So the question has been already raised in the title. The answer seems to be very simple, but still. From the first days of our life and till the moment of death we live in society. Different people are around us in every sphere of our life. This very society makes us who we are. And then while growing-up, we shape it. It's a kind of coexistence. We can't live without society, because we are biosocial. And as I've said the society consists of us. We are parts of it. We can speak about the so-called children-"maugli". But they have only basic characteristic features of people. And in my opinion, these children don't have humanness. This very humanness can be got only while living in the society of human beings.
Our society is a great organism. We all are its cells. This organism reflects our behaviour. People fighting with each other are, for example, its wounds and cuts. So, we all should remember that destroying ourselves and the environment, we also kill the organism called "society". What helps us to make this organism live? I think there can be some things. The example is in the picture below.
Living in peace and comfort is not that difficult. It is more difficult to live in harmony and balance between yourself and the world around. Life is not a constant struggle. Life is not about struggling. It is about living and dying. Pathetic. Simple.
Seagull, I'd like to fight with the idea that we are all egoists. No! It's absolute nonsense to say so. To say so means one thing - our biology and survival instinct. Yes, the same thing again. It means that we are concerned with our physical and psychic health so that we could continue to be. But the survival instinct goes even farther, e.g. to protect the life and well-being of others, to secure good conditions for others, to equip others with knowledge and living power, to teach values that have been tested for centuries, to pass on social patterns that will guarantee further growth. This is not egoism because it has another core, another centre - not 'I" but "WE" and "THEY".
Maybe, I misunderstood your idea but I think you are describing an exception but not a rule. Of course, we take care of others but these 'others' are our nearest relatives. So, it's also a kind of egoism. And I don't mean it's bad. On the contrary, it's rather natural. But no doubt that teaching profession presupposes sharing experience and knowledge with others. And there appears 'THEY'.
May I join your discussion? I'm afraid that I won't add any fresh idea, I'll just try to sum up yours (Hope you let me do it))))))You know, I regard a PERSON and SOCIETY as two sides of the same coin. Do you remember philosophy? Two opposite phenomena exist in their dialectical unity. Can a person exist without society? Let me answer in the following way: a HUMAN can SURVIVE without society, a PERSON can't LIVE without it. Here we come across the contradiction between two notions – a human (as a biological subject) and a person (as a part of social reality). Without this differentiating the answer to the question won't be definite enough. As for the struggle that “makes us live”... Well, Seagull, don't be too pessimistic. Do you really think that continuous struggle is the essence of our being? So many people (our dear teacher, Ayayulia, Jane and Lovefootball)) have already mentioned that there are too many things that make us live. Each person can name his own, you know. But I'm really interested – what makes you, Seagull, regard the struggle as the main? Do you really struggle too much?
Thank you for such a vague point for the discussion (which really seems to be age-long). I can't concentrate on what you're talking about. Is it a possibility to live without other people? Or is it about how we demolish society around us? Or are we talking about things that makes us humans? You say the society consists of us. I'm very sorry, but I'll venture to disagree. If society consists OF us, this means that society as a notion is not a system at all; it is just a set of unrelated elements (in this case, human beings). But at the same time you insist on people's coexistence and interdependence which are of primary importance while talking about any society. So let me apply a correction here. I would rather say that society consists IN us as every human with his/her relations, interests, demands and responsibilities creates a foundation usually known as society.
Well, our discussion really seems to be an octopus with many tentacles))) You say that society consists IN us. I agree that it's a foundation. But you also say human beings are unrelated. So don't these two statements conflict with each other if we consider society as an entity? (Or you don't consider it so?)
I do not say that people are unrelated. It is not my point of view, it is just a conclusion that results from the statement "society consists OF us". And I'm just against such a handling of the matter.
Well, when we say,for example, that the society will or wont't accept something the word 'society' sounds like something abstract. In fact saying this we mean 'family and friends', I think. Does it mean that we are too focused on ourselves? And should we expand the notion of society ?
We are egoists. But we still live in society. The society of egoists. There are not many altruists. That's the problem. Many of us think only about their prosperity.
every creature that can breathe lives in society. I don't speak now about social society. We create our own world where we exist ourselves or with people who are close to us. and feelings...they are not a part of this society. They just make us feel, think, breathe, LIVE. And really, I'm sorry but I can't understand the subject of your dispute... You are speaking about absolutely different things.
Things that make us live???? Well, anything that we see around! We live - this is our biology. We walk - this is our anatomy! We think - this is our psychology! We feel - this is our genetic code! We speak - this is our verbal influence on society! We build and eat - these are our instincts too! We love and give birth to children - this is our road to the future! We believe in God - this is our second SELF! These can be continued as long as you wish to a certain logical dead-end. No one can ever live outside or away from society. But any society can be destroyed or humiliated. During our life time eachof us creates their own little society of those with whom we live, socialize or work.
Love can recall to life or to kill. Hatred can create smth., but after that, it'll ruin everything. Hope is just for keeping smth. in safe... It cannot create smth. new.
But human drawbacks are also the part of our society. (I mean just drawbacks but not the things that lead to wars or catastrophes.) You're describing an ideal society, I think. We all want it to exist but... And what if this balance of good and bad is the thing that makes this organism live?
Why are you talking of struggle? How do you explain it? Why should a human being struggle? Who said so? Why must I struggle? Is it because there is that ancient instinct for survival? If I say - I just want to live in peace and comfort, is it wrong?
Firstly, struggle means coping with difficulties in your life. You mustn't struggle. Nowadays this ancient survival instinct has changed. There is no need to fight for you life. But many people fight for prosperity. Almost everybody wants to live in peace and comfort, but sometimes they can't.
