▁and ▁plants . ▁That ▁is ▁to ▁say , ▁the ▁objects ▁of ▁his ▁instinct s ▁exist ▁outside ▁him , ▁as ▁objects ▁independent ▁of ▁him ; ▁yet ▁these ▁objects ▁are ▁objects ▁that ▁he ▁needs ▁– ▁essential ▁objects , ▁ind isp ens able ▁to ▁the ▁manifest ation ▁and ▁confirm ation ▁of ▁his ▁essential ▁powers . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Grund ris se ▁Marx ▁says ▁his ▁nature ▁is ▁a ▁' tot ality ▁of ▁needs ▁and ▁drives '. ▁In ▁The ▁German ▁Ide ology ▁he ▁uses ▁the ▁form ulation : ▁' the ir ▁needs , ▁consequ ently ▁their ▁nature '. ▁We ▁can ▁see ▁then , ▁that ▁from ▁Marx ' s ▁early ▁writing ▁to ▁his ▁later ▁work , ▁he ▁conce ives ▁of ▁human ▁nature ▁as ▁composed ▁of ▁' t endencies ', ▁' d riv es ', ▁' ess ential ▁powers ', ▁and ▁' inst inct s ' ▁to ▁act ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁satisfy ▁' ne eds ' ▁for ▁external ▁object ives . ▁ ▁For ▁Marx ▁then , ▁an ▁explanation ▁of ▁human ▁nature ▁is ▁an ▁explanation ▁of ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁humans , ▁together ▁with ▁the ▁assertion ▁that ▁they ▁will ▁act ▁to ▁ful fill ▁those ▁needs . ▁( c . f . ▁The ▁German ▁Ide ology , ▁chapter ▁ 3 ). ▁Norman ▁Ger as ▁gives ▁a ▁schedule ▁of ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁needs ▁which ▁Marx ▁says ▁are ▁characteristic ▁of ▁humans : ▁ ▁... for ▁other ▁human ▁be ings , ▁for ▁sexual ▁relations , ▁for ▁food , ▁water , ▁cl othing , ▁shelter , ▁rest ▁and , ▁more ▁generally , ▁for ▁circumstances ▁that ▁are ▁condu