Poll: Who are the most important members of society?

[Chemical Alia]

God, I hate questions like these. I'd be happy enough to see people do the best they can for society in the field that they can contribute the most towards. Preferably while being satisfied with their lives.

 

[Frission]

Where are the workers? The engineers, workers, artisans and farmers? The first and second producers who support our society?

My answer is none since many types of people are important

 

[Drake the Dragonheart]

Now it could be because I think polls here are limited to 8 options, but why no love for emergency responders?

So my answer would be a combination of #6 I think (soldiers) and emergency responders (firefighters, law enforcement, EMS, search and rescue) would be my top. Yeah, some of it might be I really want to either serve the country and/or be one of the emergency responders I listed. Anyone whose profession means putting their lives on the line for others. Along with a combo of the doctors and scientists.

Still, all have their contributtions to make.

Truthfully, anyone who is working toward bettering this world in some way, no matter how small.

 

[Your Fearless Captain]

I think the people who argue semantics are the most important people. Without them we would be a rudderless ship.

What an incredibly unsurprising result from the Escapist.

I chose the Entrepreneurs, as they're the ones that actually drive progress, create jobs, and give me mah precious vidya gaems.

That was my reaction also. I choose artists because I like art.

On a side note this is how I view the community for most part:

Spoiler

 

[Mycroft Holmes]

The leaders control all of these other groups.

They can make science possible, they can make public galleries for the artists, they can harass the humanitarians, they tell the soldiers who to kill. They can create a society of freedom and learning, and they can create societies of ignorance and oppression.

If you don't think the most important members of society are the political leaders; go ask the North Korean sculptor about how important artists are. Go talk to some Nigerian scientists. Go ask Denmark's rich who the most important members of society are.

 

[lechat]

society is built from the ground up and improved from the top down. i would argue that workers (farmers/labor) are the most important since they are the only link in the chain that can not be removed without the rest crumbling and even the best society would prolly fall apart without a few cops (or military) hanging round to crack some skulls

 

[Drathnoxis]

None of the above, the most important are those who "do stuff."

farmers, technicians, laborers. those who keep us fed, keep the lights on and our toilets flushing.

Damn, that's a very good answer. There are societies that don't have any or many of the things listed above but are fine because they can get good. A society is worth jack if it can't feed itself.

I gotta disagree, that's all stuff that EVERYONE ought to be able to do. It commands no respect.

Okay, let's just suppose that everybody can do all the jobs that the working class does in our society -- and I don't believe they can, how many escapists know how to wire a house, and operate farm equipment, and build a house, and craft all the items we use in our daily lives? -- but let's suppose they do. If everybody is farming for their own food, building and up keeping their own house, and spending all their time gathering enough materials to ensure their own survival then who will have the time to do anything else? How will the teachers and scientists have time for years of education when they have to work the fields all day? How can the soldiers train when they have nothing to eat? How can the artists, writers, and musicians practice their trades when they are refining trees to build a house? Can the president lead a country from a farmhouse with no electricity? What good is money when everybody is simply working for their own survival? Society is built around specialization and without the workers to do all of the thousands of manual jobs that keeps people clothed, sheltered, and fed nobody could even begin to think about specializing as any of the jobs that improve society. Workers may not be the most glamorous or prestigious, but they are without a doubt the most important.

 

[Drathnoxis]

The leaders control all of these other groups.

They can make science possible, they can make public galleries for the artists, they can harass the humanitarians, they tell the soldiers who to kill. They can create a society of freedom and learning, and they can create societies of ignorance and oppression.

If you don't think the most important members of society are the political leaders; go ask the North Korean sculptor about how important artists are. Go talk to some Nigerian scientists. Go ask Denmark's rich who the most important members of society are.

Can political leaders really do all these things? They make science possible? Are they gods or men? Did a politician tell Faraday to invent the electric motor, or did he do it on his own? They can build galleries or is that the construction worker? And would the artists not paint without being told to do so? Are humanitarians not harassed by the lower classes as well? Can the soldiers not protect the nation without being specifically directed to do so?

Is it really the leader that makes all these things possible, or is it all the varied people that make the leader possible? For what is a ruler without any subjects to command?

 

[Dimitriov]

None of the above, the most important are those who "do stuff."

farmers, technicians, laborers. those who keep us fed, keep the lights on and our toilets flushing.

Damn, that's a very good answer. There are societies that don't have any or many of the things listed above but are fine because they can get good. A society is worth jack if it can't feed itself.

I gotta disagree, that's all stuff that EVERYONE ought to be able to do. It commands no respect.

