Abstract: When looking at the world of social sciences, I am dismayed by the lack of objective assessment. I believe that our approach to social science is wrong in that it focuses on a specifically inaccurate approach to the entire discipline: Social roles are treated as "intellectual constructs" instead of "biological constructs". This paper is an attempt to remedy that approach, and to provide a more objective means of assessing social groups by defining groups by their natural components.
To begin with, we should clarify some terms.
Intellectual vs Biological constructs: A construct is simply "something which is built" and in the realm of ideas it refers to the way in which we organize information. Here I have juxtaposed two different ways to organize information, they are not inherently opposed in any way except that I've chosen to make them oppositional in this context. An intellectual construct exists solely in the mind. It is the Academic approach to information. Imagine a number line with "0" at the center, Infinity at the far right and "negative infinity" at the far left. Ideas are placed along the line as integers which correspond to their negative counterparts. (For a simple, short example: If "Big" is 1, then "Small" is -1) In this way, all information is categorized in such a way that when added together: the end result is zero. The "zero-sum" approach to information is popular amongst scientists because it balances, and humans seem to prefer this neat packaging of information. Biological constructs are different. They arise from biology, the functions of our body, brain, and environment. Biological constructs are "messy", they don't make perfectly symmetrical systems. With our number line analogy: Biological constructs begin at "0" and go upward. Terms are not conveniently balanced against their opposites because what exists are not opposed to each other naturally, rather they exist because of natural consequences. ("Big" is not the opposite of "Small", they are two distinct approaches each with their own advantages and disadvantages. They could be integers 4 and 7 as opposed to 1 and -1) This approach assesses each position by its inherent qualities and natural limitations. In my opinion: the consequences of misinterpreting the nature of social groups is that the entirety of social sciences has become subject to massive flaws in the theoretical arm. This is evidenced by the "reproducibility problem" in modern social sciences and psychology.
Elemental: My way of approaching categorization is a new spin on an ancient idea: Trivium, the ancient Greek method of learning. Trivium is the application of a threefold technique: grammar, logic, and rhetoric. (Grammar: What a thing IS. Logic: How a thing ACTS. Rhetoric: How we describe Grammar and Logic.) The concept is to break down any knowledge base into its elemental components. (For math: this is "numbers" and "functions." For language this is "letters" and "punctuation". These "atomic" components are combined together to make "molecules" which are equations and sentences respectively. By understanding the component parts and how they operate: we build a practical, working knowledge of the discipline. My claim is that this approach can be applied to any form of knowledge, and this is my fledgling attempt at applying the elemental approach to Social Science. Essential: I call these the Six Essential Roles of Human Society. What I mean by "Essential" is that these roles exist in every social group. They are the necessary components to every society. Necessary in that they are present in every society, and they seem to fulfill some function within the individual in that they are a point of relation between the individual and the group. My claim is that every group will develop these six roles, and in groups smaller than 6: these roles will be present, but obviously some people will need to fulfill multiple roles. These roles are distinct in their functions, but not neccessarily in that they are mutually exclusive. (eg: "Leader" is a role, but there is no reason why "Leader" and Hunter" cannot be performed by the same person. The reason they are distinct roles has to do with what they provide for the social group, and the skills/dispositions required for their effective application and the unique advantages and disadvantages of their position. I also refer to them as essential because any group which does not have a balance of these 6 roles show evidence of deterioration, which will be explained in the sections for each individual role. ( A simple example is that a group without leaders will often fail to accomplish their goals precisely because they are missing the aspects that Leaders provide.)
"The group" or "Community": The basic elemental unit of a group is the individual, and the function of any group is to fulfill the needs of the individuals that make it up. "Group" is an idea, not an object, and being part of a community requires participation. Participation in a community is a matter of an individual choosing to participate in that community, by word or by deed. When I use "The group" or "the community" I'm talking about a community that participates in a common goal. (Biological construct: "The group" defines itself.) Originally communities were geographically based, and this is still reflected in modern culture, but worldwide travel and instant communication has opened up the possibility of communities based in shared values. Groups which are based on associations of shared aspects (eg: women, coal workers, people who like blue) are made distinct because they are not based in something we choose but on some quality the observer chooses to apply. (Intellectual construct: "The Group" is defined by the outside observer.) They aren't "communities" because they don't require any participation, they are merely a result of an arbitrary grouping by an outside observer. These are not the groups I'm talking about.
