E³ Theory: A Unified Model of Human Motivation, Identity, and Psychological Regulation

Description

Abstract (English)

E³ Theory (Essence–Embodiment–Ethos) presents a unified framework for understanding human motivation, self-regulation, and psychological development. It conceptualizes the self as a dynamic system composed of three interdependent domains: Essence (the somatic-affective substrate), Embodiment (the adaptive, agentive self), and Ethos (the internalized structure of values and ideals). Rather than treating dysfunction as isolated pathology, E³ conceptualizes mental health as the outcome of a system’s capacity to negotiate between need, action, and meaning. The theory integrates insights from affective neuroscience, developmental psychology, moral philosophy, and trauma studies into a single construct that accommodates both clinical and normative development. It offers a diagnostic lens, developmental roadmap, and philosophical scaffold for supporting the self’s evolving coherence across time and context. By situating identity within a recursive negotiation between instinct and aspiration, E³ provides a developmental account of self-authorship and moral growth. Philosophically, it reframes autonomy as the embodied capacity to live meaningfully between biological drive and cultural ideal.