Philosophy Handouts  By working to attain the common good, a person is
General Will
 by Jean Jacque Rousseau
 believed that even if the people are the ones who
organized society and established an authority or
gov’t in extreme cases, the gov’t is able to impose
its will on the people
 based on the assumption that the people have
empowered the gov’t to act on their behalf, and
that it is considered to be the best judge
of what is most beneficial for society
ORIGINAL POSITION
 by John Rawls
 give emphasis to individual decision- making in
society
 redefined by Rawls the social contract and explained
that human beings approach social cooperation in a
rational manner in order to meet their individual
self-interests
 humans as having a “veil of ignorance” or no
knowledge of one’s own characteristics such as
gender, race, or social status
SELF - INTEREST
 human would naturally seek a just and fair society in an
effort to look out for their own interest
 people choose to cooperate since it is beneficial to meet
their self – interests but this selfish interest benefits
society as a whole, since the actions of individuals in
meeting their individual needs also further the interests
of the other members of society
* It is important to note that in a society, one is not
compromised for the sake of the other: the individual is
not in any way violated for the sake of the community and
vice versa
COMMON GOOD
 Human beings compelled to come together,
establish relationships with each other, and work
together as a united group because of the natural
desire for goodness.
 Human persons drives us to do what is good, and
we recognize that other persons also desire
goodness as well. When more than one person
desires and works to achieve the same good, then
it can be said that a common good exists among
them.
 The common good refers to the social conditions
which enable person and groups to fulfill their
goals and achieve well-being.
 The common good applies to all members of
society.
 This means that not only do all members benefit
from it, all have the responsibility to work for it.
now able to create opportunities for himself or
herself as well as others.
 The collective effort of individual persons towards
the common good ensures that each member of
the community will be able to live in a world where
they can pursue their own perfection and
fulfilment.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT FORMS OF SOCIETIES?
1.)HUNTING AND GATHERING SOCIETY
 Earliest and simplest form of society. Characterized
by its small size and is composed mainly of families.
 Nomadic because they spend most of their time
searching for food and thus, have no permanent
territory. – Not very varied its members are
generally treated equally and decisions are usually
arrived at through a consensus.
 Role of its member and the division of labor is not
very clearly defined.
2.)PASTORAL SOCIETY
 Characterized by the domestication of animals for
food for a more stable and predictable food supply
 Have larger populations than hunting and
gathering societies and remain longer in one
produce surplus food and resources, which they
trade with other societies.
 Enables the people to engage in other activities
apart from those necessary for survival, such as
handicrafts.
 This eventually leads to the emergence of
specialized tasks in the community.
3.)HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY
 engages in the small –scale cultivation of plants,
fruits, and vegetables and the domestication of
animals.
 Semi-nomadic, means that they travel to another
place when they have already depleted the
resources in one area.
 Roles and responsibilities are more clearly defined
with many tasks assigned according to gender.
 Similar to the pastoral society, there is also a
surplus of good, which sometimes leads to
inequalities among its members.
 The individuals were often very family – and clan-
orientated, and their behavior and actions were
restricted by tradition.
 The assignment of tasks and occupations were
often based on gender, with women doing mostly
domestic work in the home, while the men engage
in hunting and farming.
