In order to understand what human needs are and how they differ from the needs of plants and animals, it is necessary to first understand what the term “needs” means.
Needs in psychology and philosophy is calleda condition that is unique to living organisms. This state expresses the dependence of the organism on environmental conditions for existence and development. The same condition determines the forms of activity of the organism.
Different organisms have different needs. Plants need only a mineral substrate for nutrition, light and water.
The needs of animals are more diverse, despite the fact that they are based on instincts. Fear, nutrition, desire for reproduction, sleep - these are the basic "needs" of animal organisms.
Human needs are very, very diverse.They are caused by two main factors: the presence of the first (common with animals) and the second signal system (speech and thinking) and high mental organization. That is why human needs are so ambiguous, focused and are the main source of personality activity.
The peculiarity of man is that he is capablebe aware of their own subjective perceptions of need with its objective content. Only a person is able to understand that in order to satisfy a need, you must first set a goal, and then achieve it.
Even the physical needs of man are different from the needs of animals. That is why they are directly related to the forms of activity and can vary significantly over a lifetime.
Human needs are represented as hisdesires, aspirations, desires and addictions, and their satisfaction is always accompanied by the emergence of evaluative emotions. Joy, satisfaction, pride, anger, shame, discontent - this is what distinguishes man from animals.
The form of manifestation of need is desire. They are traced in aspirations and hobbies, they move the whole life of a person and his activity.
Тему «человек и его потребности» изучают ученые many specialties: philosophers, psychologists, economists, etc., and they all came to the unequivocal opinion: if we talk about a person, his needs are endless.
It is explained simply. One need entails another. As one satisfies, a person has other needs.
The classification of needs is an ambiguous concept, they are many. For example:
- Needs related to the sphere of human activity: this is the need for work, new knowledge, the need for rest and communication.
- The object of the application of needs can be material, spiritual, biological, aesthetic and other areas of life.
- Subjective needs are divided into group and individual, social and collective.
- By the nature of the activity: game, sex, food, defensive, communication, educational.
- According to the functional role of the need, many scientists believe, can be dominant or secondary, central or peripheral, stable or situational.
H. Murray, B.I. Dodonov, Guilford, Maslow and other researchers proposed their own classifications of needs. Despite a slightly different approach, in one almost all of them agree.
All human needs can be divided into natural and culturally acquired. Natural based on instincts, fixed at the level of genetics.
Cultural gains with age.They can be simple acquired or complex acquired. The first arise on the basis of personal experience (for example, the need to communicate with friends or the need for a favorite job). The latter arise on the basis of non-empirical own conclusions. For example, believers need confession not because they have made their own conclusion that it is needed, but because it is commonly believed that after confession it becomes easier.
