Lesson 7: THE HUMAN PERSON IN THE SOCIETY

GROUP 3
I. ACTIVITY

Sharing: Describe yourself in relation to the following. Complete the given statements:

In my family, I am the…
My family has made me…
In my school, I consider myself…
My school has helped me become…
In my community, I am a…
My community has enabled me to…

II. DISCUSSION

What is society? What drives human beings to establish societies?

 Humans are beings capable of establishing a Society, which 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 greatly influences the individual, as it determines to a certain extent a person’s identity.
Society makes possible the emergence of certain individualities, which are the result of the person’s
interaction with other members of society.
 Society is also rooted in the concepts of the common good and general welfare, which refers to social
conditions that enable persons and groups to fulfill their goals and achieve well-being.
 Philosophers consider society as a product of the “social contract”, where individuals decide to
sacrifice personal interest and submit to a higher authority.

The Social Contract Theory

 During the Enlightenment, social philosophers pondered the natural laws that govern human societies.
To fully understand the true character of society, they imagined humans as living in so-called “natural
state,” removed from modernity and civilization.
 Various views emerged to explain the developments that brought about the emergence of human
society:
▪ Thomas Hobbes – proposed that 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.
▪ John Locke – considered persons in their natural states as more cooperative and
reasonable. Society is formed through the consent of the individuals who organized it, a
concept known as the consent of the governed.
▪ Jean Jacques Rousseau – advocated the concept of “general will.” He believed that even if
the people are the ones who organized society and established an authority or government, in
extreme cases, the government can impose its will on the people.
 Society is founded on the concept of the “common good,” the social conditions that enable persons
and groups to fulfill their goals and achieve well-being.

III. ABSTRACTION

1. In what way do you see yourself making a significant contribution to society?

2. In what ways can we uphold the common good? Cite specific examples.

IV. QUIZ