The Human Person in Society

THE HUMAN
PERSON IN
SOCIETY
NO man is an ISLAND
John Donne
Human’s Social Dimension
Man As A Social Being
“Man is by nature a social animal;
an individual who is unsocial
naturally and not accidentally is
either beneath our notice or more
than human. Society is something
that precedes the individual.
Anyone who either cannot lead the
common life or is so self-sufficient
as not to need to, and therefore
does not partake of society, is either
a beast or a god. ”
― Aristotle
Human’s Social Dimension
Man As A Social Being
Man is essentially good, thus

Society as man’s construct is
good
– Thomas Acquinas
Society
- is a group of people living in a definite
territory having a government of their own,
sharing same culture, interdependent and
interrelated to one another.
Therefore the state is
committed to the
protection of his dignity,
by uncompromisingly
ensuring his basic
freedom no matter what.
- Immanuel Kant
Each person possesses
an inviolability founded on
justice that even the welfare
of society as a whole
cannot override (mining at
the expense of tribal :
FILIPINOS: War against
Drugs)
-John Rawls
Society should have the
virtues of Wisdom
(Ruler), Courage
(Soldier), and
Temperance
(Merchants) to attain
justice.
-
Plato
Two Types of Interaction in Society
How one treats the

Social Relation Kind Of Interaction other in the social
relationship
Transactional
As an object, a means
Instrumental or
for attaining one’s
Strategic Action
goals (Subject-object)
Personal
As a fellow Subject, a
Communicative Action fellow person
(Intersubjective)
3 Main Spheres that make up
the Society
 Social system of Money
- economic system (Market)
 Social system of Power
- political system (State)

 Lifeworld
- everyday world of communicaive

relations (family, school, religious
communities, civil society)
Interactions between the Social
Systems
 In the market and the state,
relationships are more of
transactional, and so individuals
view each other as means for a
particular goal or end.
Social systems follow a simple
value-free logic:
Logic of HAVING and NOT HAVING

(economic)
Logic of COMMANDING and
OBEYING (politics)
Note:
Transactional relationships ensures efficiency
Lifeworld
 Lifeworlds thrive on mutual
recognition
We naturally assume that all who
are part of the community are
persons, and must be consciously
recognized and treated as such
Our social interaction in the
lifeworld is marked by cooperative
communication.
Development of Society
Human Person Society
Biological/Physical
Material reproduction
development
Spiritual nourishment
Symbolic Reproduction
development
Material Reproduction
-refers to the utilization and
distribution of society’s resources
for the physical survival and welfare
of all individual members.
-is facilitated by the function of
social systems.
Symbolic Reproduction
- refers to transmission and renewal
of cultural knowledge, the establishment
of solidarity and cooperation and the
formation of identities of persons
through socialization
-takes place within the sphere of the
lifeworld
DEVELOPMENT OF
SOCIETY
Material reproduction Symbolic reproduction
Social systems Lifeworld

(economy and politics) (culture, norms, personality)
Instrumental and strategic

Communicative action
action
Historical development of
societies and the development
of individual consciousness
Tribal and Feudal Society
 Tribal leaders and monarchs
had control over the social
systems of economy and
politics. At the same time, they
had the control over the
symbolic reproduction of the
society.
Tribal and Feudal Society
 This society is described
according to mechanistic
model of solidarity: a
person’s consciousness is
very much aligned with the
collective consciousness.
Modern Industrialized Societies
 The tribal leaders, monarchs,
feudal lords no longer held a
monopoly over material
resources in the society.
 The lifeworld became more
and more distinguished from
the social systems.
 There is already the awareness
of a person’s own individuality
and autonomy.
 Political systems have been
more democratized.
 Traditional norms have been
critically examined and
recreated.
 Organic Solidarity: begins with
a recognition of the
differences among members
with an awareness of their co-
dependence.
 Contractual Solidarity
A kind of organic solidarity that
operates on an implicit contract
among members in which they are
expected to fulfill their roles in the
social systems and the lifeworld. In
return, society as a whole functions
properly, in the same manner that
the machine is efficient when all
parts are working well.
Mechanical Solidarity Organic Solidarity
Rural Urban
Stronger sense of individualism
Stronger sense of collectivism
among urban dwellers who live
among community members
close to each other yet remain
strangers to one another
Community’s peace and
harmony is of central
Individuals are conscious of
importance
their rights
People avoid confrontations and
Work relations are defined by
disputes
market norms such as efficiency
and functionality
Authority of elders holds the
bond of community members
Legal arrangements mostly bind
together
members of urban community
Individualism vs.
Collectivism
Individualism
 It gives primacy to the
protection and recognition of
individual freedoms.
 Any arrangement in society
must, first of all, ensure that
the rights and freedoms of
persons are not infringed
upon
Individualism
 Encourages selfishness, insofar as
the concern of members are
confined within their self interests.
 Tends to view solidarity
movements as the “sacrifice” of
one’s freedom, and the call for
unity as plagued with obstructions
to one’s own development.
Collectivism
 Gives priority to unity over
recognition of one’s individual
freedom,
 Generally observed in traditional
societies, where norms and
authorities are pre-established
rather than signed up for through
a social contract or agreement.
Collectivism
 Collectivism, however,
discourages individual dissenting
voices, and as such, curtails
critical thinking.
The Impact of Social Systems on
Individuals
 Colonization: The gradual permeation of
social systems into the lifeworld.
 Personal relationships have become
more difficult, transactional relationships
have become more difficult, transactional
relationships conveniently serve as
replacement.
 There is a loss of balance between the
social systems and the lifeworld.
Civil Society and the Role of
Individuals in Social Transformation
 Civil society is comprised of informal networks

such as non-governmental organizations ( NGOs)
where groups gather together to articulate
concerns, to from a strong public opinion that will
be directed against formal institutions of economy
and public.
 Habermas social transformation in the form of
breaking free from the yoke of social systems,
can be done through learning processes and
active discourses in the public sphere.

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THE HUMAN

Man is essentially good, thus

How one treats the

- political system (State)

- everyday world of communicaive

Logic of HAVING and NOT HAVING

Human Person Society

Social systems Lifeworld

Instrumental and strategic

 Civil society is comprised of informal networks

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