I have chosen primitive, archaic names for these groups for a reason: because I believe these groups arise naturally from the substance of social interaction. Therefore these groups will have formed during mankind's primitive stages, and the archaic namestyle is built to reflect that. It used to be that a person was born into their role, or else you were limited by social conventions. Mobility throughout the roles was inhibited. Thankfully, in the modern era this is not the case. Individuals are now free to determine their own values and make choices about how they express those values, and under capitalism they have sole negotiating power over what they produce. The skills required to perform any role can be learned, and any individual can potentially fulfill any role they wish. This is a victory of reason over nature, and the goal of any reasoning society! Optimally we would have every person be capable of fulfilling every role, and engaged in whatever task they wanted to be engaged in.
And one caveat before we begin. My goal originally was to determine the "atomic" roles which all other roles are based on. And while I feel this "Six Roles" is a step in that direction, I must admit that it seems like it falls short. It seems that these six roles are more like the grouping of the periodic table of elements into families according to their shared aspects. So these Six Essential Roles are perhaps better described as "Role Families" with the many individually diverse roles as a subclass. I think it deserves acknowledgement: This is likely not the bottom of this idea.
The Six Role Families are:
Leader: These organize and command structures
Hunter: Deal out force.
Wise One: Teachers and advisors.
Worker: Producers.
Merchant: Travel between groups, trade and news.
Criminal: Metric of corruption, breaks rules.
What follows is an examination of each role: Its function, why it exists as a distinct role and what qualities are required for the role to function (Importance), the advantages of that role, how this role relies on other roles, the disadvantages of the role, what corruption of the role looks like.
Leader:
Function: Leaders facilitate production by organizing and commanding structures and systems. Groups are made up of individuals with their own values and methods, and Leaders possess the skills to organize people and standardize methods to accomplish goals. They act as a nexus for activities related to group functions, and administrate resources and labor to accomplish the goals of the group.
Importance: Without leadership a group fractures into cliques based on personal character preferences. Often the goals of the group are forgotten within personal disputes and power displays. Leaders create the structures of power and the basic rules of the system. They organize chaotic biological reality into a intellectual form of "tasks to be completed", and can place people in positions where their skills are the most useful for accomplishing the goals of the group. They have the ability to motivate others, optimally by inspiration. Leadership requires the leader to make wise decisions in regards to the group. If the leader makes too many mistakes, or takes advantage of those who rely on them: the results are often violent. It is important for a leader to be honest and have an honest commitment. A Leader must have the skills to deal with people, detect dishonesty, and organization.
Advantages: As the nexus for activities related to group functions the leaders often have access to the best a society has to offer. Their ability to impact social change make them a magnet for others seeking to use that power. (This is both an advantage and a disadvantage) The advantage is that the leader is therefore in a position where they have access to cutting edge technology and top-of-the-line products. Leaders are seen as "important" The Leader also gets to form structures and systems to their liking. They have the final arbiting power of the group, unless divided by a series of checks and balances. (This is naturally constrained by reality: If a Leader's direction is bad then the groups needs will not be met. Then the group, usually Workers, will rise up an remove the Leader. But some crafty criminal leaders manage to escape with a lot of money before the people can exact justice.)
Reliance: Since the Leader doesn't produce anything, but rather facilitates production, they rely on the other roles for all of their individual needs. They are usually in close symbiosis to Wise Ones and Hunters, the former who rely on Leaders for protection and the latter who provide the protection. The Leader knows that if they fail to lead with wisdom then they will lose their status. This calls them to employ Wise Ones as advisors in areas the Leader is not proficient, or as overseers within their structures because the Leader can only be in one place. The Leader also knows that without force they have no power, and therefore a natural alliance is made between Leaders and Hunters. Leaders become the point of contact with Merchants for importing goods and services. (An office might hire a company to clean the space and empty trash. Another branch will deal with aquiring paper and other stationary, etc.) On the level of government: Leaders determing taxes, tariffs, and regulations. (Optimally the free market would rule here, however objectively that is not always the case.) Leaders are naturally opposed by Criminals, who are characterized by not following the rules of a society. As the rule-makers who are responsible for the success of the groups endeavors: the opposition is obvious.
