What shall we call it?

314 words

A whole new academic field is afoot. And you can help name it.

This new field studies need experience, or the experience of need, in ways it has never been explored in such fine detail before. Our needs are central to our behavior, as it is with all life. But what shall we call it?

Many of our current social sciences dance around this subject. Psychology speaks of motivation, focusing on a primarily internal perspective. Sociology provides a complementary external perspective. Anthropology offers a long-term cultural view around our experience of needs. Political science takes a more practical approach at how needs are to be met. Even religion can be said to be in response to needs.

My academic background touches on all these fields. Since none of them deal directly with the topic of needs, this new field has emerged from my notes to try to fill this intellectual void.

Initially, I named this indigentology (ĭn'-dĭ-jĕn-tŏ'-lŏ-jē). Indigent comes from the Latin word for need. The –logy suffix, of course, has long been accepted to indicate the “study of” of something.

The suffix comes from the Greek “logos.” The Greek word for need is anagke. At first, I thought the Latin would be easier to remember. But now I’m thinking of calling this new field anakelogy (ä'-nä-kĕ'-lŏ-jē).

If using the Latin root, we get the following noun and adjective:

indigentological (adj): of the study of need experience (ĭn'-dĭ-jĕn-tŏ-lŏ'-jĭ-kâl').

indigentologist (adj): of the study of need experience (ĭn'-dĭ-jĕn-tŏ'-lŏ-jĭst).

If using the Greek root, we get the following noun and adjective:

anakelogical (adj): of the study of need experience (ä'-nä-kĕ-lŏ'-jĭ'-kâl).

anakelogist (n): one who studies need experience (ä'-nä-kĕ'-lŏ-jĭst).

You can help create a legacy, by helping us decide by stating your preference in the comments below. Which name best suits this new field? Indigentology? Or anakelogy?

Thank you for your vote. And for potentially playing a role in history.