Fundamental Needs of Human

How evolutionary biology, psychology, and philosophy each frame what humans fundamentally need, from survival to meaning.

· Updated May 20, 2024

On this page

To truly understand the fundamental needs of humans today, it's insightful to study the evolutionary lineage starting from the earliest forms of life.

  1. I feel it's mostly based on satisfying our human needs, hence I've started a work on exploring our needs which we can't ignore when accounting for well-balanced life.

  2. There are basic physiological needs and then comes psychological needs, I'm not sure if they appeared in sequence of evolved together. But both are at the root of our happiness and content.

  3. https://andrewbenjamingeorge.com/30-human-needs-a-comprehensive-list/

  4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

Learn about life and evolution

  1. Origins of Life and Single-Celled Organisms:

  2. Evolution of Multicellular Life:

  3. Development of Complex Animals:

    • "Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body" by Neil Shubin
    • "The Rise of Animals: Evolution and Diversification of the Kingdom Animalia" by Mikhail A. Fedonkin et al.

  4. Evolution of Mammals and Primates: - "The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution" by Richard Dawkins - "The Primate Origins of Human Nature" by Carel P. van Schaik

  5. Human Evolution:

    • "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
      • "Before the Dawn: Recovering the Lost History of Our Ancestors" by Nicholas Wade

Key Resources for Neural Evolution

  • "The Triune Brain in Evolution: Role in Paleocerebral Functions" by P.D. MacLean
  • Conservation of Neural Structures through evolution <- in journals
  • "The Evolution of Everything: How New Ideas Emerge" by Matt Ridley

Books

  • The Fifth Miracle: The Search for the Origin and Meaning of Life by Paul Davies
  • "Life's Ratchet: How Molecular Machines Extract Order from Chaos" by Peter M. Hoffmann
  • "Quantum Evolution: Life in the Multiverse" by Johnjoe McFadden

Research Articles and Journals

  • Journal of Chemical Physics
  • Physical Biology
  • Astrobiology

Documentaries and Videos

  • "Quantum Biology" (BBC Documentary)
  • Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman

Perspectives on Human Needs

(Merged from Needs of Human.md)

I'm interested in knowing more about fundamental needs from the day life began to current day where we strive for more of everything.

I'm interested in knowing Origin of Life.

Previous work

Approach

Fundamental and Early Developments

  1. Biological & Evolutionary Perspective

    • Focus: Physiological and genetic basis of needs. How human needs have been shaped by evolutionary processes.
    • Key Concepts: Survival, reproduction, genetic fitness, Homeostasis, neurobiology, genetics.
    • Contributors: Charles Darwin, evolutionary psychologists like Leda Cosmides and John Tooby.
    • Development: Basic physiological needs for survival (food, water, shelter) are primary and must be met for any other needs to be considered. Fundamental needs for survival and reproduction drive behavior and social structures.
    • Example: The need for social bonds can be understood as an evolutionary adaptation to enhance survival and reproductive success through cooperation and support.
    • Resources
      • "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins
      • "Evolutionary Psychology: The New Science of the Mind" by David Buss
      • The Moral Animal
      • "Evolutionary Psychology: A Primer" by Leda Cosmides and John Tooby
      • "Why Evolution is True" by Jerry Coyne
      • "The Greatest Show on Earth" and "The Blind Watchmaker". by Richard Dawkins.
      • "Evolution" by Mark Ridley.
      • Edward O. Wilson with "The Social Conquest of Earth"
      • Evolutionary Biology
      • Evolutionary Psychology
      • Intro to Evolution
      • Stated Casually

Parallel Development of Individual and Social Needs

  1. Social Group Living

    • Focus: Formation of social groups and cooperative living.
    • Key Concepts: Social bonds, cooperation, safety in numbers.
    • Development: Social living provides safety, increases chances of survival and reproductive success, leading to complex social behaviors and structures.

  2. Cognitive Perspective

    • Focus: Internal mental processes and problem-solving.
    • Key Concepts: Cognitive development, schema, self-efficacy.
    • Development: Cognitive abilities develop in parallel with social living, aiding in navigation of social environments and problem-solving.

  3. Psychoanalytic Perspective

    • Focus: Unconscious motivations and early childhood experiences.
    • Key Concepts: Instinctual drives, stages of development.
    • Development: Psychological development influenced by early relationships and social structures.

  4. Humanistic Perspective

    • Focus: Personal growth and self-actualization.

    • Key Concepts: Hierarchy of needs, self-actualization, unconditional positive regard.

    • Development: Emerges from a combination of individual psychological needs and social influences.

    • Resources: "Toward a Psychology of Being" by Abraham Maslow, "On Becoming a Person: A Therapist's View of Psychotherapy" by Carl Rogers , "The Farther Reaches of Human Nature" by Abraham Maslow,

    • Humanistic Psychology | Rogers

    • Maslow

    • How the mind works.

    • Blank Slate

    • are we smart enough to know how smart animals are?

    • Study Social Structures and survival stratigies.

Economic and Environmental Interactions

  1. Economic Perspective

    • Focus: Resource allocation and material well-being.
    • Key Concepts: Basic needs, utility, welfare economics.
    • Development: Economic systems develop as humans organize resources to meet both individual and social needs.

  2. Ecological Perspective

    • Focus: Interaction between individuals and their environment.
    • Key Concepts: Ecosystem, sustainable development, environmental psychology.
    • Development: Human needs are influenced by and impact the environment, leading to sustainable practices and environmental awareness.

Ethical, Political, and Technological Developments

  1. Philosophical Perspective

    • Focus: Ethical and existential considerations of human needs.
    • Key Concepts: Eudaimonia, virtue ethics, existential needs.
    • Development: Reflects on the broader meaning and purpose of human life, influenced by earlier developments in psychology, society, and culture.

  2. Political Perspective

    • Focus: Influence of power, governance, and policy on human needs.
    • Key Concepts: Human rights, social justice, welfare state.
    • Development: Political systems evolve to manage social structures and address collective needs, influenced by economic and sociocultural factors.

  3. Technological Perspective

    • Focus: Impact of technology on meeting human needs.
    • Key Concepts: Digital divide, technological determinism, human-computer interaction.
    • Development: Technology evolves alongside human needs, transforming how needs are met and creating new needs in the process.