Social and biological in man. Philosophy: the problem of the relationship between the biological and the social in man

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:53

The development of man and society is due to the social orientation in the formation of relationships between individuals. The very nature of man is based on social principles, which is reflected in psychological, cultural and social activities. At the same time, one cannot underestimate the aspect of belonging to a biological species, which initially endows us with genetic instincts. Among them, one can single out the desire to survive, procreate and preserve offspring.

Even if we consider the biological and social in a person briefly, we will have to note the preconditions for conflicts due to the dual nature. At the same time, there remains a place for dialectical unity, which allows diverse aspirations to coexist in a person. On the one hand, this is a desire to assert individual rights and peace in the world, but on the other hand, to wage wars and commit crimes.

Social and biological factors

To understand the problems of the relationship between biological and social, it is necessary to learn moreget to know the basic factors of both sides of a person. In this case, we are talking about the factors of anthropogenesis. Regarding the biological essence, in particular, the development of the hands and brain, upright posture, as well as the ability to speak, stand out. Among the key social factors are work, communication, morality and collective activity.

Already on the example of the factors indicated above, we can conclude that the unity of the biological and social in a person is not only acceptable, but also organically exists. Another thing is that this does not at all cancel the contradictions that have to be de alt with at different levels of life.

It is important to note the importance of labor, which was one of the key factors in the formation of modern man. Just in this example, the connection between two seemingly opposite entities is clearly expressed. On the one hand, bipedalism freed the hand and made work more efficient, and on the other hand, collective interaction made it possible to expand the possibilities for accumulating knowledge and experience.

In the future, the social and biological in man developed in close conjunction, which, of course, did not exclude contradictions. For a clearer understanding of conflicts of this kind, it is worth familiarizing yourself with the two concepts in understanding the essence of man.

Biologization concept

According to this point of view, the essence of a person, even in its social manifestations, was formed under the influence of genetic and biological prerequisites for development. Sociobiology is especially popular among adherents of this concept,which just explains the activity of people by evolutionary and biological parameters. In accordance with this position, the biological and social aspects of human life are equally determined by the influence of natural evolution. At the same time, the factors of influence are quite consistent with animals - for example, aspects such as home protection, aggressiveness and altruism, nepotism and adherence to the rules of sexual behavior stand out.

At this stage of development, sociobiology is trying to solve complex issues of a social nature from a naturalistic position. In particular, representatives of this trend point out the freedom and responsibility of the individual, the importance of overcoming the ecological crisis, equality, etc. as factors of influence. in man, expressed by the anti-humanistic ideas of sociobiology. Among them are the concepts of division of races by right of superiority, as well as the use of natural selection as a tool to combat overpopulation.

Sociological concept

The above concept is opposed by representatives of the sociological idea, who defend the primacy of the importance of the social principle. It is immediately worth noting that, in accordance with this concept, the public takes precedence over the individual.

Such a view of the biological and social in human developmentmost expressed in role theories of personality and structuralism. By the way, experts in sociology, philosophy, linguistics, cultural studies, ethnography and other disciplines work in these areas.

Structuralists believe that man is the primary component of existing spheres and social subsystems. The society itself is manifested not through the individuals included in it, but as a complex of relations and connections between the individual elements of the subsystem. Accordingly, individuality is absorbed by society.

No less interesting is the role theory, which explains the biological and social in man. Philosophy from this position considers the manifestations of a person as a set of his social roles. At the same time, social rules, traditions and values act as a kind of guidelines for the actions of individual individuals. The problem with this approach is focusing solely on the behavior of people without taking into account the peculiarities of their inner world.

Understanding the problem from the point of view of psychoanalysis

Between theories that absolutize the social and biological, psychoanalysis is located, within which a third view of the essence of man has developed. It is logical that in this case, the psychic principle is put in the first place. The creator of the theory is Sigmund Freud, who believed that any human motives and incentives lie in the unconscious. At the same time, the scientist did not consider the biological and social in man as entities that formunity. For example, he determined the social aspects of activity by a system of cultural prohibitions, which also limited the role of the unconscious.

