Understanding Human Nature and Societal Structures

The Social Nature of Humanity and Evolution

Paradoxically, when we speak of nature, we often refer to what is instinctive and organic. However, the social aspect does not fit neatly within those categories because it is intrinsically linked to what is culturally and properly human. A newborn human being cannot survive without the care of others, which constitutes the first social interaction. From this point, a dependency relationship is established that lasts for many years.

In contrast, most higher animals achieve independence within months, having gained a high level of maturity before birth. Humans, however, do not reach full maturity at the time of birth; this development occurs throughout early infancy. This observation might seem to fall into a vicious circle: if we determine that human nature depends on its social environment, and that same social behavior was determined by natural selection, which in turn shaped human nature through evolution and adaptation.

Marxist Analysis of Social Classes

Marxists believe that capitalist society is divided into social classes, primarily considering two main groups:

• The Working Class or Proletariat: Marx defined this class as "the individuals who sell their labor and have no means of production." He considered them responsible for creating the wealth of a society. For example, buildings, bridges, and furniture are physically built by members of this class, and services are rendered by employees. The proletariat can be further divided into:
  • Ordinary Proletariat: Those who regularly sell their labor.
  • Lumpenproletariat: Those living in extreme poverty who cannot find regular legal work. This group may include prostitutes, beggars, or the destitute.
• The Bourgeoisie: Those who "own the means of production" and exploit the proletariat.

Rousseau: State of Nature and the Social Contract

Rousseau argues that, far from being a permanent civil war, the state of nature is characterized by freedom, equality, and goodness. Human beings live in a kind of original innocence until the emergence of society, which promotes selfishness and evil. For Rousseau, the social contract is the elimination of individualistic self-interest through the submission of every citizen to the general will, achieved by unanimous assembly.

Rousseau believed that while society guarantees certain basic needs, it also corrupts humans by fostering competition. However, he was convinced that after leaving the state of original innocence, there is no going back. Therefore, only an agreement among citizens can mitigate the disastrous consequences of a corrupt society. Thus arose the need for a social contract.

His famous quote, "Man is born free, but everywhere he is in chains," encapsulates this idea. The power that governs this society is the general will, which seeks the common good of all citizens. Rousseau proposed that every citizen should agree to live in harmony with everyone else. The true Rousseauian contract should be liberating.