Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a theory proposed by Abraham Maslow that identifies and prioritizes five basic human needs: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, esteem needs, and self-actualization needs. Maslow proposed that people are motivated to fulfill basic needs first, and that until lower level needs are met, people are not motivated to fulfill higher level needs. Maslow's theory suggests that human motivation is based on people seeking fulfillment and growth as they progress through the hierarchy of needs.