HIERARCHY, Jithin P Anto

Hierarchy

 

A hierarchy is understood as arrangement of items or people in which they are represented as being 'above', 'below', or 'at the same level as' one another. A hierarchy can connect entities either directly or indirectly. The only direct link in a hierarchy is to ones immediate superior or to one's subordinate. A large hierarchical system can also incorporate alternative hierarchies.

Ethics and morality arise from our need to give a defensible meaning to the decisions we make in relationships relevant to these processes whether epistemologically in connection with others of our kind, or ontologically supporting the real planetary and universal resources in which we are. With reason alone one cannot resolve the problems that we face. Ethical challenges have a huge role in stabilizing and sustaining or planet and ourselves. The choices that we face are neither clearly right nor wrong. We make true choices when we are faced with in the seemingly right and seemingly wrong. Though we are not enabled by magical powers to distinguish between these, yet we are faced with such choices and these kinds of conceptual choices are at the very heart of hierarchy theory.

When we look into different cultures of the world, we are assured of the presence of hierarchy in all of them. The Indian civilization is built upon the progresses made by the growing hierarchical society.  Hierarchical society is very apparent in the Hindu religion and culture. The Hindu religion has a community of the superiors and the inferiors. This happens only when the society is hierarchical. This has often caused trouble in the growth of man and the society. For example, the high cast Brahmins never wanted that their subordinates enjoy equal rights and freedom, which in turn caused agitation. The

Christian community too is clearly hierarchical. The highest place is granted to the Pope and the ordinary lay men and women occupy the bottom space. All these are evidences for how the concept of hierarchy has crept into the human minds. It has become a norm to everyone and every society that there be a system that is hierarchical. Problem arises not with the idea but when everyone wants to be at the apex. This problem of possessing the top seat has caused the death of hundreds of people throughout the history. Therefore we must critically examine and seriously deal with the role of hierarchy in the development of a moral society.