origin of society
Definition of Society and Its Role
A society is a group of people who interact with one another on a regular basis, or a large social group that shares the same spatial or social territory, and is typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.
Society shapes people's belief systems, controls their behavior, and determines their values.
These are delivered to individuals via the media, school curricula, community leaders, family, and churches.
Peter Elberger (Austrian-born American sociologist and Protestant theologian) contends that: society is a human product, and nothing but a human product, that yet continuously acts upon its producers. In short, the human person invented society, but this creation turns back because this invention takes control of the human person every day.
Mabuhai (Owen) introduces the lesson on the origin of society: focuses on why man formed society, what actions formed society, and the impact of society on humans.
The lesson intends to recognize how individuals form societies and how individuals are transformed by societies.
Guiding questions for discussion:
1) Why did man form society?
2) What should be done to form society?
3) What happened to men after the formation of society?
For each theory, answer these questions after the presentation.
The first theory comes from Plato; the topic then moves to Aristotle (the student of Plato); then to Thomas Hobbes (Enlightenment thinker); finally to John Locke.
The lesson frames: Why did man form society? How did man form society? How does society transform man?
Plato argues that societies are formed for a specific purpose: to achieve self-sufficiency. The origins are imagined in prehistoric past; individuals are not self-sufficient and cannot obtain all of life's genuine necessities alone.
To address this issue, people form communities to work together toward common goals of self-sufficiency; division of labor increases efficiency (e.g., I make shoes, you grow vegetables, she does carpentry).
The end result is a society made up of many individuals divided into distinct classes (clothiers, farmers, builders, etc.) based on the importance of their role in the common good.
Additional services become necessary to sustain social organization: adjudication of disputes and defense of the city against external attacks.
Plato proposed an additional class: Guardians, who manage the society itself, taking specialization a step further. Guardians include two types:
Soldiers who defend the state and enforce laws.
Rulers who resolve disagreements and make public policy decisions.
Guardians are those whose special skill is the governance task itself.
Plato’s theory justifies division of labor and the emergence of social stratification; it also explains the distribution of authority across divisions.
Plato on the Origin of Society
Core claim: Society forms to achieve self-sufficiency through specialization and cooperative production.
Division of labor is central to the efficient operation of the whole society.
Emergence of social classes is tied to each role’s contribution to the common good.
Governance emerges as a specialized function, with guardians at the top: soldiers (external defense) and rulers (policy & dispute resolution).
Aristotle on the Origin of Society
Aristotle starts from the premise that the state is a kind of community (the Greek polis) and exists for a purpose: the highest good of man, realized through a life of virtue and contemplation.
The state aims at the good to a greater extent than other communities because it encompasses them all.
Two basic instincts bring people together:
Reproductive instinct: brings men and women together.
Self-preservation instinct: brings master and slave together for mutual benefit.
The family emerges first as the association established by nature to supply everyday wants.
The village follows: union of families of common descent, a patriarchal form.
The state forms when several villages unite into a single complete community large enough to be self-sufficient, arising from bare necessities and continuing for the good life.
If earlier forms are natural, the state is natural as its end; the state is the end toward which earlier forms converge.
The state is self-sufficient and enables the good life; the family provides only for daily needs.
The state is qualitatively distinct from the family and the village, not just quantitatively larger; it is a natural society.
Man is a political animal by nature; the faculty of speech and communal life show nature's intention for social life.
The natural end of man is the good life, which is found in the state.
The state is a natural development of human social life; humans and society influence each other in a continuous evolution.
Aristotle on the Origin of Society (Key Points)
The state (polis) is the culmination of natural social forms (family, village) aimed at the good life.
The state’s naturalness rests on the idea that humans naturally form political communities to achieve virtue and contemplation.
The distinction between individual, family, village, and state lies in their purposes and level of self-sufficiency.
Hobbes on the Origin of Society
Thomas Hobbes asks: Why did man form society? How did man form society? How does society transform man?
State of nature: equality of strength and equality of hope among all men; there is no superiority; everyone is vulnerable to everyone else; no government, no common law.
Life in the state of nature is: "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short" due to perpetual fear of death and desire for self-preservation.
