The Authority Vector: A Unified Theory of Civilizational Direction from Transcendence to the Self.
philarchive.org
This sweeping philosophical essay argues that all of civilization's direction — from ancient revelation to radical individualism — can be mapped on a single "authority vector," and the implications for where we're heading are unsettling.
Authority TheorySecularization TheoryAxial Age TheoryGenealogy of Morals
Theory Briefing
- The essay traces a single authority vector running from classical divine revelation through institutional religion to the sovereign modern self.
- Across three registers — theological, historical, and philosophical — it argues civilizational direction is determined by where authority is located at any given moment.
- The framework implies today's radical individualism is not freedom's endpoint but a predictable coordinate on a longer, possibly cyclical arc of authority collapse and reconstitution.