Okay, let's just suppose that everybody can do all the jobs that the working class does in our society -- and I don't believe they can, how many escapists know how to wire a house, and operate farm equipment, and build a house, and craft all the items we use in our daily lives? -- but let's suppose they do. If everybody is farming for their own food, building and up keeping their own house, and spending all their time gathering enough materials to ensure their own survival then who will have the time to do anything else? How will the teachers and scientists have time for years of education when they have to work the fields all day? How can the soldiers train when they have nothing to eat? How can the artists, writers, and musicians practice their trades when they are refining trees to build a house? Can the president lead a country from a farmhouse with no electricity? What good is money when everybody is simply working for their own survival? Society is built around specialization and without the workers to do all of the thousands of manual jobs that keeps people clothed, sheltered, and fed nobody could even begin to think about specializing as any of the jobs that improve society. Workers may not be the most glamorous or prestigious, but they are without a doubt the most important.

Yes, but I think you are missing my point. Civilization is founded upon there being a surplus of labour and resources so that not all members of a society need to spend their time growing food etc.

We obviously agree on that point. The question, however, asks who is most important within that society. While it is clearly necessary that there are individuals performing those jobs in order that such a society can function beyond a subsistence level, it is not clear to me that those individuals are actually important per se.

The job is necessary (even important) but not the individuals. That's my stance. Because those simply performing the "basic tasks" (however that ought to be defined) are simply doing what everyone ought to be able to do (ie: keep themselves alive, clean, sheltered etc.).

So they are simply the people stuck doing what everyone would be doing (in some form) if there was no complex civilization. So the jobs are necessary certainly, but the individuals are the least important members of the society who are simply stuck supporting other people's achievements. So the job is important, but anyone ought to be able to do it, and indeed all people did have to take care of those things for themselves before agriculture. Therefore the people doing those jobs seem to be completely replaceable to me, and thus not the most important.

/shrug

That's the best I can do to explain my view. Fundamentally this question seems to be subjectively based on what qualities you value in people.

 

[Joccaren]

Scientists set, and second the teachers set - teachers only second as scientists can teach if need be. The people who drive society forward, and make life last longer and be more comfortable, and the ones who teach others how to do so.

 

[Korolev]

Farmers, really. When you think about it. Surprised they're not on this list - they are the ones who know how to grow food the best. Without them, society would crumble entirely within weeks. Farmers/agriculturalists were the ones who made settled societies possible in the first place. No agriculture = no towns.

 

[Drathnoxis]

snip

When you put it like that it does make sense. And you are right, it is entirely subjective. Personally I feel that people should get more respect for worker class jobs as they are performing a service that is absolutely vital to societies function. It just seems wrong to be so necessary and yet be paid so little compared to simple entertainers or sports stars, but I suspect we will just have to agree to disagree.

 

[Jamieson 90]

I'm somewhat biased since both of my parents are teachers, but without them, pretty much everyone else on the list wouldn't be able to do their jobs. Scientists are a close second, but someone has to teach them science in the first place.

I agree with this; without teachers you wouldn't have even the basics of Mathematics, English and Science, which are pretty fundamental to everything else. It's redundant to assign worth to certain sections of society though because in most cases you need some or all of them rather than just one.

 

[Yopaz]

The workers. You know... The people that made EVERYTHING. Rather shameful that it isn't in your list of options.

Oh this is a good one.

Teachers are needed in a society, so are scientists, engineers, doctors, government, law enforcement (also not included in the poll options), but where would any of those be without the farmers? Transportation (both people and goods)? We'd starve, the kids wouldn't get to their schools, lots of people wouldn't get to work, food wouldn't get to stores, stores need people to manage and to actually sell the goods. The faceless masses are important because they are the ones that keep society together. The doctors, the teachers, the scientists are the ones that help us improve over the sheer necessities and are important because they improve the society, they're what makes a society great, not what's needed to make one in the first place.

Who are the most important members of society? The answer, forever, and always will be, the children.

I'd say parents are more important.

 

[The_Echo]

The educators are the most important.

They're the ones who truly hold the future in their hands.

Scientists and politicians are all well and good, but every single one of them had a teacher.

 

[Not Matt]

ME! NOW FEED ME!

Honestly though, i don't think that there is such a thing as a most important position in a society. Because all the positions are equally important. we need factory floor guys in the steel mills just as much the doctors in the hospitals. from the politician making laws, to the police officer maintaining the peace, to the teacher educating your children, to the garbage man keeping the streets clean. We all serve as a smaller part of something bigger that benefits us all. Because there is no such thing as a "most valuable contribution" in the real world, just people trying to do their bit for the unity. Being able to trust one and other to help out and be open is what makes a society function.

 

[Buzz Killington_v1legacy]

This is like looking at a three-legged stool and asking which leg plays the biggest role in keeping the stool upright.

 

[aba1]

Huh I would have said the trades people since they do the key jobs for living. IE farmers, construction workers, plumbers, electricians, mechanics etc. I can't believe they aren't even a option.

Either way I would say in our society as it is currently set up every job is important or else it wouldn't have existed in the first place.

 

[Eggsnham]

I just chose the "Educators" option so I could see the poll results and because they are pretty important.

That said, my actual opinion on the topic at hand is that there is no single "most important" group of people in any given society. Everybody, even those who seem to only push us backwards, has an important role in the workings of society.