The spiral of power: From losing the source and manipulation to true sovereignty - An Interdisciplinary inquiry from the origin human culture

Abstract

This paper investigates a recurring paradox in human history: when people lose their sovereignty, they struggle to reclaim it; yet, in their quest for liberation, they are often deceived and relapse into new, more sophisticated forms of servitude. The central thesis is that this “spiral of power” is not merely a political or economic phenomenon but stems from a profound spiritual rupture - a disconnection that Vietnamese philosophy identifies with the evocative term “lạc Cội lạc Nguồn” (losing the Root, losing the Source). This paper proposes the “Origin Human Culture”¹ (Văn Hóa Cội Nguồn) as a primary interpretive lens, facilitating a critical and comparative dialogue with Western theories (Locke, Rousseau, Marx, Foucault, Zuboff) and classical Eastern thought (Confucianism, Daoism, Legalism). This approach aims to illuminate conceptual gaps that this indigenous philosophy can help address. The paper analyzes the evolution of deceptive mechanisms from the classic “sycophant” (nịnh nhân) to “algorithmic servitude” in the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and constructs new concepts such as “informational alienation” to demonstrate their direct linkage to the erosion of sovereignty. This inquiry demonstrates that breaking this vicious cycle requires a comprehensive solution that integrates an external legal foundation the “Supreme Dharma-King” (Pháp Vương Tối Thượng) with an internal spiritual transformation: “returning to the True Heart, True Nature” (Chân Tâm, Chân Tánh). The aim is to contribute a unique, culturally-rooted perspective to the universal discourse on human consciousness and sovereignty, in line with the mission of Spiritual Science in Human Evolution.