SHS

Introduction to the Philosophy of

the Human Person
Quarter 2 – Module 7
The Individual and Society

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

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Regional Director: Gilbert T. Sadsad

Assistant Regional Director: Ronelo Al K. Firmo
Regional EPS: Sheila C. Bulawan
Division EPS: Presyl A. Bello

Development Team of the Module

Writer: ROMMEL U. QUIŇONES – Homapon HS, SDO Legazpi City
Editor: JOSEPH F. LOPEZ – Oro Site HS, SDO Legazpi City
Reviewers: ALVIN A. SARIO, PhD – University of Sto Tomas - Legazpi,
JESON D. BALINGBING – Pag-asa NHS, SDO Legazpi City
ROMEO A. TUSI – Pawa HS, SDO Legazpi City
GERRY A. BAJARO – Oro Site HS, SDO Legazpi City
Illustrator: VIAN GABRIEL SPES B. QUINONES – Grade 7, Philippine
Science High School, Goa, Camarines Sur
Cover Art: VIAN GABRIEL SPES B. QUINONES – Grade 7, Philippine
Science High School, Goa, Camarines Sur
Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

INTRODUCTION

Have you heard of the adage “No man is an

island”? What does it feel that you belong to a
community in which you live? As we grow up as
individual persons, our communities played a very
important role in our lives. Being part of a community
makes us feel that we are a part of something bigger than
ourselves which gives us the opportunity of connecting
with people and to reach our aspirations and makes us
feel secure. Having a sense of community unites us to
ourselves affirming that we are indeed a social being
which is an existence with others. How do you value your
community life? Do you actively partake in the different
activities in your community? How do you feel about it?

If you feel that there is something in you that is satisfied, it is common and
deemed human in sense. Aristotle asserted that “man is by nature a social animal”
and that if one is unsocial, that individual is either a beast who is less than man or
a god who is above from being human. Socialization then is an important
component of human experience an experience that since man cannot live alone.
Hence, man must come into relations with his fellowmen for living a life.

This social nature of man is truly evident in the light of faith, in the story of
creation, even God saw the inadequateness of solitary existence and wanted man
to be a social being seeing that it is not good for man to be alone thus, created a
companion for him. The Vatican II Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes speaks
of this need from the fact that human beings are social by nature indicates that the
betterment of the person and the improvement of society depend on each other.
How does this nature of man transform our world as we know it today? What
significant events marked the development of our societies?

Do you want to know more about the relationship between individuals and
society and how it makes a society? As we proceed with the lesson, you shall be
learning about the concept “State of Nature” of man and the underlying “Social
Contract Theories” as pre-cursor to the establishment of a society where the role
of individual persons shall be given emphasis.

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the module, you should be able to:

1. examine and analyze the relationship between individual

and society
2. establish the underlying principle of the emergence of
societies
3. draw significant influences and impacts of societies to
individuals

VOCABULARY
Now, here are some words you have to remember:

Civil Authority - the moral power of command which the

State exercises over its members.

General Will - a collectively held will that aims at the common

good or common interest.

Human Nature - fundamental dispositions and traits of

humans.

Individual – that which has existence independently or distinct from other people
possessing their own needs and goals

Leviathan – the matter, form, and power of Commonwealth, Ecclesiastical, and

Civil as a structure of society. The book was written by Thomas Hobbes.

Social Contract - an agreement between (a) members of the community or (b)

members of the community and the Sovereign.

Society – an assembly of human beings who are united by a mode of agreement

that demands some common end, value, or interest.

Sovereign - the legitimate head of state after the Social Contract: (a) a person or
group of persons, such as a monarch or a government, or (b) the people
representing themselves.

State of Nature - A pre-societal condition of human nature.

Theory - set of beliefs that explains or accounts for a general philosophy or specific
philosophical concept

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
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PRE - TEST

Let’s appraise our prior knowledge about the topic. Read and
understand the following questions and write the answer in your
notebook.

