AoP Research Program (Anthropology of Purpose)

1. Core Phenomenon
The program is based on the premise that there exists an autonomous phenomenon — the human search for purpose.
It differs from the search for meaning:

the search for meaning asks “why live?”,
while the search for purpose asks “who to become and what to do?”

This is not a metaphor or a cultural coincidence but a universal anthropological constant present across all epochs and societies.
Even a person who possesses a sense of meaning — such as family, values, or faith — may still lack direction, unsure of “where to move in life.”
This vectorial crisis gives rise to the search for purpose.

2. Cognitive Hypothesis
The phenomenon of purpose-seeking is viewed as a manifestation of an intrinsic cognitive function of the human brain — one responsible for orientation, not only spatial but also existential.

This function consists of four interrelated elements:

D — Diagnosis (Who am I);
O — Orientation (Where am I / In what system of coordinates);
S — Strategy / Timing (What and when to act);
N — Normativity (What is right / acceptable).

The D/O/S/N model describes a universal mechanism of human orientation that integrates cognitive, emotional, and existential processes.

3. Disruptions and Compensations
When the internal D/O/S/N system fails to provide stable orientation, individuals experience cognitive and existential disorientation.
In response, they construct external orientation maps — cultural, religious, philosophical, or symbolic systems that serve as compensatory frameworks.
Examples include astrology, Confucian role ethics, Christian vocation, and modern psychological personality tests.

4. Cultural Dynamics
Human history can be interpreted as a continuous process of creating, collapsing, and renewing orientation maps.
Anthropological analysis makes it possible to trace how different epochs have addressed the same underlying task — restoring coherence between internal orientation functions (D/O/S/N) and external structures of meaning.
This dynamic explains why the phenomenon of purpose-seeking intensifies during cultural transitions, when older maps cease to function.

5. Individual and Collective Levels
The D/O/S/N function operates not only within individual cognition but also at the level of societies and cultures.
Collectives, like individuals, possess their own orientation mechanisms, maps, and crises.
Thus, the study of AoP connects individual psychology of purpose with macro-historical and cultural processes.

6. Practical Dimension
Within the AoP framework, the AoP Index (0–4) has been developed as a tool for assessing the completeness of the four D/O/S/N functions within any orientation system — whether religious, philosophical, psychological, ritualistic, or ideological.
This scale allows researchers to measure how effectively a system provides individuals or groups with coherent orientation: who they are, where they are, what to do, and what to consider right.

7. Overall Research Aim
The goal of the program is to:

understand how the need for purpose arises and develops;
explain why this need is universal;
examine how its realization or absence affects individuals and cultures;
and explore how this knowledge can be applied in anthropology, psychology, philosophy, and self-development practices.

Open Materials / Publications

Contacts
📧 roman27reg@gmail.com
🌐 aop-institute.org

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