Geometry as Universal Selection: Structure Before Force

Physical theories have traditionally treated forces as the primary architects of structure, with geometry emerging as a descriptive consequence. This paper reverses that ordering. We argue that geometry functions as a universal selection principle, defining admissible structure across all physical regimes, while forces operate only as local corrective responses within those constraints. Geometry is non-participatory and exact; it does not evolve, choose, or act. Structure persists because it is geometrically admissible, not because it is dynamically enforced. This framework unifies phenomena across scales without requiring agency, optimization, or scale-specific ontology, preserving regime-valid physics while establishing a universal ordering principle: structure precedes force.