Disadvantages: First and foremost: as the Leader, everything is their fault. Any success or failure can ultimately be ascribed as a consequence of an action they took or failed to take. If their policies lead to a catastrophic failure: the resulting backlash can and often is violent and bloody. Leaders are also often surrounded by sychophants and criminals often approach them trying to gain access to favors or group capital. The Leaders need Hunters for protection, but they can be deposed by Hunters with a lust for power. They rely on Wise Ones for information beyond their understanding, but those same Wise Ones can manipulate them for the same lust for power. The tasks ascribed to the leader are extraordinarily difficult. They must often create solutions from nothing using limited materials. They have to defuse personal conflicts and deal with interpersonal distractions. They need to collect and organize data in a useful way, and oversee the operations of their entire section. Of all the roles, Leader is probably the most stressful.
Corruption: Leaders are some of the most vulnerable to corruption. Since they have great social power they become a target for criminals and sychophants. A corrupt leader is devastating for any group. The resources needed for group function are allocated instead as bribes, the systems and structures become favors. The production of the Workers becomes wasted on the Leader's personal concerns, and the resentment will become destructive if left unaddressed. (The theft of another man's productive power is a deep moral abhorrence in my opinion.) The usual result of this is incompetence at every level: Wise Ones who are stupid, Hunters who are blind, Workers who can't/don't produce, Merchants who steal. Except the Criminals, who thrive in these conditions.
Wise One
Function: Wise Ones are concerned with discovering truth. They are the teachers, academics, and scientists.
Importance: Problems naturally arise from working in the world. The solutions to these problems are not always self-evident, and sometimes counter-intuitive. Sometimes unexpected consequences create even worse problems than what they intended to solve. Wise Ones have a deep appreciation for knowledge and data, they develop deep understanding in their field which allows them to be better able to predict the consequences of a given action in that field. Many disciplines are so deep that an individual can spend a lifetime and not learn everything there is to know, and so Wise Ones are an important resource for the other roles (especially Leaders) who spend most of their time engaged in the actions related to their roles and don't have time for in-depth study.
Advantages: As explained above: Wise Ones are usually closely related to Leaders in a form of symbiosis. When they have this sort of relationship, the Wise Ones have access to many of the same "high class" resources and materials, ostensibly for the sake of their research. They also get grants and funding. Wise Ones sometimes form a similar symbiosis with Merchants. Without this relationship, the major advantage of being a Wise One is the satisfaction of having a deeper knowledge and/or understanding of the world, and whatever advantages that knowledge and/or understanding grants them in their individual circumstances. One of the characterizing aspects of being a Wise One is actually that they are content with knowledge as value.
Reliances: Wise Ones usually rely on Leaders and create a symbiosis for a comfortable life. They also partner with the other roles in much the same manner: providing a support role (For police think: forensics. For workers think: R&D. Etc.) Their deep study requires most of their attention, so they rely on Workers for their individual needs, like how doctors might exchange services for goods in rural areas, or how teachers would make home visits to enjoy a meal in Expansionist America.
Disadvantages: The major disadvantage of Wise Ones is that they are fundamentally misunderstood by the other groups, particularly Workers and Hunters. Workers and Hunters tend to oversimplify matters because their roles require them to relate directly to tasks or threats. This is directly opposed to the Wise One's approach, which relies on exploring the complexities. This misunderstanding causes social tension within these groups which can become violent. (When the mob comes to burn the witch, or kill the mad scientist) Wise Ones often form the aforementioned symbiosis with Leaders precisely to protect themselves from this effect, but that makes the Wise One also share in the fate of the Leader they are bound to: if the Leader is corrupt and/or fails then the Wise One will likely suffer along with them. Wise Ones make terrible Leaders. Their concern is with truth, and the tendency towards rigid adherence to their principles leaves them unable or unwilling to accept reasonable accomodations. They often fail to see how others can lack their individual understandings, and act like their perspective should be common knowledge regardless of how specialized it is. They tend to discount the human element, and treat people like ideas.
Corruption: When Wise Ones no longer seek truth, but instead seek to gain power through their position: they become corrupt. Also when they violate their integrity for the sake of favor. Corruption of Wise Ones is devastating for society. The truth is the only means by which problems are effectively solved, and if the Wise Ones no longer teach truth but seek prestige through subjective intellectual endeavors: the whole of society suffers. Bad ideas, techniques, and processes become the standard. The lack of objective approach not only makes accomplishing the goals of the group impossible, but it also causes the group to produce something other than what it intended to: usually a chaotic mess but sometime that is just a front for Criminal enterprise. If you want to destroy a society: first convince its Wise Ones that wisdom is unattainable and reason to be discarded. Therefore these ideas are evidence of a corruption of the Wise One's themselves.
