Introduction
to
philosophy
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the lesson, the learner is expected to:
1. Define society;
2. Recognize how individuals form societies;
3. Compare different forms of societies and individualities;
and
4. Evaluate how social systems transform human
relationships as well as how societies transform individual
human beings.
Lesson 4:
Society: What Drives
Human Person to
Establish It
Society is an organized group of people with a
common territory and culture whose members
interact frequently. Furthermore, society is a large
group of people who live together in an organized
way, making decisions about how to do things and
sharing the work that needs to be done.
But then you might popped up the question that other
animals also form groups for survival and mutual
protection, are these form of groups considered as
society? Society being formed by human individuals
is considered unique among all other groups because
the relationship being established and the interaction
towards common good/goal is a way more difficult
and uniquely profound.
Cultural Differences
Culture indicates the flow
of relationship between
society and human
individuals. It is one of
the human natures to
desire and to act
according to some goal
which is commonly the
goal of survival.
When one person meets another person with the
same goal, then it can be considered that they desire
for the common good. Common good may include
peace within the community, clean and safe
environment, efficient public service, etc. With these
common good, humans are required to work together
and to establish relationships with each other, which
results in establishing forms of society. For instance,
family is the basic unit of society.
Through this, infants first relate with their parents or
guardians as the source of basic needs for survival.
As they grow, they expand their connections and
start relating and forming bonds with people outside
their family. Friendships are established starting from
childhood up to adulthood. They also learn how to
deal and to interact with other superiors aside from
their parents/guardians (e.g. principal, teachers,
company boss, elderly persons).
Different Forms of Society
1. Hunting and gathering society is the earliest and
simplest form of society and is generally recognized
by its small size, since it consists mainly of families.
They spend most of their time searching for food,
thus, they are considered as nomadic; no permanent
territory. Its members are treated equally and
decisions are usually derived through consensus. As
a result, the roles of its members and the distribution
of labor is not clearly defined.
2. Pastoral society is characterized by the
domestication of animals served as a source for food
supply. Compared to hunting and gathering society,
this form of society has a larger population and
remains in one place. They also produce surplus
food and resources which they trade with other
societies forming meaningful bonds. This relative
prosperity enables the people to engage in other
activities apart from those necessary for survival,
such as handicrafts which eventually leads to the
emergence of specialized tasks in the community.
3. Horticultural society engages in the small-scale
cultivation of plants, fruits, and vegetables and the
domestication of animals. Semi-nomadic, which
means that they travel to another place when there is
shortage of the resources in one area.
4. Agrarian/agricultural society involves in a large-
scale and long-term cultivation of crops and
domestication of animals. Characterized by improved
technology and usage of tools to aid in farming which
results in increased production giving rise to a
growing population in agricultural societies. Large
population leads to a more structured social system
that helps manage resources and its member.
5. Feudal society is based on the ownership of land.
Its members are organized based on status which
consists of higher class/ruler (people who own a
land), vassal/follower (granted a right to manage a
land), and peasants (workers who cultivate the land
and tend the animals in exchange of military
protection). This society is mindful of the hierarchy
system. It arose during Medieval times in Western
part of Europe.
6. Industrial society is based on the use of specialized
machinery in the production of goods and services. The
emergence of new production and industrial methods along
with innovations in transportation and communication are
results from the advances of science and technology in the
late 18th century. In this era, improved trade and
commerce, public education and better life conditions are
evident for many people. However, an important factor in
social relations within this form of society is the workplace
where people interact with individuals who do not come
from the same family, clan, or community, thus, cultural
diversity and bureaucratic forms of organization arises.
7. Post-industrial society emerged by the
establishment of societies based on knowledge,
information, and the sale of services. Virtual society
arises where people organize themselves through
communication technology and Internet. This society is
composed of members with higher educational
attainment, better training, and specialized roles.
Forms of Society
With all these growth and development of various
forms of societies, the human interactions are also
growing more complex over the span of time. Factors
like science and technology advancements and
cultural changes brought improvement to the society
along with complexity and various ethnicities. But
despite these innovations and developments, the
human person still remains the heart of the society and
drives social changes based on respective responses
and needs for the betterment.
Interrelationship between Human Person and
Society
It can be said that you cannot think of a person outside
of society and you cannot think of a society without a
group of persons. Thus, human persons and society are
interrelated to each other in which one cannot exist
without the other. Moreover, society’s role is considered
important in the growth and development of a person as
well as the person’s role in transforming society.
One important way wherein society influences us,
as person is, its ability to define the relationships
and interactions among its members. There are
various ways that society influences our
development and interactions but one way is
through the establishment of the following:
Norms – a set of traits and behavior that society
considers acceptable, thus, to be encouraged to
pass unto other members (e.g. pagmamano :
Filipino’s unique gesture to greet and show respect
to elders).
Laws – more formal and stringent norms that
establish and define acceptable behavior of citizens
(e.g. using of pedestrian lanes when crossing
streets)
Folkways – less formal norms that arise from
tradition and do not result in punishment when
violated (e.g. concept of appropriate swimwear,
others might wear T-shirt and shorts, others might
wear bikini)
Social system – organized or patterned set of
relationships among individuals and groups that
compose a society
Social role – actions and behaviors expected of a
certain individual
Social groups/ Social classes – individuals who
share similar backgrounds or perform similar roles
Social institutions – certain groups that perform vital
functions in society which include the family, school,
government, and religion
Social values – actions or ideals that are considered
vital in maintaining an orderly society (e.g.
cooperation, obedience to the law, concern for others,
respect for diversity, etc.)
REFERENCES
1. Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person by Roberto D.
Abella, 2016, C&E Publishing, Inc.
2. Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person by Brenda
Corpuz, R.A. Paclibar, M.L.C Paclicbar, 2016, Loremar Publishing
Inc.
3. Introduction to Philosophy of the Human Person by Christine
Carmela R. Ramos, 2016, Rex Bookstore Inc.
4. Retrieved form
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/driventoabstraction/2018/07/blind-
men-elephant-folklore-knowledge/
5. Retrieved from https://images.app.goo.gl/xpehSyJy988Rutn1A
