Need

[abbielives!]

i have heard people say we want a society based on meeting peoples needs

define needs please

[Dimentio]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

At least what utilitarians tend to follow.

[abbielives!]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19, 2007 09:21 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

At least what utilitarians tend to follow.

that's more or less what i thought

[gilhyle]

Needs are not fixed they change over time and depend on the opportunities society allows and has helped to develop.

[Dimentio]

I did not know that my need to get some food was a product of society...

Think, you'll learn something new every day!

[gilhyle]

Think a bit more and you realise that there is no such thing as 'food' there are only particular foods and those foods are provided to you by society, as is your capacity to want a particular food. Personally I never want sushi.

Its a fethisization of human nature that makes you think you can separate what society has made you from what nature made you in a way that allows you to define natural needs - natural needs are trivial, it is the socially defined needs that are significant.

[JazzRemington]

You are confusing how the needs are satisfied with the need itself.

You NEED food in general to survive, but the TYPE of food is determined by social conditions.

[Pawn Power]

I believe Castro said the people's wants are their needs.

To be sure, there are different "categories" of "needs." Firstly, there are bodily requirements (i.e. food, water, shelter) that are physiologically "needed" to sustain one's life. Observably, people require varying amount and kinds of food and different environments call for different forms shelter.

Other habits are further labeled as biological needs, like social interaction, sex, intellectual creativity, “spirituality” etc. These things don't outwardly appear to be "needed" to live; however, there has been a strong penchant for these things to become labeled as "requirements" for life, or at least a healthy life.

Additionally, certain practices are labeled as cultural needs. Certainly this overlaps with spirituality but can also contain particular practices that give a group of people physiological comfort, which may often translate into physical comfort or well being. Indeed, like spirituality, we recognize that these things aren’t “needed” in so fare as other groups of people live with out them.

Nevertheless, there is an unclear line between the psychological and the physical that is so often demonstrated with the “placebo effect.” What is “needed” by one person is not even considered by another.

Moreover, what is “to live”?

Without a doubt the human body can be sustained in comatose, continued with IVs and monitors. It would be nice to think that “life” demands those other social habits and cultural needs.

............

It is important however, to recognize the creation of “needs” by the capitalism. Undoubtedly, many of these things are “wants” that are procured and played upon with advertising and the like by capitalism to form the suggestion of a need. This is probably a different discussion, though it does overlap.

The production of more “wants” is a vital component of capitalism. As we all know, capitalism must expand. This is achieved either by conquering new markets abroad or creating new ones locally. Original technologies are fabricated and sold as a new essential. Products and services are renamed and repackaged as something novel. All the while others continue their existence with their own “different” “needs.”

[phoenixoftime]

The production of more “wants” is a vital component of capitalism. As we all know, capitalism must expand. This is achieved either by conquering new markets abroad or creating new ones locally. Original technologies are fabricated and sold as a new essential. Products and services are renamed and repackaged as something novel. All the while others continue their existence with their own “different” “needs.”

Marginal utility?

[Lark]

Originally posted by abbielives!+May 19, 2007 09:32 pm--> (abbielives! @ May 19, 2007 09:32 pm)
[email protected] 19, 2007 09:21 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

At least what utilitarians tend to follow.

that's more or less what i thought [/b]
I think that's the best guide I've ever heard of, is there some sort of alternative?