurture: Social environment and experience: Plasticity of human nature. Shift
from biology and sociology. Robert Owen( any general character from the best
to the worst, from the ignorant to the most enlightenment, may be given to any
community. Karl Marx (social being determines the consciousness), Simon De
Beviour (one is not born woman rather becomes woman). Behavioural
Psychologists (I.V Pavlov, John Watson and B.F Skinner) Conditioning
Intellect versus Instinct
1. Intellect: thinking, analysis, rational, calculation
2. Instinct: impulse, instincts, faith and other non rational drives.
3. Intellect: enlightenment : high time of human reason : human beings are
essentially rational creatures. Rene Descartes (I think therefor I am)..reason
driven creatures, enjoy free will and self determination. Plato , enlightened
despotism , liberal thinkers such as JS Mill, Marx and engels (scientific socialism)
4. Critique on reason: dream of an ordered, rational and tolerant world was badly
dented by the persistence of conflict and social deprivation and the emergence
of powerful and seemingly non rational forces such as nationalism and racialism.
5. Instinct: Edmund Burke (endorsed intellectual imperfection of human beings)
Conservatism. Thomas Hobbes (man is driven by non rational appetites
(aversions, fears, hopes, and desires) pessimistic view of human nature. Burke
(naked reason). Konrad Lorenz aggression is a form of biologically adapted
behavior. Sigmund frued, sexual liberation
Competition versus cooperation
1. Competition: self seeking/egoistical
2. Cooperation: naturally sociable and cooperative
What is Individual?
Individual is a single human beings. No, it is: human as independent and meaningful entity:
(unique , distinct, personal identity, universalism (human beings share certain fundamental
characteristics. Leads to unity in diversity( intrinsic composition of human beings)collectivism
for the existence of individuality (actualization and materialization )
Individualism: primacy of individual over anything. Essentiality of
3: Society In Man :
“ Society not only controls our movements, but also shapes our identity, our thought and
emotions. The structure of society become the structure of our own consciousness.”-(PETER
L. BERGER)
“Society is the walls of our imprisonment in history.” ( PETER.L BERGER)
“From it we receive the gift of individuality and in it we express our personality.” ( ROBERT
BIERSTEDT)
4: Necessitation of society: a natural phenomenon
a) Sociological nature of human beings
b) Fulfillment of biological and psychological needs
c) Division of Labour
d) Functional specialization
e) Provision of security
f) Formulation of identity
g)Actualization and development of intellectual maturity
h) Realization of Self
i) Expression of ones personality
j) Social conflicts and their necessity for human progress
k) Scientific advancements and development
l)Growth of individualism and individual liberty
4: Theoratical debate on the relationship between individual and society
a) Social Contract Theory
1) Hobbes
2) Locke
3) Rousseau
b) The Organism theory
1) Plato
2) Aristotle
3) Herbert Spencer
( Analogy)
BODY SOCIETY
a) --Sustaining System a)----Manufacturing areas—agricultural areas
-Mouth-Stomach-intestines
b)—Distributing System b) Communication system—roads etc
--Vessels-artries-heart-viens
c) Regulating system c) government- professionals—bureaucracy
-- Nerve-motor mechanism
