Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
2nd QUARTER, Week 5: The Human Person in Society
Society is an organized group of people
whose members interact frequently and have
a common territory and culture. It was
brought about by the human desire to relate
with others. Society is considered a product
of deliberate actions by individuals who
come together in pursuit of a common goal.
Society is rooted in the concepts of the
common good and general welfare, which
refers to the social conditions that enables
human persons and groups to fulfill their
goals and achieve well-being.
Society is a product of a social contract.
Social contract is an agreement among
individuals to sacrifice some of their wants
and submit to a higher authority. There are
various concepts that we need to learn to
fully grasp an understanding of the society
and they are as follows;
1. Common Good – this refers to the
social condition which enable
persons and groups to fulfill their
goals and achieve perfection all
together.
2. Social System – this is an organized
and patterned set of relationship
among individuals and groups that
compose a society.
3. Social Group – these are groups of
individuals who have similar
backgrounds and perform similar
roles in the society.
4. Social values – these are actions or
things that are considered important
by the society. It is also defined as
the set of moral principles defined by
society dynamics, institutions,
traditions and cultural beliefs.
5. Social norms – these are set of traits
and behaviors that society considers
acceptable and are encouraged and
passed on others.
6. Laws – these are formal and
stringent social norms that establish
and define acceptable behavior of
citizens. Laws prescribe the
consequences or penalties that will
be imposed on violators.
7. Folkways – these are the less formal
norms that arise from tradition and
does not result to distinct punishment
when violated.
PHILOSOPHICAL VIEW OF THE
SOCIETY
1. Thomas Hobbes - “mankind is governed
by desire which lead to conflict among
individuals.”
2. John Locke - society is organized based
on the “consent of the governed”.
3. John Rawls - humans naturally seek a
just and fair society because of self-
interest.
TYPES OF SOCIAL RELATIONS
1. PERSONAL SOCIAL RELATIONS.
This refers to the interactions with others
which are based on a mutual regard for
each other as persons. Hence,
interactions are defined by
COOPERATION rather than
COMPETITION. It emphasizes the
preservation and development of the
mutual regard for each other wherein,
the kind of interaction is
COMMUNICATIVE ACTION or
intersubjective, which means, a manner
of relating with others as one’s equal, a
fellow subject or a fellow person.
2. TRANSACTIONAL SOCIAL
RELATIONS. This refers to the
interactions which are based on “a
regard for others as a means for attaining
one’s goal. In layman’s term, the “other”
is being used to attain one’s goals. It
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
Region III – Central Luzon
SCHOOLS DIVISION OFFICE OF BALANGA CITY
INTRODUCTION TO THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON
2nd QUARTER, Week 5: The Human Person in Society

suspends the deeper reality that the

“other” is a person, not just a mere
object for usage. Here, personal matters
such as feelings and emotions are put
aside in the interactions and is very
competitive. The kind of interaction with
others is STRATEGIC ACTION, which
means, a manner of relating with others
as an object or a means for attaining
one’s goal.