Human nature has been at the center of philosophy for centuries, from Aristotle’s thoughts on man as a social animal to Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s understanding of the natural state of humans.
The modern world has created a new paradigm where people are often treated as commodities, or resources that can be managed, directed, and consumed. We will explore why this approach is contrary to the essence of human nature and how philosophers have analyzed this question throughout the ages.
Human as Commodity: A Postmodern Perspective
The global economic system and digital technology of the 21st century have shaped a world where human labor, data, and values are treated similarly to commodities in markets. Our social media profiles, consumption habits, and physical fitness are becoming data that can be analyzed and traded. This approach, however, directly contradicts the philosophical understanding of humans as free and autonomous individuals.
Philosopher Herbert Marcuse, in his work “One-Dimensional Man,” criticized modern capitalism for alienating people from their true nature. From his perspective, humans become part of a mechanical system, losing the freedom to define their own goals. This situation often leads to passive submission and a lack of self-realization.
Human Nature
Jean-Jacques Rousseau believed that humans are naturally free but that social structures, especially the emergence of private property, have led to subjugation and exploitation. In his “Discourse on the Origin of Inequality,” he describes how the natural state of humans—freedom and autonomy—is being replaced by a social contract in which freedom is given up in the name of civilization.
Immanuel Kant emphasized human dignity and autonomy. According to his view, a person should never be treated as a mere means but always as an end in themselves. This way of thinking questions any system that treats people as consumable resources, be it economic, political, or technological.
Warfare and Human Nature
Philosophers have also pondered the question of warfare. Thomas Hobbes argued in his work “Leviathan” that the natural state of humans is “war of all against all.” He believed that without centralized authority, human nature would lead to chaos.
Human nature is one of cooperation and harmony rather than conflict. Kropotkin’s theory of mutual aid suggests that cooperation, not competition, is the key to animal and human survival. From this perspective, warfare is more a product of social and political structures than an inevitability of human nature. Rousseau believed that humans are inherently independent.
The Problem of Control
People are also often treated as commodities in military and political contexts, where they become instruments of states and organizations. A French philosopher, Michel Foucault, has analyzed how power structures subjugate people through discipline and control. His concept of surveillance and punishment shows how institutions create people who voluntarily submit.
This situation completely contradicts the idea and philosophical understanding that a person should be free and independent and determine his own course of life. The Kantian concept of dignity, according to which a person should not be a mere means but always an end, is a vital counterbalance.
Freedom Is the Only Path Forward
Treating people as commodities or resources directly conflicts with philosophical understandings of human nature. Rousseau, Kant, and Kropotkin affirm that it is not human nature to fight or to obey but to be free and autonomous.
The modern world, where people are often treated as consumables, requires a new ethical paradigm that respects human dignity and freedom. Such an approach is not just a philosophical point of view but a practical step towards a more harmonious and meaningful future for humanity.
Sources:
- Philosophy Institute. Immanuel Kant’s ethical principle: treating persons as ends in themselves
- M. Fortier, M. Albert. From resource to human being: towards persons management
- I. Suwandi. Labor-value commodity chains
- Arts Management & Technology Laboratory. Digital colonialism in the global sphere
- PureSociology. Herbert Marcuse: one-dimensional man (1964) and advanced industrial society
- The Lapis UCL. Rousseau and property: understanding its significance within and outside the second discourse
- Scientific Electronic Library Online. Jean Jacques Rousseau’s concept of freedom and equality in the social contract
- H. Thornton. Chapter three – the war of all against all
- M. Geus. Peter Kropotkin’s anarchist vision of organization
- B. Powell. The soldier’s tale: problematizing Foucault’s military foundations
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