The Human Person in

Society
“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--
Aristotle
 A person who is self-sufficient that he/she
either cannot live with others or does not
need other people in order to live is either “a
beast or a god”.

 “Man by nature is a social animal”—this

implies that a person can be understood,
defined, and acquire personal meaning based
on the society within which he/she functions.
Karl Marx
 What makes us human is our conscious,
social, and purposively directed activity

 According to Marx’s philosophy, it is the

person himself/herself who produces
“human nature” conceived from the
“ensemble of social relations”

 It is through joined activities through

mutual relations that human persons make
and remake themselves.
Assignment- Group 1
 Theories on human relationships
1. Social Exchange Theory
2. Attachment Theory
3. Uncertainty Reduction Theory
4. Equity Theory
5. Minding Relationship Theory
Assignment –Group 2
 Types of Societies:
1. Hunting and Gathering Societies
2. Pastoral Societies
3. Horticultural Societies
4. Agricultural Societies
5. Industrial Societies
6. Post-Industrial Societies
7. Virtual Societies
Assignment- Group 3
 Social Institutions –Family, Education,
Religion, Economic system, Government
 Theories on how society transforms a person

1. Situationism
2. The Looking-Glass Self
3. Social Development Theory
Schedule of Reports
March 18
March 20
March 25
Output
 Powerpoint (per group)
 Essay: (yellow pad- 1 whole)

Recall all the topics and write a short

reflection about why it is important to
understand the human person in the social
context.