Group - 3: Society, Is An Organized Group of People Whose Members Interact Frequently and Have A

Group – 3
WHAT IS SOCIETY? WHAT DRIVES HUMAN BEINGS TO ESTABLISH SOCIETIES?
Every human person exists to relate with others. The person is by nature a social being because
he or she tends to go out of himself or herself to form bonds and relationships with others.
Throughout a person’s life, he or she experiences a variety of relationships that help shape him or
her as a person. Infants first relate with their immediate family and guardians as the source of basic
needs. As they grow, they expand their horizons and start relating with people who are not part of
their immediate family. They establish friendships beginning in their childhood and into their
teenage and adult years. As we grow into adulthood, our relationships and responsibilities also
change because we play more significant roles in the communities we live in.
As we live our lives and expand our experiences, we also encounter other people who are acting
in similar ways. However, the pursuit of our goals is made easier by the fact that we do not need to
do our activities alone, that we can live our life and pursue our happiness with other people by our
side. The tendency to form groups is not exclusive to human beings. Other animals also form groups
for mutual protection and survival. Humans, however, are the only beings capable of establishing a
society.
Society, is an organized group of people whose members interact frequently and have a
common territory and culture. Society also refers to a companionship or friendly association with
others, an alliance, a community, or a union. According to sciencedaily.com, human societies are
characterized by patterns of relationships (social relations) between individuals who share a
distinctive culture and institutions; a given society may be described as the sum total of such
relationships among its constituent members.
Philosophers consider society the product of deliberate actions by individuals who come
together in pursuit of a common goal. Society is considered unique among all other groups because
of the nature of the human persons that compose it, as well as the relationships among its
members. As individual persons, members of society are able to transform themselves and attain
development through their interactions within society. In turns, human are also able to influence
society through their actions.
Society also makes possible the emergence of certain individualities. The survival of a human
being is essentially rooted in society and human relations. If there is no family to take care of an
infant, the infant will eventually die. As the individual grows, he or she begins to experience life
outside the home and begins to interact with other people in 7 different settings. This also leads the
person to form other relationships or groups, such as establishing friendships in school or at places
of work. Society and its various aspects provide support that ensures the development of the
human person.
It is important to note that society is founded on the concept of the common good. The
common good refers to the social conditions which enable persons and groups to fulfil their goals
and achieve well-being.
THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY
Social philosophers such as Thomas Hobbes, John Locke, and Jean Jacques Rousseau pondered
the natural laws that govern human societies. They were among the most prominent social
theorists who tackled the origins of human society. To fully understand the true character of
society, they imagined humans as living in a so-called “natural state”, removed from modernity and
civilization.
Examining humans in their natural-state afforded these philosophers an opportunity to discuss the
origins of society and relate them to other concepts such as man’s intrinsic nature and liberty.
THOMAS HOBBES, for him, persons in their natural states are governed by their desires and these
often lead to conflict with their fellowmen. Individuals who establish societies enter into a “social
contract” – an agreement where individuals sacrifice an amount of their freedom and submit to a
higher authority. In this way, society is able to function and meet the needs of the many, ensuring
the survival of humanity.
JOHN LOCKE, proposed his own ideas on the social contract with different assumption. Locke
considered persons in their natural states as more cooperative and reasonable, and that society is
formed through the consent of the individuals that organized it. This concept is known as the
consent of the governed.
JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU’S ideas on the social contract led him to advocate the concept of the
“general will”. Rousseau believed that even if the people are the ones who organized society and
established an authority or government, in extreme cases, the government is able to impose its will
on the people.
Although there are variations on the social contract theory, perhaps one common feature they
all have is the fact that the different individuals enter into a kind of agreement with one another to
form a society.

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Group – 3

WHAT IS SOCIETY? WHAT DRIVES HUMAN BEINGS TO ESTABLISH SOCIETIES?

THE SOCIAL CONTRACT THEORY

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