THE SPECTRUM OF DEFINITIONS IN THE TERNARY LOGIC APPLIED TO SOCIAL SCIENCE
DEFINITIONS: (a) ternary logic (b) Tripartism, (c) three means of influence to coercion, (c) three categories of elites under three means of influence to coercion (d) the path dependence of the three elites producing the three institutions (state, law, religion), (e) trifunctionalism
(a)
Ternary Logic
Ternary logic extends classical binary logic (true/false) by introducing a third value, which can be understood as “indeterminate,” “unknown,” or “neither true nor false.” This logic system is useful in dealing with uncertainty, partial truth, and conditions where binary logic is insufficient.
Different forms of ternary logic exist, such as:
– True / False / Unknown – (Łukasiewicz Logic)
– Affirmative / Negative / Neutral – (Indian Nyaya Philosophy)
– Constructive / Falsifiable / Uncertain – (Operational Logic in Decision-Making)
Ternary logic provides a more nuanced method for dealing with causality, decision-making, and legal reasoning, allowing for probabilistic or gradient-based assessments rather than strict binary classification.
(b)
Tripartism
Tripartism refers to any system of organization that recognizes three fundamental and distinct roles, forces, or groups. It is often applied in political and economic governance, describing the balance of three major societal forces.
Examples include:
Political Tripartism: The division of power into three cooperative but distinct entities (e.g., monarchy/aristocracy/democracy in classical governance or legislative/executive/judicial in modern states).
Economic Tripartism: Cooperation between government, business, and labor in economic decision-making.
Social Tripartism: Recognition of three major classes or functions within society (e.g., warrior, priest, merchant in Indo-European societies).
Tripartism functions as a stabilizing mechanism, preventing any one force from dominating the system while allowing for specialization and cooperation.
(c)
Three Means of Influence to Coercion
All forms of power and influence reduce to three primary means of coercion:
Force (Violence/Defense) → Military/State PowerThe use of direct physical power to impose decisions.
Manifested in armies, police, and physical enforcement mechanisms.
Decidability: Strength, law enforcement, territorial control.
Remuneration (Boycott/Trade) → Economic/Commercial Power
The ability to influence through the control of resources, capital, and trade.
Expressed in market mechanisms, investment decisions, or economic sanctions.
Decidability: Market competition, trade agreements, economic policy.
Inclusion/Exclusion (Social/Religious Sanctioning) → Cultural/Religious Power
The capacity to control through identity, narrative, and group affiliation.
Enforced via social norms, ideological conditioning, and religious institutions.
Decidability: Acceptance, status, and ideological adherence.
These three means of influence correspond to distinct institutions and classes of elites.
(d)
Three Categories of Elites Under the Three Means of Influence to Coercion
Each means of coercion produces an elite class that specializes in that form of power:
Martial Elites (Military-State Class)
Specialize in the use of force to impose order.
Historically: Aristocrats, knights, warlords, military rulers.
Modern equivalent: The military-industrial complex, deep state actors.
Economic Elites (Commercial-Capital Class)
Specialize in the use of remuneration to structure influence.
Historically: Merchants, bankers, landed gentry.
Modern equivalent: Corporate executives, financial elites, capital owners.
Cultural-Religious Elites (Priestly-Intellectual Class)
Specialize in inclusion/exclusion by controlling narrative and values.
Historically: Clergy, philosophers, academics, media controllers.
Modern equivalent: Journalists, professors, influencers, cultural elites.
Each class competes for control over society, sometimes cooperating and sometimes conflicting.
(e)
The Path Dependence of the Three Elites Producing the Three Institutions (State, Law, Religion)
The historical development of human institutions follows a natural progression based on the three classes of elites and their respective forms of coercion:
The State (Military/Force-Based Elites)
Emerges from warlords, conquerors, or defensive organizations consolidating control over a territory.
Ensures order through violence and deterrence.
Centralizes force into a structured military and bureaucracy.
Law and Commerce (Economic/Remuneration-Based Elites)
Emerges as a means to stabilize transactions and property rights between competing power groups.
Produces contractual governance, legal frameworks, and commercial institutions.
Protects property and investment from arbitrary coercion by the state or other elites.
Religion and Culture (Narrative/Inclusion-Based Elites)
Emerges as a means of enforcing moral and social order through non-violent coercion.
Uses myths, ideologies, and belief systems to unify and control populations.
Historically serves as a counterbalance to both military and commercial power.
These three institutions evolve in interdependence, shaping civilization through their interactions.
(f)
Trifunctionalism
Trifunctionalism is a theory of social organization, originally articulated by Georges Dumézil, which posits that Indo-European societies (and by extension most stable civilizations) structure themselves around three fundamental societal functions:
Sovereignty (Priestly-Religious Function)
Concerned with wisdom, law, and legitimacy.
Represented by kings, priests, philosophers.
In modernity: Judiciary, academia, ideological institutions.
Force (Warrior-Noble Function)
Concerned with defense, order, and martial capability.
Represented by warriors, rulers, and law enforcement.
In modernity: Military, police, executive branch of government.
Production (Merchant-Worker Function)
Concerned with material wealth, trade, and sustenance.
Represented by merchants, craftsmen, workers.
In modernity: Industrialists, financiers, middle class.
Trifunctionalism explains the division of labor in civilization and how stability is achieved through a balance between these three forces. When one function dominates or is eroded, social collapse or transformation occurs.
Conclusion
The threefold structure of power (violence, trade, belief) naturally produces distinct elite classes, institutions, and systems of governance. These interdependent structures form the foundation of civilization.
Understanding this tripartite system allows for a more effective analysis of historical and contemporary power struggles, economic cycles, and cultural evolution.
Cheers
CD