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This paper argues in favor of a theory and classification of armed groups that setsthem at the center of political and social sciences. Starting from the problem of order, itargues that without armed groups one cannot understand how stable societies form,function and reproduce themselves. It challenges the preeminence of concepts such as class and gender, which are seen as depicting later-formed social structures. It proposes a classification of armed groups based on their permanent or impermanent character, as well as the reasons for using violence, mostly extractive and ideological. The article also discusses armed groups operating within the state.