Human Nature: Culture, Society, and Behavior
Different Human Behaviors
Symbolic Communication: Humans communicate through symbols and signs, while animals primarily use natural cues.
Living in Reality: We perceive the world around us as real and interconnected. Animals respond to stimuli, but humans interpret and relate to things conceptually.
Sense of Self: Humans possess an awareness of their internal reality. The Greeks identified four temperament types: sanguine (blood), melancholic (sad), choleric (anger), and phlegmatic (calm).
Openness to the World: Our perception transcends space and time, enabling us to understand complex concepts.
Free Will: Unlike animals, humans can resist impulses and make choices about their future.
Incompleteness: Humans are not fully formed at birth; we are constantly developing and capable of learning.
Self-Reflection: We contemplate our place in the world and our own identity.
Imagination and Reasoning: Imagination allows us to create ideals and projects, while reasoning helps us organize and achieve them.
Culture and Us
Humans are inherently cultural beings. Anthropology studies the following aspects of culture:
- Mental Culture: Beliefs, values, and norms.
- Material Culture: Physical objects and environments.
Humans adapt to their physical and social environments through culture. Culture is a historically derived, shared system of symbols that humanizes us. Individuals without culture are considered “wild.”
Subcultures and Counterculture
Subcultures are groups with distinct characteristics within a larger culture. Countercultures are movements that oppose mainstream cultural values. Examples include:
- Urban Tribes: Punks, Goths, Skinheads, etc., seeking identity outside family or societal norms.
- Aggressive Groups: Use violence to challenge society.
- Alternative Social Groups: Pacifists, ecologists, etc., who generally respect the law and offer alternative visions for the future.
Culture and Civilization
Culture, in a general sense, is related to “civilization,” derived from the Latin words *civis* (citizen) and *civitas* (city). In the 18th century, European thinkers began to view themselves as “civilized” in contrast to other cultures they considered “wild.”
Civilization: A synthesis of related cultures, sharing general characteristics that distinguish humanity.
What is Man?
Different philosophers have offered perspectives on human nature:
- Aristotle: Humans are naturally social and cultural beings, needing society to fulfill their potential. Reason allows us to distinguish good from evil.
- Hobbes: Humans are inherently selfish, constantly in conflict. A strong, absolute authority is necessary to maintain peace. Our primary drive is survival and satisfying needs.
- Rousseau: Humans are naturally good and solitary, but society corrupts them. He envisioned an egalitarian social organization, though he acknowledged its challenges.
The Creation of Society
Rousseau and Hobbes: Humans are not naturally social. Society is an artificial construct, a necessary evil to ensure coexistence. It arises from a contract or agreement among individuals.