1. What does the claim that “man is a social animal” mean?

A. that man is intrinsically attached to animals and tends to befriend them
B. that man is driven by the desire to be with fellow men
C. that man is inclined to work with people and animals
D. that man is not different from animals needing companions
2. What is true about society?
A. It is a union of men with a common purpose and goal
B. It is a product of the integration of individuals for the attainment of a better
life
C. It is where individual men freely live and hope for happiness
D. All the above choices are correct
3. In basic social contract theory terms, nature is:
A. the ideal place to live B. safe and fair
C. brutal and dangerous D. the same as society
4. The state of nature of man is describe as _____________.
A. the dictate of reason and will of men for self-preservation.
B. from which human relations are based and come to existence.
C. the condition of human beings before societies are established.
D. the reason for the political association of men.
5. John Locke's view of government is primarily based upon his desire to:
A. ensure the protection of one’s wealth and property
B. oppress the landlords and masters
C. destroy and end slavery and establish equality
D. create a society where everyone was equal in terms of wealth
6. Thomas Hobbes believed that human beings are:
A. always treat one another fairly and rationally
B. self-centered and full of distrust
C. would always fight, no matter the circumstances
D. living in peace and harmony with nature
7. Which of the following is NOT a term used to describe the members of a
political association formed by a legitimate social contract?
A. People B. Subjects C. Citizens D. Serfs
8. What do people get in return from0 surrendering part of their freedom and
rights to an established authority under a social contract?
A. Headship B. Money C. Security D. Position
9. What is the common concept between Locke and Rousseau which has an
essential role in the establishment of civil government?
A. private property B. wealth C. abuse of power D. territory

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
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10. For Rousseau, what is formed when free and equal persons come
together and agree to create themselves anew as a single body.
A. Politics B. Sovereign C. Government D. Justice
LEARNING ACTIVITY 1

Identify from the following the attributes that best suit an

ideal community. Write your answers in the space
provided. You can also add some characteristics that you
think not indicated below. Answer the questions that follow.

1. Work together towards the goal of majority

2. Allow freedom of expression
3. Members are required to give contributions
4. Set clear policies and obligations
5. Disregard sensitivity towards members
6. Promote interaction among members
7. Confine cultural heritage in the community
8. Elect leaders that stand by community values
9. Critics are valued as mover of change in the community
10. Leaders’ decisions are common good oriented

Your answers here

Are these also true with your community or government? In what ways do
you experience/recognize these attributes?

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
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LEARNING ACTIVITY 2

Identify at least 5 ideas from the following claims that

which you think destroy communities. Write your answers
in the space provided. You can also add some
characteristics that you think not indicated below. Answer
the questions that follow.

1. People’s ignorance of the laws

2. Blind obedience resulting to chaotic engagements
3. Over population of or urbanized cities and areas
4. Unlimited authority or use of power of government
5. Dysfunctional framework or plan of governance of leaders
6. Blind obedience resulting to chaotic engagements
7. Over population of or urbanized cities and areas
8. Unlimited authority or use of power of government
9. Dysfunctional framework or plan of governance of leaders
10. Loss of the moral perspective of people

Your answers here

Are these also true with your community or government? In what ways do
you experience/recognize these attributes?

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

DEEPENING
In Political Philosophy, a social contract is understood
as an actual or hypothetical compact or agreement entered
by individuals or between the ruled and their rulers, defining
the relinquished rights and duties of each. That during
primitive times, according to the theory, individuals were born
into an anarchic state of nature, which was happy or unhappy.
They then, by exercising natural reason, formed a society
(and or a government) through a contract among themselves
to get rid of or come out of the state of nature.

Thus, in the formal assumption, we can say that Social

Contract theory is the view that persons’ moral and/or political
obligations are dependent upon a contract or agreement among them to form the
society in which they live.

This same nature of man drives him to satisfy natural basic needs to survive.
Everyone looked after his own needs. As the number of individuals and families
grow, these conflicting interests and needs turned the man to compete for some
scarce resource. As a result, to avoid conflicts, individuals came together and
decided upon certain core principles and standards within the boundaries of their
living which everyone had to obey, what will be at stake and has to be laid down
as a consequence. This reciprocal state became the foundation of society.
Individuals thus formed society by way of a social contract.

The question of the relationship between the individual and the society is the
starting point of discussions about society. Here you shall be learning the main
theories regarding the relationship of the individual and society.