Freud's followers also developed the theory of the collective unconscious, in which there is already a bias towards social factors. According to the creators of the theory, this is a deep mental layer, which contains innate images. Later, the concept of the social unconscious was developed, in accordance with which the concept of a set of character traits characteristic of most members of society was introduced. However, the problem of the biological and social in man from the position of psychoanalysis was not indicated at all. The authors of the concept did not take into account the dialectical unity of the natural, social and mental. And this despite the fact that social relations develop in an inseparable bundle of these factors.

Biosocial Human Development

As a rule, all explanations of the biological and social as the most important factors in man are subject to the most severe criticism. This is due to the fact that it is impossible to give the leading role in the formation of man and society to only one group of factors, ignoring the other. Thus, it seems more logical to look at a person as a biosocial being.

The connection of the two basic principles in this case emphasizes their overall influence on the development of the individual and society. It suffices to give an example of an infant, who can be provided with everything necessary in terms of maintaining physicalstate, but without society he will not become a full-fledged person. Only the optimal ratio of biological and social in a person can make him a full member of modern society.

Outside of social conditions, biological factors alone will not be able to form a human personality out of a child. There is another factor in the influence of the social on the biological essence, which is the satisfaction of basic natural needs through social forms of activity.

One can also look at the biosocial in a person from the other side, without sharing his essence. Despite the importance of socio-cultural aspects, natural factors are also among the paramount ones. It is thanks to organic interaction that the biological and social coexist in man. Briefly imagine the biological needs that complement social life, you can use the example of procreation, eating, sleeping, etc.

The concept of a holistic social nature

This is one of the ideas that leaves equal space for consideration of both human essences. It is usually considered as the concept of an integral social nature, within which an organic combination of the biological and the social in man, as well as in society, is possible. Adherents of this theory consider a person as a social being, in which all characteristics with the laws of the natural sphere are preserved. This means that the biological and social in a person's personality do not contradict each other, butcontribute to its harmonious development. Specialists do not deny the influence of any of the developmental factors and strive to correctly fit them into the overall picture of human formation.

Socio-biological crisis

The era of post-industrial society cannot but leave its mark on the processes of human activity, under the prism of which the role of behavioral factors also changes. If before the social and biological in a person was formed to a large extent under the influence of labor, then modern living conditions, unfortunately, practically minimize physical efforts on the part of a person.

The emergence of more and more new technical means is ahead of the needs and capabilities of the body, which leads to a mismatch between the goals of society and the primary needs of the individual. At the same time, members of society are increasingly subjected to the pressure of socialization. At the same time, the ratio of biological and social in a person remains at the same level in regions where there is a slight influence of technology on the way and rhythm of life.

Ways to overcome disharmony

Modern service and infrastructure development helps to overcome conflicts between biological and social processes. In this case, technological progress, on the contrary, plays a positive role in the life of society. It should be noted that in the future, the growth of existing and the emergence of new human needs is possible, for the satisfaction of which other types of activities will be needed that allow more efficientrestore the mental and physical strength of a person.

In this case, the social and biological in a person are united by the service sector. For example, maintaining a close relationship with other members of society, a person uses equipment that contributes to his physical recovery. Accordingly, there is no question of stopping the development of both essences of human behavior. Development factors evolve along with the object itself.

The problem of correlation between biological and social in man

Among the main difficulties in considering the biological and social in a person, one should single out the absolutization of one of these forms of behavior. Extreme views on the essence of man make it difficult to identify problems that just come from contradictions in various factors of development. To date, many experts propose to consider the social and biological in man separately. Thanks to this approach, the main problems of the relationship between two entities are revealed - these are conflicts that take place in the process of performing social tasks, in personal life, etc. For example, a biological entity can prevail in the competitive struggle - while the social side, on the contrary, requires the fulfillment of the tasks of creation and the search for a compromise.

Conclusion

Despite the significant advancement of science in many areas, questions of anthropogenesis for the most part remain unanswered. In any case, it is impossible to say what specific shares it occupiesbiological and social in man. Philosophy also encounters new aspects of the study of this issue, which appear already against the background of modern changes in the individual and society. But there are also some points of convergence. For example, it is obvious that the processes of biological and cultural evolution go together. We are talking about the connection of genes with culture, but their significance is not the same. The primary role is still assigned to the gene, which becomes the ultimate cause of most of the motives and actions committed by a person.