Context for All Endeavours

New Concepts

An endeavour consists of a context, the transcendence levels (RL7–RL5) and a content, the actualization levels (RL4–RL1). (Review.) 

However, taxonomically, an endeavour is itself a system and all systems have a context. So endeavours must exist within a general context that influences them.

A Principal Typology and its Spiral occur in the upper context part of Primary Hierarchies. In understanding how why and how they come to exist, three taxonomic concepts that define the context of any endeavour have been required i.e. postulated:

1. Psychosocial Pressure. This property of the Root Level is a driver for the development of a Type, which (with others) constitutes the Principal Typology. Psychosocial pressures derive from the biological context of endeavours as discovered (or postulated) during investigation of the Primary Hierarchy.

2. Primal Need. This is the goal of each Root Level, and therefore permeates Type development. But where does it come from? A conjecture will be offered once some understanding is developed.

3. Primal Means. This is the Spiral mechanism that moves from minimal satisfaction of the Primal Need to an optimal/maximal outcome—with enough effort. Spirals, being derived from Types, are also shaped by psychosocial pressures.
   

4. Primal Nexus. This is where psychosocial reality and impersonal reality interact during pursuit of any instance of a Primal Need via its associated Primal Means. Here is the physical context of endeavours.

Psychosocial Pressure

The study of the Primary Hierarchies generated conjectures for linking Root Levels to persistent pressures, named: Psychosocial Pressures, and presumed to derive from affective neurobiological systems.

The conjectured pattern is as follows:

Root Level	Psychosocial Pressure
RL7: Willingness	for Selflessness
RL6: Purpose	for Autonomy
RL5: Communic'n	for Understanding
RL4: Experience	for Well-being
RL3: Change	for Acceptability
RL2: Inquiry	for Certainty
RL1: Action	for Performance

These psychosocial pressures have proven their worth in clarification of the 7 emergent hierarchies based on reversal of the oscillating duality in Primary Hierarchies.

They appear again, unexpectedly and confirmatory, in the present studies. It seems that the pressures are internal drivers of human beings, operating in both simple and complicated ways.

In future, wherever it might be unclear, I indicate that a term refers specifically to a psychosocial pressure (and is not being used non-specifically or in some other special fashion) by green highlighting e.g. acceptability, well-being.

Primal Needs

Every Root Hierarchy Level exists to serve an end: the Primal Need. Emanation of a Primary Hierarchy is a key step in meeting that need. This allows the taxonomy to move beyond a person, with their biological instincts, and be applied by complex individuals (human systems) like groups, communities, governments and organizations.

It follows that any endeavour, which must use all 7 Root Levels, serves 7 Primal Needs simultaneously. These have been identified as part of the present inquiry because they are intrinsic to the conversion of Types to Modes. As will be explained, they provide a meaningful basis for exerting the effort to generate optimality i.e. the best possible outcome for the Primary Hierarchy.

The current findings, shown together with corresponding psychosocial pressures, are as follows:

Root Level	Primal Need	Psychosocial Pressure
RL7: Willingness	Competence	Selflessness
RL6: Purpose	Governance	Autonomy
RL5: Communication	Association	Understanding
RL4: Experience	Individuality	Well-being
RL3: Change	Adjustment	Acceptability
RL2: Inquiry	Knowledge	Certainty
RL1: Action	Achievement	Performance

These Primal Needs do not need to be articulated specifically, although they often are, because they can be taken for granted as natural and inevitable.

In future, wherever it might be unclear, I indicate that a term refers specifically to a Primal Need (and is not being used non-specifically or in some other special fashion) by yellow highlighting e.g. association, knowledge.

Primal Means

Every Root Level, and hence every Primary Hierarchy, needs its own special mechanism for controlling realization of the Primal Need.

While the Domain fundamentals (as explained here) are the overall means by which the Primal Need is met, this system contains controls oriented to effectiveness in group settings.

This control mechanism is the Spiral or Spiral of Growth to emphasize the capacity to develop and strengthen through time. The Spiral commences in Stage-1 with the absolute minimum that is needed. This minimum occurs rather easily or naturally because in its absence the Primal Need collapses and takes down any associated endeavour with it. However this minimum is rather basic, often incoherent, and severely limited.

The Spiral represents the potential for progressive sophistication of the Primal Means from this minimum. The Spiral is a time-based structure that specifies pursuit of the Primal Need. The present inquiry will show how psychosocial pressures contribute to this process.

Root Level	Primal Means	to meet the Primal Need
RL7: Willingness	Effectiveness	for Competence
RL6: Purpose	Politics	for Governance
RL5: Communication	A Shared Reality	for Association
RL4: Experience	A Sense of Self	for Individuality
RL3: Change	Discrimination	for Adjustment
RL2: Inquiry	Conjecture	for Knowledge
RL1: Action	Management	for Achievement

Only a person or natural group can hold values, but human systems of all sorts (i.e. individuals) can pursue endeavours. So the Primal Needs and Primal Means are widely relevant. Any Primal Means, like Management in PH'1CHK, may be used and developed rather differently by a person, by an organization, by a community &c. In practice, naming within Spirals needs adaptation to enable understanding and effective application.

In future, wherever it might be unclear, I indicate that a term refers specifically to a Primal Means (and is not being used non-specifically or in some other special fashion) by a blue highlighting e.g. sense of self, management.

Primal Nexus

The ultimate context relevant to all endeavours is «the cosmos», the universe, within which everything occurs. The cosmos is no different from the other three contexts in that it is impossible to ignore or remove, and its influence is pervasive and irresistible.

What is the Cosmos?

No one really knows what the universe is. It is often called the «physical universe» as part of an assertion of materialism. But the current reality is that physical science has identified only about 4% of the universe as mass-energy. The other 96% has been given names (dark matter, dark energy) that mask near total ignorance. In addition, there is solid evidence that strange things happen in the universe. Some suggest consciousness is intrinsic. String theory posits that our universe contains another 6 or 7 dimensions whose nature is unknown. So I prefer the less usual term: «cosmos» to refer to everything that is outside the psychosocial sphere and within which we function.

The cosmos differs from the other contexts in that it cannot be re-defined or controlled or sensibly denied. Time, gravity, entropy, quantum effects: they all play a role in our endeavours like it or not. However, one aspect of physical reality stands out as particularly significant for psychosocial existence: resources, which includes time as well as money and physical requirements like space, facilities, equipment etc.

RL-1 Action is where direct interaction with physical reality occurs and its psychosocial pressure is performance. Action takes place in time and consumes physical resources of the cosmos. So RL1-Actionidentifies a nexus, the place where psychosocial reality interacts with cosmic reality.

I will refer to our cosmic context as the Primal Nexus in order not to presume that the cosmos is somehow apart and separate.

In future, wherever it might be unclear, I indicate that a term refers specifically to the Primal Nexus (and is not being used non-specifically or in some other special fashion) by a violet highlighting. e.g. time , resources, universe.

In regard to the present study, it should be noted that the Spiral is the sole time-based structure within THEE i.e. its evolution towards increasing complexity occurs through time. The Spiral commences by engaging with performance pressures, and returns twice more to handling performance in a more sophisticated way.

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• Before proceeding, a review of the quality of current knowledge may help provide perspective.

  OR

• Start the inquiry by exploring the rationale for Types in the Principal Typologies.

Initially posted: 30-Nov-2013. Amended 7-Apr-2015. Last updated: 6-Jan-2023