THE STATE OF NATURE OF MAN AND THE SOCIAL CONTRACT

THOMAS HOBBES
(1588–1679)
Picture source: https://cdn.britannica.com/03/11003-050-E1616B9C/Thomas-Hobbes-
detail-oil-painting-John-Michael.jpg

Thomas Hobbes introduced the mechanistic theory

of human nature which states that humans are
necessarily and exclusively self-interested. Men
pursue only what is perceived and considered to
serve their best interests. One’s action is motivated
solely by the desire to preserve or make better his
situation. In the State of Nature, men are naturally
and exclusively self-interested, they are more or less
equal with one another, that even the strongest man can be killed in his sleep,

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
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there are limited resources, every person is always in fear of losing his life to
another. There is no long-term or complex cooperation possible because the State
of Nature can be aptly described as a state of utter distrust. It is the state of
perpetual and unavoidable war and yet there is no power able to force men to
cooperate.

Hobbes also argues that human beings are reasonable which is the inherent
rational capacity to pursue their desires as efficiently and maximally as possible.
He proceeded that men are naturally self-interested, yet they are rational, they will
choose to submit to the authority of a Sovereign to be able to live in a civil society,
which is conducive to their interests which are seen as the way out of such a state
of war and to escape the state of nature and create a civil society.

Being reasonable and recognizing the rationality of this basic precept of

reason, men can be expected to construct a Social Contract that will afford them a
life other than that available to them in the State of Nature. This contract is
constituted by two distinguishable contracts. First, they must agree to establish
society by collectively and reciprocally renouncing the rights they had against one
another in the State of Nature. Second, they must imbue some one person or
assembly of persons with the authority and power to enforce the initial contract. To
ensure their escape from the State of Nature, they must both agree to live together
under common laws and create an enforcement mechanism for the social contract
and the laws that constitute it.

Society becomes possible because now there is an artificially and

conventionally superior and more powerful person who can force men to
cooperate, whereas in the State of Nature there was no power able to “overawe
them all”. Under the authority of a Sovereign, he calls “Leviathan”, the contract will
be successfully enforced. No matter how much the people may object to how
poorly a Sovereign manages the affairs of the state and regulates our own lives,
resisting its power has no chance because it is the only thing which stands between
people and that what they want to avoid, the State of Nature.

JOHN LOCKE
(1632 - 1704)
Picture source: https://cdn.britannica.com/99/82299-050-023B9807/John-Locke-oil-
canvas-Herman-Verelst-National.jpg

According to Locke, the State of Nature, the natural

condition of mankind, is a state of perfect and
complete liberty to conduct one’s life as one best
sees fit, free from the interference of others. The
State of Nature, although a state wherein there is no
civil authority or government to punish people for
transgressions against laws, is not a state without

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

morality. The state of war begins between two or more men once one man declares
war on another, by stealing from him, or by trying to make him his slave. Since in
the State of Nature, there is no civil power to whom men can appeal, and since the
Law of Nature allows them to defend their own lives, they may then kill those who
would bring force against them. Since the State of Nature lacks civil authority, once
a war begins it is likely to continue. And this is one of the strongest reasons that
men must abandon the State of Nature by contracting together to form a civil
government.

Property plays an essential role in Locke’s argument for civil government

and the contract that establishes it. According to Locke, private property is created
when a person mixes his labor with the raw materials of nature. Because nature is
given to all of mankind by God for its common subsistence, one cannot take more
than his fair share. Property is the cornerstone of Locke’s argument for the social
contract and civil government because it is the protection of their property,
including their property in their bodies, that men seek when they decide to abandon
the State of Nature.

These societies are based on voluntary agreements to care for children

together, and they are moral but not political. Political society or Civil Government
comes into being when individual men, representing their families, come together
in the State of Nature and agree to each give up the executive power to punish
those who transgress the Law of Nature, and hand over that power to the public
power of a government. Having done this, they then become subject to the will of
the majority. Having created a political society and government through their
consent, men then gain three things which they lacked in the State of Nature: laws,
judges to adjudicate laws, and the executive power necessary to enforce these
laws. Each man, therefore, gives over the power to protect himself and punish
transgressors of the Law of Nature to the government that he has created through
the compact.

