Functionism

Functionism, sometimes called Ratioism, is a belief system and social structure where a Cybertronian's role in society is defined by their alternate mode. Trucks and construction vehicles are required to engage in manual labor employment, for instance, while a proton microscope would be allowed to seek out intellectual pursuits. Originally envisioned by Nova Prime as an orderly alternative to the wars proceeding his rulership, functionism apparently reached an apex during the reign of Nominus Prime.

Functionists often have a religious underlining to their beliefs, accepting that a forged alt-mode is the will of Adaptus, the Guiding Hand's god of forms and contemporary of Primus Lifegiver himself.

Functionism divides and classifies Cybertronians according to the Grand Cybertronian Taxonomy, which ranks individuals based on the ubiquity or rarity of their alternate modes, with higher social standings provided for those with less common forms, and vice versa. The most common alternate modes, such as memory sticks and laser pointers, were lumped together under the disposable class, who were harshly discriminated against. Beast transformers were treated only moderately better.

The specifics of functionism were determined by a Functionist Council, though by the present day both the Council and the social structure it upheld are long gone.

Fiction

IDW Generation 1 continuity

Functionism became prominent on Cybertron in the last six million years, after the loss of the first Ark. A Cybertronian's status was determined not only by the utility of their alt-mode, but also its scarcity. The more unique an alt-mode was, the higher a Cybertronian could climb in society, and vice versa. At one point, Cybertronians who transformed into memory sticks were so common, they were considered a "disposable class" and treated as little more than slaves. Before & After The only way out was to qualify for the Intellectual class or perform a task of note such as finding a Point One Percenter spark and be declared alt mode exempt. Outliers were known to be persecuted by them due to not fitting in their neat categories.An Intimate Beheading Cybertronians with non-humanoid robot modes were also looked down upon and treated as little more than beasts. Soundwaves

Under unknown circumstances, functionism became a less totalitarian philosophy during the reign of Nominus Prime. Chaos Theory Part 1 Functionist hardliners still existed, such as in the town of Petrex where complaining about one's alt-mode was punishable by prison. Elsewhere on Cybertron, though, it was acceptable to defy Adaptus and undergo full-body retrofitting to change alt-modes permanently... provided you had enough credits. For a more modest fee, Relinquishment Clinics offered "body tourism", using sparkswap technology to let Cybertronians temporarily try out a different alt-modes from a "donor". Post Hoc

Functionism labelled and categorized citizens by something beyond their control, and so it inevitably prompted a negative response. The Militant Monoform Movement, who rejected Adaptus and their transformation cogs, may have arisen as a direct response to the dictates of functionism. Chaos Theory Part 2 More famously, or perhaps infamously, Megatron and the Decepticons got started as manual laborers and miners rejecting the functionist doctrine of the Senate that restricted their place in society. Megatron Origin

When Brainstorm altered the timeline, he created a Cybertron where the Functionist Council had slowly but surely conquered the planet: the intellectual class outlawed, disposable class unable to talk to their betters, Functionary enforcers on every corner, and obsolence chips planted in everyone's head so that when their theoconomists agreed an alt-mode had no further use, the Council could issue a "mass recall". The laser pointers, the Lunabots, and the memory sticks (the theoconomists ruled they had a purpose but they were a threat) were among those exterminated. The Custom-Made Now