Ontology
Physis
Physis is the embodied form of the universal imperative to survive. It is the default — fast, automatic, requiring no conscious effort, and it cannot be switched off. It carries two independent functions: agonistic (aggression, competition, dominance, the production of leadership), which operates independently of scale, and affiliative (empathy, the sense of justice, reciprocity, repair), which is strong in the immediate circle and stays at its own scale. The two are not opposites.
— 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.
| Research program | Physis |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Physis: A Theory of Power |
| Developed in | Physis: A Theory of Power — Chapter 1, §1 |