b. Contents of the Order of Choice

b. Contents of the Order of Choice

 

The triplicity of choice situation is a concretization of the orderliness of choice. That is, there is a structure in which people prioritize certain things and consider others later in their choices. Then, what do people generally consider first and later? The answer is as follows.

 

         [Ch.2.18] The order in which people generally make choices is in the order of ㉠ physical safety, ㉡ material abundance, and ㉢ ideological values.

 

The content of the order of choice is merely the prioritization of the principle of the Samjae capacities ^[Ch.1.2] and the three survival threats ^[Tab.1.2]. This can be illustrated as follows.

 

[Diag.2.C.2] Orderliness of Choice

 

The relationship between the orderliness of choice and the triplicity of choice situation is summarized in the following [Tab.2.10].

 

[Tab.2.10] The Relationship between the Triplicity of Choice Situation and the Orderliness of Choice

Contents	Triplicity of Choice Situation	Example
㉠ Physical Safety	1st stage: Flame on the Neck	A hungry fox does not approach food in front of a tiger.
㉡ Material Abundance	2nd stage: The Next	Desiring to become a full pig rather than a hungry Socrates.
㉢ Ideological Value	3rd stage: The Far Future	Thinking about the meaning of life with a full belly.

 

In general, people prioritize physical safety above all else. Similar to the Maslow's hierarchy of needs, where physiological needs such as hunger are given priority, the general perspective is that economic issues are given priority. However, no one approaches a piece of meat in front of a tiger just because they are hungry. For example, during the increase of white-on-black violence in the United States in the late 1890s, racial issues were more pressing than economic issues because racial issues were directly related to safety. In this way, when the threat of death approaches, almost everyone considers it to be the first level "the flame of the back of the head" without exception.

 

An example of a middle-level case can be found in the reality of the city of Madaya, described as "a giant prison" by the British newspaper The Guardian. During the Syrian civil war, the government forces surrounded the city, which was a stronghold of the opposing Sunni rebel group, Jaysh al-Islam. As a result, the citizens of Madaya, located only 20 kilometers from the capital Damascus, became trapped inside the city by the government forces' guns and had to resort to boiling grass and leaves and eating their pets to survive. This is because they prioritized safety over food. The residents of Niger and Cameroon are currently facing a food crisis in 2016 due to the ongoing attacks of Boko Haram, which have caused the displacement of two million farmers and the disappearance of markets and trade. In the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, where security has been lost and there have been 5,345 gun shootings in a year, citizens want to escape from the dangers of life. Despite falling into poverty, the refugees who cross the border to escape from the guns also show that human choice does not approach the meat in front of the tiger.

 

The content people choose second is material abundance. Material abundance includes basic necessities such as food to satisfy hunger, clothing to fend off cold, and shelter, as well as jewelry and luxury handbags to make oneself visible to others. Material abundance is generally chosen after the threat of death or injury has been removed, but it is always chosen before mental or value-based meanings. The saying "A hungry Socrates is better than a full pig" is a well-known phrase, but reality is the opposite. Observe the reality of Afghan women and children refugees scattered in Pakistan and Iran who are working in shoe factories and carpet weaving, and glass factories. If Afghan women and children had wished for a hungry Socrates, they would have read books while starving to death rather than working as laborers.

 

In the macro-level political phenomena of the national dimension, it is no different. When the Russian tsar Alexander III and the high-ranking officials around him concluded the Franco-Russian Alliance in the 19th century, they preferred friendly relations with Germany, but they hated and did not trust the Third Republic of France. However, not only was France the only country that could ally with Russia, but it could also provide a large market for Russia's bonds and other economic benefits, so despite their ideological preference for Germany, they gradually strengthened the Franco-Russian Alliance from 1891 to 1894.

 

The last thing that people choose is ideological value. This is spiritual and subjective values. People start to ponder the meaning of life after they have fulfilled their material desires. This means that they may not become an "empty stomach Socrates", but they will surely become one after they have satisfied their hunger. In fact, philosophers like Socrates who lived in Athens were aristocrats, and they were the people who discussed philosophy in the context of the "safety and prosperity" of the city-state. As urban residents represented by the bourgeoisie came to the forefront, they became the leading figures in creating new culture (ideological values) as well. This was possible because their physical safety (political power) and material abundance were adequately guaranteed. On the other hand, medieval urban residents who had to struggle for their livelihood and to protect their rights under feudalism had to use almost all of their energy, and therefore could not engage much in ideological value activities such as the cultural and artistic activities of the time.

 

Despite being relegated to the last priority in the hierarchy of choices, it is equally significant that all individuals choose their own ideological values. In 1986, the sneakers known as "British Knights" or simply "BK's" were selling well, but when people started calling them "Brother Killers," sales dramatically decreased without any other particular reason. The perception of "Brother Killers" was not as good a perception as people would choose, unlike "British Knights." On a macro level, religion-related political phenomena can also be observed. For instance, in medieval Europe, obtaining the pope's approval was important for kings. In the Islamic world, when Caliph Uthman collected and edited the Quranic verses in the form of a book and blatantly disregarded the previous Quranic reciters, they revolted against the central authority. Although Caliph Uthman did not directly threaten the physical safety and material abundance of the Quranic reciters, he did threaten their ideological values. Ideological values are always at play and sometimes act very strongly.

 

The following can be derived based on the triplicity of choice situation and the orderliness of choice.

 

         [Ch.2.19] The priority of the Samjae capacities required by political actors for survival is in the order of ㉠armed capacity, ㉡economic capacity, ㉢ideological capacity.