JEAN JACQUES ROUSSEAU

(1712 – 1778)

Picture source: https://cdn.britannica.com/18/60018-050-E8F7CB20/Jean-Jacques-

Rousseau-pastels-Maurice-Quentin-de-La-Tour-1753.jpg

According to Rousseau, the State of Nature was a

peaceful and idealistic time. People lived solitary,
uncomplicated lives. Their few needs were easily
satisfied by nature. Because of the abundance of
nature and the small size of the population,
competition was non-existent, and persons rarely
even saw one another, much less had a reason for
conflict or fear. As the population increased, how people could satisfy their needs

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
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change. People slowly began to live together in small families, and then in small
communities. Divisions of labor were introduced, both within and between families,
and discoveries and inventions made life easier, giving rise to leisure time.

For Rousseau, the invention of property constitutes humanity’s ‘fall from

grace’ out of the State of Nature. With private property, conditions of inequality
became inevitable. Some have a property and others are forced to work for them,
and the development of social classes begins. Eventually, those who have property
notice that it would be in their interests to create a government that would protect
private property from those who do not have it but can see that they might be able
to acquire it by force. So, the government gets established, through a contract,
which purports to guarantee equality and protection for all, even though its true
purpose is to fossilize the very inequalities that private property has produced. In
other words, the contract, which claims to be in the interests of everyone equally,
is really in the interests of the few who have become stronger and richer because
of the developments of private property.

Since a return to the State of Nature is neither feasible nor desirable, the
purpose of politics is to restore freedom to us, thereby reconciling who we truly and
essentially are with how we live together. The most basic covenant, the social pact,
is the agreement to come together and form a people, a collectivity, which is more
than and different from a mere aggregation of individual interests and wills. This
act, where individual persons become people is “the real foundation of society”

Through the collective renunciation of the individual rights and freedom that
one has in the State of Nature, and the transfer of these rights to the collective
body, a new ‘person’, as it were, is formed. The sovereign is thus formed when free
and equal persons come together and agree to create themselves anew as a single
body, directed to the good of all considered together. So, just as individual wills are
directed towards individual interests, the “general will”, once formed, is directed
towards the common good, understood and agreed to collectively. Included in this
version of the social contract is the idea of reciprocated duties: the sovereign is
committed to the good of the individuals who constitute it, and everyone is likewise
committed to the good of the whole

SYNTHESIS

From the theories presented, we conclude that the Social Contract Theory
develops an account of sound social and political legitimacy, grounded in the idea
that, naturally free and equal human beings have no right to exercise power over
one another, except by the principle of mutual consent. This is possible since
Social Contract Theory follows the principle of basic freedom and equality because
it presupposes that the fundamental freedom and equality of all those entering an
agreement.

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

The Social Contract Theories we learned presented the two essential and
principal elements of social contract where the relation of individuals play a
significant role to wit:

The first element is the presumption of an initial pre-social and pre-political

situation called a “state of nature”. These modern philosophers are one in the
contention that under this state of nature, all individuals are equal, they are all
situated proportionally relative to one another, and they all have some motivation
to leave the state of nature in favor of some benefits gained by coming into civil
society.
The second element is a normative representation of the parties to the
contract. The parties of the contract are described as (1) motivated by self-interest,
in as much as they will only agree to the contract if they perceive that they will
benefit from the perceived social interaction; (2) the concern for the welfare of
others, that is, only if they recognize that the advantages they expect to derive from
the social contract will be conditional on their willingness to guarantee the same
advantages to the other end; and (3) with reasonable respect to the way they
understand their interests, the interests of others, and the just or moral principles
that ought to govern their pursuit of those interests.

Keep this in mind:

ON VIEWS ON HUMAN NATURE

➢ Hobbes: Humans are selfish by nature and must be controlled.
➢ Locke: Humans are rational by nature and can control themselves.
➢ Rousseau: Humans are good and compassionate by nature but can be
corrupted by civilization.

ON EFFECTS OF THE SOCIAL CONTRACT

➢ Hobbes: People will live in peace but without rights except for the right to
self-defense under the rule of Leviathan
➢ Locke: The three natural rights which exist in the State of Nature will be
easier to enforce by the government. Those who have given express
consent will be bound by the contract; those who have given tacit consent
can opt-out and leave.
➢ Rousseau: Life will be fair for all if all will employ the general will and set
aside personal interests.