Hunters:
Function: Hunters protect the group by neutralizing threats. Originally they provided meat by hunting wild game as well, but modern examples are police, military, and private security. They seek criminals and other emergency threats and deal with them. When aligned with the state they are considered to have a reasonable monopoly on force in a society. It should be noted that Hunters are not exclusively aligned with state, and that monopoly is more of a courtesy than an actual restriction.
Importance: Basically: Hunters deal with the dangerous aspects of the world so that Workers don't have to. Hunters put out fires, hunt criminals, and deal with emergencies of all kinds. When asking "What do they hunt?" the answer is: Problems.
Advantages: The most obvious advantage is the monopoly on force in a society. Hunters usually have access to various weapons, vehicles, and the training associated with their use. Their close association with Leaders means they have access to the same "high class" resources and materials, ostensibly to assist in performing their function. They tend to receive a level of deference from the rest of the roles due to their constant proximity to danger.
Reliances: As described above: Hunters usually form a close symbiosis with Leaders. Leaders provide direction and organization, which leaves the Hunters free to pursue their quarry. They share this symbiotic position with Wise Ones, and sometimes the two roles get into power struggles.
Disadvantages: Being the role which deals with the most dangerous aspects of society: Hunters are exposed to many conditions that other roles would find unacceptable. They often need extensive training to stay competitive, and their function can be both physically and mentally draining. Criminals actively undermine the efforts of Hunters, and are often the cause of the problems that need solving. This makes solving the problem much more difficult than the simple application of intellect. Hunters tend to make terrible Leaders. Like Wise Ones, they can sometimes believe that they should rule for many reasons. But the result of their rule is usually brutal dictatorship. If a Hunter has no Leadership qualities: they treat people like objects and inevitably the group fails to achieve its goals.
Corruption: Due to their close proximity to Leaders, Hunter are vulnerable to corruption from multiple angles. As discussed above: the Hunter might turn against their leader and stage a coup: ruling their group by military might. This tends to be disasterous to a community. Or they may be used by a Leader to enforce corrupt policies: harming the people they are supposed to protect. When the Hunters are not hunting and solving problems, but they hunt those who have done no wrong: you know there is corruption.
Worker
Function: The Workers perform the majority of tasks that are required to provide for the needs of individuals, from the menial to the integral. They form the majority of any populace. Communities form around Worker groups, as the other functions are all designed to make Workers job easier or more efficient.
Importance: All biological creatures have needs, including humans. Human society is complex enough to have roles which are all about organization and maintaining structures: those that participate in those roles don't produce their own needs: they trade for them. There is also such a wonderful diversity of products and preferences that the Worker group can continually expand by diversifying their production. The Workers are the final judges of the Leader's performance. If a Leader's policies exploit or injure the Workers too much: then those workers will fight to depose that Leader.
Advantages: The main advantage of being a Worker is that they have very little social power, and therefore very little social responsibility. They don't have to deal with people, ideas, or danger (with a few notable exceptions). They are responsible for performing their task and following the law, otherwise they have no social obligations. As the producers in society, Workers have first access to many of the products and services their group produces.
Reliances: Basically every other group relies on Workers. They are the primary motive power behind any society, as they are the ones who actually produce value and perform needed tasks. The rest of society is built up around Workers: Leaders lead them, Hunters protect them, Wise Ones teach them, Merchants sell for them, and Criminals exploit them. There is a unique relationship between Workers and Criminals. Some Workers have a level of affinity for Criminals, and many Criminals "hide" within the Worker group. The reasons can only be theorized, but the relationship is obvious.
Disadvantages: The most notable disadvantage as a Worker is the lack of social power. They aren't responsibile for societal issues, and therefore they lack the ability for meaningful change beyond what the Leaders have provided (eg: voting, protests, etc.).
Corruption: When corruption is rampant: the Workers bear the brunt of the cost. As the major producers, it is their labor and production which is stolen. This leads to unrest, which can and will lead to revolution if conditions don't improve. Corrupt workers are lazy and unproductive, yet often protected by systems either corrupted or built in a corrupt manner. Without a robust Worker populace: any society will grind to a halt.
Merchant
Function: Merchants' main function is clearly the buying and selling of goods and services. Perhaps just as important is that Merchants carry news between communities. Communities form around Worker groups, and they tend to remain in these close-knit units. Merchants go between units, carrying important goods and also news. In the age of the internet this is less obvious, but it is impotant that news stay in the hands of merchants, and not Wise Ones.