The natural condition leads to fear and the desire for peace as a means of self-preservation; this fear motivates individuals to enter into a contract.
The social contract aims to establish a commonwealth that promotes peace, security, and the protection of life and property.
The commonwealth is the constraint men impose on themselves to escape the misery of war; it is the power that allows men to enjoy liberty and justice.
The government is the Leviathan: the head of the commonwealth, an absolute authority that wields the will of all men who have conferred their power to create one will.
Leviathan makes the laws, executes them, and is above the law; its authority is absolute and indivisible; power cannot be withdrawn.
The justification for absolute power is human preservation within a state of peace and security.
Hobbes on the Origin of Society (Key Points)
Society emerges from a model of fear and the appeal of collective security.
The Leviathan represents an indivisible sovereign authority created by mutual agreement to escape the state of nature.
The price of security is transferring power to an absolute ruler who is beyond question.
Locke on the Origin of Society
John Locke extends the social contract with a more optimistic view of human nature in the state of nature.
State of nature in Locke’s view: characterized by peace, goodwill, mutual assistance, and preservation; natural rights exist: life, liberty, and property.
In the state of nature, each person is their own policeman and judge; natural law governs behavior but is ambiguous without impartial adjudication.
Inconveniences of the state of nature:
Ambiguity of natural law interpretations.
Lack of impartial judges.
No unified, competent authority to enforce natural law.
These inconveniences compel the establishment of civil society or the state to alleviate disputes.
There are two contracts in Locke’s theory:
First contract: individuals form a society, establishing a government.
Second contract: society agrees with the government; the government’s powers are limited and can be removed if it fails to fulfill terms.
Through the contract, complete freedom becomes limited freedom; people grant authority to resolve inconveniences arising from natural law.
Summary: Locke’s view emphasizes consent, limited government, protection of natural rights, and the right of the people to withdraw support from a ruler who fails to uphold the terms.
Locke on the Origin of Society (Key Points)
Society forms to address and resolve the inconveniences of natural law, not because human nature is inherently bad.
The government’s legitimacy rests on consent and the protection of life, liberty, and property.
If the government fails, citizens retain the right to resist or revoke authority.
Comparative Synthesis: What Each Theory Adds
Plato: Society forms to achieve self-sufficiency through division of labor and the creation of a structured social order; governance is specialized via Guardians; stratification serves the common good.
Aristotle: Society emerges naturally from human nature and the desire to live the good life; the state evolves from family and village; man’s nature is to form political communities and be part of a self-sufficient polity.
Hobbes: Society forms out of fear of violent death and the desire for security; the social contract creates a centralized sovereign (Leviathan) with absolute authority to maintain peace.
Locke: Society forms to overcome practical inconveniences in the state of nature; government is based on consent and protects natural rights; power is limited and accountable, with the right to revolt if consent is violated.
Ethical, Philosophical, and Practical Implications
Legitimacy of political authority depends on the purpose of the state: security, order, and the common good (Plato/Hobbes/Aristotle).
The balance between liberty and authority varies across theories: absolute sovereignty (Hobbes) vs. limited government with rights protection (Locke).
The role of labor, division of labor, and social stratification in organizing society (Plato’s framework).
The extent to which natural instincts (reproduction, self-preservation) and human rationality shape the formation and evolution of political communities (Aristotle).
The idea that society both shapes and is shaped by individuals: a reciprocal influence that can drive reform and transformation.
Real-World Relevance and Connections
Theories inform debates on state legitimacy, the purpose of government, and the protection of rights.
Modern political philosophy and constitutional design draw on the notion of social contracts, consent, and the balance between individual rights and collective security.
The concept of division of labor and social stratification continues to influence discussions of economic organization, class structure, and governance.
The idea of governance as a specialized function (Plato) resonates with modern bureaucratic institutions and policy-making.
Guiding Questions for Review
Why did man form society according to each theory?
How did man form society according to each theory, and how does society transform man?
What responsibilities do individuals have toward transforming society for the better?
Closing Reflections (Mabuhai)
Society significantly shapes beliefs, behavior, and values.
Humans are the inventors of society, but society, in turn, influences human life daily.
The ultimate responsibility lies with individuals to transform society for the betterment of its members.