Cultural Entropy: A Forensic Audit of Civilizational Coherence (1950–2025)

Cultural Entropy: A Forensic Audit of Civilizational Coherence (1950–2025) presents a formal, testable systems model of cultural breakdown using differential equations, empirical proxies, and longitudinal data spanning seven decades. The paper treats culture as a dynamical system rather than a moral or ideological construct. It introduces a quantitative entropy framework driven by three measurable substrate variables: structural stability (S), extraction pressure (X), and environmental volatility (F). Cultural entropy E(t) is derived as an emergent output governed by a compounding differential equation, while recognition coherence R(t) is modeled as an exponential decay function of entropy. The work includes: Explicit variable definitions and decade-level calibration (1950s–2020s) A compounding entropy model with feedback dynamics A formal recognition-collapse function linked to entropy levels Fully reproducible Python code and visualizations Empirical validation against historical trust, mental health, and institutional data This paper is intended as a forensic audit, not a normative or political argument. It provides a falsifiable framework that can be tested, extended, or challenged using alternative datasets or parameterizations. All claims are grounded in measurable inputs and transparent mathematics. The author introduces the methodological role of Systems Forensic Dissectology—the practice of analyzing cross-domain societal failure modes through quantitative, substrate-level modeling rather than siloed disciplinary narratives. This Zenodo deposit establishes authorship, timestamped provenance, and citation integrity for the model, code, and framework prior to downstream publication, distribution, or extension.