4. Agrarian or agricultural society
 This type of society is a further evolution of the
pastoral and horticultural societies
 Agricultural involves the large-scale and long-term
cultivation of crops and domestication of animals
 Characterized by improved technology and the
use of tools to aid in farming
 Improved technology and farming methods result
in increased production, giving rise to a growing
population in agricultural societies
 Large population of agricultural societies leads to
a structured social system that helps manage
resources and its members
5. FEUDAL SOCIETY
 Based on the ownership of land
 Arose out developments in Western Europe
during Medieval times, when rival kingdom were
engaged in conflict over resources, particularly
land
 Rulers grant their followers or vassals the right to
manage parcels of land
 In return for their services, they are provided
military protection
 Members of society organized base on status
 Those who own land are considered the most
powerful and influential member of society while
the peasants are considered the lowest group
 Give rise to individuals who value relations among
family members and with other members in the
community
 People are often conscious of their place within
society and are mindful of the hierarchy
 People where belong to the “higher classes” are
treated with respect by the members of the
community
6. INDUSTIAL SOCIETY
 Industrial society is based on the use of
specialized machinery in the production of goods
and services
 Technological advances resulted in improved
trade and commerce and better life conditions for
many people
 Work is done in factories and public education is
more prevalent
 However, the emergence of industrial societies is
characterized by greater inequalities in wealth,
power, and influence
 Industrial societies are often define by the nature
of work and the prevailing industry in an area
 Capitalist or business owners are considered the
most influential
 This type of society is also characterized by
cultural diversity and the presence of bureaucratic
forms of organizations
 Is a significant departure from the agrarian
society, as many of the relations are not family or
community-based
 An important factor in social relations is the
workplace , and people often interact with
individuals who do not come from the same
family , clan , or community
 Impersonal relationships prevail among
individuals
7. POST INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY
 Is marked by the establishment of societies based
on knowledge, information and sales of services
 Led by the human mind and aided by highly
advanced technology, the trend has shift from
industry to the generation, storage, manipulation,
and sale of information
 Information influences the behavior of people and
has thus become a very important commodity in the
post-industrial society
 Member of this society have higher educational
attainment, better training, and specialized roles
 VIRTUAL SOCIETY – people organize
themselves through communication
technology and the Internet - product of a
post-industrial society
 Individuals in a virtual society often engage in
complex relationships
HOW DOES SOCIETY INFLUENCE OUR DEVELOPMENT
AS PERSON?
a. The person and the society have a very dynamic
relationship in which one cannot exist without the
other
b. Society influences our development as persons in
various ways
*norms – set of traits and behavior that society
considers acceptable, and are thus
encouraged and passed on to other
members
*laws – formal and stringent norms that establish
and define acceptable behavior of the
citizens
*folkways – less formal norms that arise from
tradition and do not result in punishment
when violated
*social system – organized and pattern set of
relationship among individuals and groups
that compose a society
*social role – actions and behavior expected of a
certain individual
*social groups/ classes – individuals who share
similar backgrounds or perform similar
roles are grouped together
*social institution - certain groups perform vital
functions in society are recognized
c. Society also transforms human relation which  Suffering takes place when we patiently
leads to the transformation of its members endure unpleasantness, discomfort, and
* social values – actions or ideals that are pain. It can be experience physically ( we
considered important by society
experience physical sensations such as
HOW DOES SOCIETY ENABLE E TO BECOME A BETTER
PERSON? discomfort, hunger, distress and pain) or
a. Society recognizes the capability of the person to mentally ( involves emotional and mental
develop, and provides its members with state such depression, anxiety, fear,
opportunities to better themselves loneliness and grief .
b. Persons can also undertake to contribute to  Suffering is generally viewed as an
society through their decisions and actions. undesirable condition, and that we naturally
 One important way a person can contribute to
seek pleasure and avoid pain. Another view
a social change is by enacting his/her social
responsibilities states that suffering is necessary in shaping
* social movement our existence because without it , we are
unable to grow and our positive experiences
lose meaning and significance.
HUMAN PERSONS AS ORIENTED TOWARDS THEIR  As we approach our death, we experience
IMPENDING DEATH both happiness and suffering. The two are not
 Death is the end of bodily functions which
really meant to be polar opposites, for they
signals the end of a person’s life. It also refers
can also enrich one another.
to the separation of the body and the soul.
 As inter subjective beings who have a
 The human person is an embodied spirit or
tendency to form bonds with others, it is
the unity of a body and a spirit .The body
natural that the meaning of life be found
grows and dies, while the soul continues to
when we open ourselves to others. This
exist even after the body has passed.
means that although we will eventually die,
 While there is no freedom in the inevitability
we have an opportunity to enrich our lives as
of death, we have the freedom to live our
well as the lives of others.
lives well or not. Temporality challenges us to
make choices that will be good for us and the
people around us. Although we are oriented
towards our death, death is not the goal of
life. The challenge is to live a meaningful life.
 Happiness is a state of being, not just an
emotional experience or a chosen attitude.
We do not choose happiness; we choose the
means to achieve it.
 A good is a source of happiness and it has
three kinds. A noble good is one which is
pursued for its own sake; it is good in itself. A
useful good is considered good so long as it
serves as a means to an end; its goodness is
found only from what it can provide. A
pleasurable good is good so long as it
provides some form of pleasure, though it
doesn’t have to be physical.
 The kind of happiness that can be gained from
a good is also closely tied to its nature. Real
happiness can be found in more permanent
and meaning full things.