Within Juche, "man" is considered primarily as the social collective of the working masses, rather than purely as individual, biological man. In the context of Juche, the popular masses are not determined by their class background, only by their ideological basis.<ref name="Juche Idea: Answers to Hundred Questions" /> The category of "man" in Juche excludes the reactionary exploiter class.<ref>[https://www.kass.org.kp/index.php/course/view/677?lang=eng&search= "Man, Main Category of Juche Philosophy."] Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism Course: Juche Idea. Korean Academy of Social Sciences. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230923134133/http://www.kass.org.kp/index.php/course/view/677?lang=eng&search= Archived] 2023-09-23.</ref>
The Juche idea concerns itself with defining humans as social beings who possess independence, creativity, and consciousness. According to the Juche idea, these three qualities are what enable human beings to approach the world "not fatalistically but revolutionarily, not passively but actively, and to reshape the world not blindly but purposefully and consciously." Juche further asserts that it is correct for human beings to consciously transform nature and society in ways that benefit them, while also acknowledging the material limits and objective laws of reality. Kim Jong-Il said in regard to this that the Juche viewpoint and attitude are revolutionary because they enable people to transform the world "with a high degree of awareness that they are masters of the world and their own destiny."<ref name=":1" />
Importantly, these qualities of man are considered not to be purely natural, but rather are characteristics of social man, brought out in man by his existence within a social context. Although Juche acknowledges the biological nature of human beings, "man" as discussed within Juche refers to man within the context of social relations.<ref>{{Citation|year=Juche 101 (2012)|title=Juche Idea: Answers to Hundred Questions|title-url=https://archive.org/details/juche-questions|quote=As seen above, independence, creativity and consciousness constitute the essential features of man that distinguish him from animals. It is important to note that these qualities are not gifted, but social qualities that only man can acquire while living and developing in social relationship.|city=Pyongyang|publisher=Foreign Languages Publishing House}}</ref>In Juche philosophy, independence is considered to be the most important attribute that defines what kind of being man is. It is described as "a quality of man to remove the restrictions of nature, oppose all manner of subjugation in society and make everything serve him."<ref name=":3" />
In ''Man's Destiny and Juche Idea'', an explanation is given which describes that man's demand for independence is more precious than physical life, and that man's display of creativity and consciousness are for the sake of independence: "If man loses independence and lives at others’ beck and call, he is alive physically but he is dead as a social being. Man’s display of creativity and consciousness is not for the sake of themselves but for the sake of independence. History has recorded lots of people who dedicated their lives to the fight against tyranny and oppression, a demonstration that independence is more precious than physical life."<ref name=":5">[https://archive.org/details/juche-destiny/ "Man's Destiny and Juche Idea."] Foreign Languages Publishing House. Pyongyang, Korea, Juche 101 (2012).</ref>
Juche philosophy considers independence to be the "life and soul" of man because man's socio-political integrity can be maintained only with independence. As ''Exposition of the Principles of Juche Idea'' states, "if man is subjugated by others without independence, he is as same as the dead, though he is in life. Independence, therefore, is the life and soul of man."<ref name=":6">[https://archive.org/details/Juche_exposition/1-what_is_the_view_of_the_juche_idea_on_the_world/ "Exposition of the Principles of Juche Idea."] Foreign Languages Publishing House. Pyongyang, Korea, Juche 103 (2014).</ref> ''Juche Idea: Answers to Hundred Questions'' explains: "The physical life is what keeps man alive as a biological organism, whereas the social and political integrity is what keeps him alive as a social being."<ref name=":3" />
The [[Korean Association of Social Scientists]] explains that because man has independence "as his life and soul," independence therefore "becomes life and soul of a country and nation, the people’s collective." Following this, if the people’s independence is to be realized, it is important to first realize independence of a country and nation, "the basic unit of carving out destiny."<ref>[https://www.kass.org.kp/index.php/course/view/635?lang=eng "Philosophical Meaning and Socio-Political Meaning of Independence."] Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism Course: Juche Idea. Korean Association of Social Scientists. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230815081746/http://www.kass.org.kp/index.php/course/view/635?lang=eng Archived] 2023-08-15.</ref>
In Juche philosophy, creativity is an attribute of social man, by which man transforms nature and society to make them more useful and beneficial to him by changing the old into the new. It may also be described as scientific and technical knowledge, experience and skill obtained by man in social practice. With creativity, man develops the method of his activities with the passage of time.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6" />
This is contrasted with other beings, which are not considered to have creativity as is discussed within the Juche idea, as "creativity" in Juche philosophy is a trait which is brought out in social man by his existence within social relations. This concept can be contrasted with the activities of animals such as bees or birds, who do in one sense of the word create things in the form of hives and nests. However, as is pointed out in ''Expositions of the Principles of Juche Idea'', this is not considered the same as man's quality of creativity as defined in Juche philosophy, because "they cannot transform the existing forms to make new things. This is proved by the fact that their method is the same even after the change of conditions and environment with the passage of time." In contrast, man's creativity causes him to develop new methods and new creations based on both changing conditions and on the new methods and creations which he continues to develop over time. An example of this is given with the case of man engaging in hunting and gathering for food, then developing farming, and then continuously building on the creative developments in farming by new farming methods and advancements in science and technology.<ref name=":6" />