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

APPLICATION

Imagine yourself into a state of nature and that

there no rules or laws and that each one is perfectly free
to pursue her own self-interest during this time.
How are you going to maintain an ideal and livable
society away from the state of nature? What are the rights
you are going to lay down or uphold? Make a draft of your
own version of social contract that you shall adopt.

To do this, refer to your answers in Learning Activity 1 and 2. These are the
contrasting situations from where you can take the conditions of your social
contract. You will be guided by the following beginning statements.

Preamble

To form a more humane established society where Justice,

Tranquility, Security and General Welfare are the utmost concern,
and with the Blessings of Almighty God, we do ordain and declare:

The People:

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

The Leaders:

The Government:

The Mutual Benefit:

The Lasting Peace:

MY REFLECTION

I learned that

I realized that

I will apply this learning at

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

POST TEST

Let’s assess what you have learned from the lesson. Read and
answer the questions.

1. What is true about the state of nature of man?

A. It is the dictate of reason and will of men for self-preservation.
B. It is from which human relations are based and come to existence.
C. It is the condition of human beings before societies are established.
D. It is the reason for the political association of men.
2. What is true about human nature according to Thomas Hobbes?
A. Man is an inherently good and productive member of society.
B. Man is driven by his self-interest and preservation.
C. Man is capable of self-realization
D. Man is a social animal
3. What is true about the claim that “man is a social animal”?
A. Men behave like animals C. Men are to be with other men
B. Men are sentient and brutes. D. Men is driven by instincts
4. What best explains social contract?
A. It is necessary as a way out of a state of nature
B. It is necessary to come to terms with what rights to be laid down
C. It is a necessary agreement to perpetuate peace and order in society
D. All of the above
5. As a pre-cursor or element of social contract theory, the state of nature is:
A. It is a haven of peace where people live with fairness
B. It is the ideal place for people to live in.
C. It is the need for man to complete his fullness
D. It is a dangerous state of affairs of competition for survival
6. Thomas Hobbes believes that man by nature is __________.
A. good B. selfish C. clever D. fair
7. For Locke and Rousseau, it is the main reason for people in coming into terms
of the social contract?
A. Peace and Order B. Food Security C. Private Property D. Inequality
8. Social contract theory justifies the establishment of ____________ to direct
the peoples’ pursuit of mutual interests.
A. money system B. government C. property D. political
party
9. Social contract theory is the foundation of social and political legitimacy. It is
where free and equal human beings have the right to overpower one another.
A. Only the 1st statement is correct C. Only the 2nd statement is
correct
B. Both statements are correct D. Both statements are false

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
Quarter 1 – Module 7 The Individual and Society

10. From the social contract theories, which of the following concepts play an
important role in the establishment of society?
A. Suffering B. Individual C. Peace D. War

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY

Complete the table below with the influence of the following community
figure in your personal and community experiences.

Significant Influence Significant Influence

Community Figure
on Individual on Community
Mayor
Barangay Captain
Priest
Teacher

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Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
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ANSWER KEY

Post-Test Learning Activity 1.

Pre-Test
Describe your Community
1. C Answers may vary
1. B
2. D 2. B
3. C Learning Activity 2
3. A
4. D Label your Community
4. C
5. D Answers may vary
5. A
6. B 6. B
7. C Application
7. D
8. B Answers may vary
8. C
9. A 9. A
10. B 10. B

REFERENCES

Celeste, Friend, Social contract theory: https://www.iep.utm.edu/soc-cont/

accessed May 21, 2019.

Laskar, Manzoor, Summary of Social Contract Theory by Hobbes, Locke and

Rousseau (April 4, 2013). Available at SSRN:
https://ssrn.com/abstract=2410525 or
http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2410525

Nery, Maria Imelda N. 2007. Philosophy of Man. Mandaluyong City: National

Bookstore. Reprint edition

Stumpf, Samuel Enoch and James Fisher. 2008. Socrates to Sartre and
Beyond. New York: McGraw Hills Publishing. International Edition.

NPTEL – Humanities and Social Sciences – Introduction to Sociology

Joint Lecture No. 3. The Individual and Society. Available in PDF at
https://nptel.ac.in/content/storage2/courses/109103023/download/Lecture%
203.pdf

https://www.cctwincities.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Gaudium-et-Spes-
Pastoral-Constitution-on-the-Church-in-the-Modern-World.pdf

https://www.britannica.com/topic/social-contract

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