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

The development of man and society is conditioned by 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 should not minimize the aspect of people's belonging to a biological species, which initially empowers us with genetic instincts. Among them, one can single out the aspirations to survive, continue the genus and keep offspring.

Even if we consider the biological and social in a person briefly, we must also note the prerequisites for conflicts caused by a dual nature. At the same time, there remains a place for dialectical unity, which allows a multi-dimensional aspirations to coexist in a person. On the one hand, this is the desire to assert the rights of the individual and universal peace, but on the other - 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 become more familiar with the basic factors of both sides of a person. In this case, we are talking about the factors of anthropogenesis. Concerning the biological essence, in particular, the development of arms and brain, straightness, and also the ability to speak. Among the key social factors are labor, communication, morality, and collective activity.

Already on the basis of the above factors, it can be concluded that the unity of the biological and social in man is not just permissible, but also exists organically. Another thing is that this does not at all eliminate the contradictions with which one has to cope at different levels of life.

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

Later, social and biological in man developed in close connection, which, of course, did not exclude contradictions. For a better understanding of the conflicts of this kind it is worthwhile to learn more about two concepts in understanding the essence of man.

Biological concept

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

At this stage of development, sociobiology is trying to solve complex social issues from a naturalistic standpoint. In particular, the representatives of this area note as factors of influence the freedom and responsibility of the individual, the importance of overcoming the ecological crisis, equality, etc. Although the biological concept is one of the main tasks that aims to preserve the current gene pool, the problem of the correlation of biological and social In a man, expressed by antihumanist ideas of sociobiology. Among them are the concepts of the division of races by the right of superiority, as well as the use of natural selection as a tool for combating overpopulation.

Sociological concept

Against the above-described concept are representatives of sociological ideas, advocating the importance of the importance of the social beginning. It should be noted right away that, in accordance with this concept, the public has priority over the individual.

This view of the biological and social in human development is most expressed in role-playing theories of personality and structuralism. In these areas, by the way, experts in sociology, philosophy, linguistics, cultural studies, ethnography and other disciplines are working.

The adherents of structuralism believe that man is the primary component of existing spheres and social subsystems. The society itself is not manifested through the individuals that enter 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 human manifestations as the totality of its social roles. At the same time, public rules, traditions and values act as reference points for the actions of individual individuals. The problem with this approach is the fixation of attention exclusively on the behavior of people without taking into account the characteristics of their inner world.

Understanding the problem from the point of view of psychoanalysis

Between the theories that absolutize the social and the biological, psychoanalysis has settled down, within which a third view of the essence of man has taken shape. It is logical that in this case the psychic principle is put on the first place. The founder of the theory is Sigmund Freud, who believed that any human motives and stimuli lie in the unconscious. At the same time, the biological and social in a man the scientist did not consider as entities forming unity. For example, he attributed the social aspects of activity to a system of cultural prohibitions that also limited the role of the unconscious.

Freud's followers developed a theory of the collective unconscious, in which a bias towards social factors is already traced. According to the creators of the theory, this is a deep psychic layer in which innate images are laid. In the future, the concept of the social unconscious was developed, in accordance with which the notion of a set of character traits peculiar to the majority of members of society was introduced. However, the problem of biological and social in man from the standpoint of psychoanalysis was not even indicated at all. The authors of the concept and the dialectical unity of the natural, social and mental did not take into account. And this despite the fact that social relations develop in an inseparable combination of these factors.

Biosocial development of man

As a rule, all explanations of the biological and social as the most important factors in a person are most sharply criticized. This is due to the fact that it is impossible to give only one group of factors to the formation of man and society, ignoring the other. Thus, it seems more logical to look at man 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 is enough to give an example of an infant who can be provided with everything necessary to maintain a physical condition, but without society, he will not become a full-fledged person. Only the optimal ratio of biological and social in man can make him a full member of modern society.

Outside of social conditions, biological factors alone can not form a human personality from the child. There is one more factor of social influence on the biological essence, which consists in satisfying the basic natural needs through social forms of activity.

One can also look at the other side of the biosocial in a person without sharing his essence. For all the importance of socio-cultural aspects, natural natural factors also enter into a number of primary factors. It is precisely through organic interaction that biological and social coexist in man. Briefly, biological needs that complement social life can be briefly illustrated by the continuation of the genus, eating, sleeping, and so on.

The concept of an integral social nature

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

Socio-biological crisis

The epoch of a post-industrial society can not but leave its imprint 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 man was formed to a large extent under the influence of labor, then modern living conditions, unfortunately, practically minimize physical efforts on the part of man.

The emergence of new technical means outstrips the needs and capabilities of the organism, which leads to a discrepancy between the goals of society and the paramount needs of an individual. At the same time, members of society are increasingly exposed to the pressure of socialization. At the same time, the ratio of biological and social in man 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

In the field of overcoming conflicts between biological and social processes , modern services and infrastructure development help. 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 growth of existing and emergence of new human needs is possible, for the satisfaction of which other kinds of activities will be needed that allow more efficient recovery of the person's mental and physical powers.

In this case, the social and the biological in a person are united by the sphere of service. For example, while maintaining a close relationship with other representatives 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. The factors of development evolve along with the object itself.

The problem of the correlation of biological and social in man

Among the main difficulties in considering biological and social in man, one should single out the absolutization of one of these forms of behavior. Extreme views on the essence of man prevent to identify the problems that arise from contradictions in different factors of development. To date, many experts propose to consider the social and biological in a person separately. Thanks to this approach, the main problems of the correlation of the two entities are identified - these are conflicts that occur during the performance of public tasks, in personal life, etc. For example, the biological essence can prevail in the matter of competition - while the social side , On the contrary, requires the fulfillment of the tasks of creation and the search for a compromise.

Conclusion

Despite the considerable progress of science in many areas, the questions of anthropogenesis for the most part remain unanswered. In any case, it is impossible to say exactly what proportion holds the biological and social in a person. Philosophy also faces new aspects of the study of this issue, which appear against the backdrop of modern changes in the individual and society. But there are some points of convergence. For example, it is obvious that the processes of biological and cultural evolution go together. It is 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 man.