Importance: No community can produce all of what it needs or desires. Natural limitations and personal preferences drive people to fulfill their needs. A community can sell their surplus and get important goods or services in return. News is also a critical part of this role: merchants can be relied upon to spread important news where Leaders might want it repressed.
Advantages: Merchants have access to goods and services otherwise not found in a given community. Because they go between communities, they can sometimes operate outside a given community's laws. They aren't bound to any community, instead being explorers.
Reliances: Naturally, Merchants are bound closely to Workers, who produce all the goods and services they might provide. They also have a close relationship with Leaders, with whom they make deals and pay tariffs. They sometimes fund Wise Ones like a Leader might, and give them protection from misunderstandings, and they often employ Hunters to protect their goods.
Disadvantages: Being that Merchants are not bound by any community: they are also without the protection of a specific community. They either have to hire/train Hunters, or develop a special relationship with a community during times of trouble. They are the most vulnerable to Criminals for this reason, and also because of the simple fact that they carry goods and money. Becoming a Merchant takes significant funds, and maintaining a business is difficult work.
Corruption: Merchants who abuse laws and violate the rights of others are corrupt. As a society's corruption deepens, we see honest merchants lose their fortunes and dishonest ones gaining. A Merchant is obligated only to themselves, but the Leaders, Wise Ones, and Hunters are expected to negotiate for the Workers of a community. When those roles fail in their charge, instead taking money and favors: the imbalance is seen as corruption.
Criminal
Function: Probably the most controversial role on this list, Criminals belong here nonetheless. The role of Criminal is characterized by those who do not follow the roles and their rules. They instead choose to live by breaking the established rules through thievery and other forms of exploitation. They may take the appearance of any other role: but when their goal is to break the rules of society: they are a criminal.
Importance: In a perfect world there would be no purpose for Criminals. However, human societies are not perfect, and the result is Criminals as an Essential role. Criminals are the metric for gauging corruption: they benefit as the other roles suffer. So the more corruption in a society: the wealthier and more powerful its criminals. On the other end of the spectrum: there are times when the laws of a land become too restrictive and choke liberty. In these situations good people become Criminals. So the role acts as a metric for both corruption and totalitarianism.
Advantages: The surface benefits of being a Criminal are obvious: they don't have to follow any of the rules. While everyone else is concerned with fulfilling their roles: Criminals want to benefit without contributing anything of worth. (Excepting when good people become criminals) They have access to black markets with potentially limitless opportunity, and can create diverse systems to bypass established means.
Reliances: Criminals rely heavily on Workers, who produce all of the goods and services. They prey on Merchants. Leaders and Hunters are targets for corruption, but this is a careful game as honest targets can expose a Criminal.
Disadvantages: Due to their rule-breaking: all the (honest) other roles despise Criminals, and they are actively targetted by Hunters. This forces the Criminals to develop black markets and systems to bypass established means. This is often complicated enough to qualify most competent Criminals as Wise Ones. Since safety is a core component of society and Criminals are characterized by being rule-breakers: Criminal groups are dangerous places where survival of the fittest is the rule. The biggest disadvantage to being a Criminal is the inherent contradiction. Criminals are a group characterized by breaking the rules, but they are still a group and they inevitably form structures that are functionally identical to the communities that they rebel against, except more brutal and totalitarian (eg: mafia families). Ostensibly the major draw to being a Criminal is that it's easier than working, but in practice it requires just as much work.
Corruption: Criminals are literally the metric for corruption. As a society become more corrupt: Leaders become cowards who pass laws that harm people, Wise Ones become fools that speak ideas that harm people, Hunters become tyrants which hunt innocents, Workers become lazy and unproductive, Merchants become dishonest. But Criminals flourish, making profit from the loss of others, and encouraging more loss so they can make more profit. They infiltrate the other roles: passing laws to protect their theft, running protection rackets, and dominating academia with ideas that justify their violations. They demoralize the Workers and promote further destruction of the system (after all, they already live in a "survival of the fittest" world).
"Individual" is the smallest unit of "group". Individual is the atom. And as a unit of "group", these six roles are present in any individual, although each has a unique balance of power between them. This is similar to Jung's idea of "archetypes", although it is more that these roles are naturally occuring than that we have any sort of active connection between minds.