''Man's Destiny and Juche Idea'' explains that since man is a creative being and the social movement for shaping destiny of human beings assumes creative character, "destiny control without creation is inconceivable." The work explains that man who wants to realize his aspirations and demand for independence can successfully shape his destiny only by the creative method, enhancing and positively enlisting his creativity and constantly transforming nature and society to meet the specific conditions. The work further explains how the "inexhaustible creative ability" of the masses is key in "waging a dynamic struggle for destiny control":<blockquote>In order to carve out one’s destiny and the destiny of one’s country and nation, it is necessary to strictly rely on the masses of the people possessing inexhaustible creative ability. The popular masses are a decisive force propelling social progress and only when one relies on them strictly and enlists their creativity can one wage a dynamic struggle for destiny control. Whatever outstanding talent and ability an individual has, they are no match for the strength of the masses. It is not an individual but the popular masses who possess in a comprehensive way all knowledge and experience accumulated by humankind through the struggle for carving out destiny in the long historical period.<ref name=":5" /></blockquote>It is also noted in the above work, in respect to how man's creativity may be applied to actions, that the creative method is to find solutions of one's own that suit one's actual realities, always starting from the specific conditions and settings, and, when introducing other's experience, adopt it by tailoring it to meet one's own needs. As is stated in ''Juche Idea: Answers to Hundred Questions'', "Creativity ensures the realization of independence. Man can translate independence into reality as he has creativity. The fuller he gives play to creativity the better he can put independence into practice."<ref name=":3" />
According to Juche philosophy, consciousness is an attribute of social man, which determines all his endeavours to understand and reshape the world and himself. Because man has consciousness, man is able to understand the world and the laws of its motion and development, and therefore can harness nature and develop society as he desires. Consciousness enables man to be aware of his demands and interests, as well as of the surrounding world, enabling man to make strenuous effort for the realization of those demands and interests. Because he has consciousness, man is able to make active analysis and judgment of new problems and situations that arise in the process of his practical activities, and enables man to take proper measures and steps in conformity with the new conditions. Thus he is able to carry out his planned practical activities to the end by overcoming difficulties and ordeals encountered in the process.<ref>[https://www.kass.org.kp/index.php/course/view/626?lang=eng&search= "Consciousness."] Kimilsungism-Kimjongilism Course: Juche Idea. Korean Association of Social Scientists. [https://web.archive.org/web/20230926104138/http://www.kass.org.kp/index.php/course/view/626?lang=eng&search= Archived] 2023-09-26.</ref>
Ideological consciousness is considered to reflect man's desire and interests, and therefore has an active effect on man's conduct. In particular, within the Juche idea, consciousness of independence and class interests is considered to play a decisive role in the masses' revolutionary movement for independence. The masses' revolutionary ability cannot find full expression without consciousness, particularly consciousness of their class interests and independence. It is considered that masses with a low level of consciousness in regard to their class interests and in regard to independence will be less able to transform nature and society to meet their needs, therefore hampering their ability to rise to the revolutionary struggle even in the face of oppression and exploitation. It is considered necessary to have a firm consciousness of independence in order to be able to take an indomitable attitude towards the revolution, actively participate in it with a strong will, and struggle to the end, overcoming all difficulties and trials.<ref name=":1" />
In ''On the Juche Idea'', Kim Jong Il explains that without the regulation of ideological consciousness, man's independent and creative activities would be "inconceivable", stating:<blockquote>If a man is to be an independent creative being, he must have the consciousness of independence. This consciousness means the awareness of one’s being the master of one’s own destiny and signifies the will to shape one’s destiny by one’s own initiative. Only when a man has the consciousness of independence can he conduct conscious activity to conquer nature and actively struggle against the oppressors who encroach and trample upon his independence. Man’s endeavour to acquire a scientific understanding of the world and transform it actively is none other than the manifestation of his consciousness; man’s role in transforming nature and society, after all, is the role of his ideological consciousness.<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>In the same work, Kim Jong Il goes on to describe the relationship between consciousness and material conditions in a revolutionary movement:<blockquote>Material factors, too, play a great part in the revolutionary movement. But the existence of material conditions does not give rise to the revolution automatically. How to make use of these material conditions depends on people’s conscious activity. Whether these material conditions are prepared quickly or not depends on man’s activity. The revolution can be pushed forward only by the active struggle of the revolutionaries and the popular masses. Fundamentally speaking, a revolution does not always break out when all the necessary conditions exist, nor is it carried out always in favourable circumstances. Waiting with folded arms for all conditions to ripen is tantamount to refusing to make a revolution. Primary importance, therefore, should be given to the ideological factor in the revolutionary struggle and construction work, and on this basis strenuous efforts should be made to create all the necessary conditions.<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>In other words, while material factors are considered to play a large role in a revolution, the consciousness of the masses is considered to be the decisive factor, as how to make use of the material conditions depends on people's conscious activity. It is also noted in the same work that the role of ideological consciousness steadily increases with the development of the revolutionary movement; the communist revolutionary movement is described as requiring a high degree of consciousness from people, as the socialist and communist societies are built by the purposeful and conscious efforts of the popular masses. Meanwhile, the role of ideological consciousness is enhanced after the seizure of political power and the establishment of the socialist system by the working class, and socialism and communism are considered to "provide the conditions for increasing the role of people's ideological consciousness to the full."<ref name=":1" />
