Physis Project

Governing classes

The governed (lower class)

Lower class (positional definition, Roles) — name used in the articles

The source of the system — without it there is no system. In will-centered structures it is the source of the pool of will (consent and legitimacy), the producer of the economic resource (labor, production, taxes) and the human resource (soldiers, workforce). Its motivation is to survive; it does not define itself through “being” — it already is.

— Physis: A Theory of Power — Concept Glossary

The definition is from the Concept Glossary of Physis: A Theory of Power; the book will be published on Zenodo in October 2026. The English wording is provisional until the official English glossary is published.

AuthorEvren Öztürk
Published19 September 2026
Research programPhysis
First appearancePhysis: A Theory of Power
Developed inPhysis: A Theory of Power — Chapter 4, §2.3

Related concepts

Conditional dependence relationshipConstant tensionGoverning classesLower-class paradoxPassive withdrawal of consentSource hegemonySource shift

Used in