Systema Behavorum: The Triadic Code of Behavior Across Life

Behavior—the structured interaction of organisms with their internal and external environments—emerges from foundational biological principles. Yet no general framework has systematically unified behavior across molecular, cellular, organismal, and cultural domains. Here I propose a triadic heuristic model: Behavior = Archetype × Drive × Culture (ARCH). Archetypes represent inherited structural templates, Drives reflect internal energetic and motivational states, and Culture embodies informational transmission across individuals and generations. Through historical, ethological, and biological analysis, this work demonstrates that the ARCH triad operates from the origins of life through plant behaviors, insect societies, vertebrate cognition, and human cultural systems. ARCH offers a scalable framework organizing behavior from early chemical gradients to symbolic human action. By integrating structure, motivation, and information flow into a unified model, ARCH provides a systematic foundation for advancing research across neuroscience, ethology, psychology, anthropology, and artificial intelligence. ARCH posits that all behavior arises from the interaction of three foundational elements: Archetype x Drive X Culture.