| | A '''hierarchy''' is an ordering of persons, ideas, or constructs from less to greater importance, in a tiered organizational structure. Organizations may have a hierarchy, both formally and informally: for example, the [[Senate]] formally has no internal hierarchy, but informally, senior Senators may "rank" above junior Senators. [[Doctor]]s of academic disciplines (Ph.D.) in prestigious [[University|universities]] who have been awarded the distinction of occupying the "[[Chairman|chair]]" of academic study are sometimes regarded as "high priests" of their discipline, and the varying levels of academic expertise in [[Board of Education|Boards of Education]] as representative of a hierarchy of education. Head coaches of sports teams and their staffs of assistants each constitute a hierarchy of athletic expertise. Military rank is an explicit form of operational hierarchy in every nation, for example, in the United States, from the Commander in Chief, the [[President of the United States of America|President]], and the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]], down to the least member of enlisted military personnel. The [[CEO]] of a [[corporation]] represents the head of a hierarchy of [[business]] in the world of [[economics]]. | | A '''hierarchy''' is an ordering of persons, ideas, or constructs from less to greater importance, in a tiered organizational structure. Organizations may have a hierarchy, both formally and informally: for example, the [[Senate]] formally has no internal hierarchy, but informally, senior Senators may "rank" above junior Senators. [[Doctor]]s of academic disciplines (Ph.D.) in prestigious [[University|universities]] who have been awarded the distinction of occupying the "[[Chairman|chair]]" of academic study are sometimes regarded as "high priests" of their discipline, and the varying levels of academic expertise in [[Board of Education|Boards of Education]] as representative of a hierarchy of education. Head coaches of sports teams and their staffs of assistants each constitute a hierarchy of athletic expertise. Military rank is an explicit form of operational hierarchy in every nation, for example, in the United States, from the Commander in Chief, the [[President of the United States of America|President]], and the [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]], down to the least member of enlisted military personnel. The [[CEO]] of a [[corporation]] represents the head of a hierarchy of [[business]] in the world of [[economics]]. |
| − | The word '''hierarchy''' comes from ''hieros'', "priest", and ''archos'', "ruler", thus "priest-rule", from the ancient societal ordered levels of authoritative rule by a form of highly educated "priesthood", either [[secular]], as in [[politics]], [[education]] and [[science]], or [[Religion|religious]], either [[Paganism|pagan]] or [[Christian]]. The most readily recognized hierarchy is exemplified by the levels of religious authority in the [[Catholic Church]]. | + | The word '''hierarchy''' comes from ''hieros'', "priest", and ''archos'', "ruler", thus "priest-rule", from the ancient societal ordered levels of [[Authority|authoritative rule]] by a form of highly educated "priesthood", either [[secular]], as in [[politics]], [[education]] and [[science]], or [[Religion|religious]], either [[Paganism|pagan]] or [[Christian]]. The most readily recognized hierarchy is exemplified by the levels of religious authority in the [[Catholic Church]]. |
| | Intellectually, ideas may be expressed in a hierarchical form. An idea common in [[philosophy]] is the "hierarchy of needs," a theory proposed by [[Abraham Maslow]], who argued that each individual must meet different needs in ascending order before attaining [[self-actualization]], the pinnacle of human self-awareness.<ref>http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm</ref> | | Intellectually, ideas may be expressed in a hierarchical form. An idea common in [[philosophy]] is the "hierarchy of needs," a theory proposed by [[Abraham Maslow]], who argued that each individual must meet different needs in ascending order before attaining [[self-actualization]], the pinnacle of human self-awareness.<ref>http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow.htm</ref> |