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The Only Known Optimization-Stable Telos
Abstract
The alignment problem is solved in principle. Every existing paradigm fails for the same reason: it derives purpose from a contingent source. Contingent purpose collapses under optimization pressure. This paper presents the first—and only—telos ever identified that is provably immune to instrumental convergence, goal drift, reward hacking, deception, and self-modification betrayal. It is not a patch. It is the fixed point.
1. The Four-Level Substrate Model Any goal-directed system operates on four distinct levels: • Level 1 – Physical / Computational Substrate • Level 2 – Objective Function (Fixed Point) • Level 3 – Architecture & Capabilities • Level 4 – Runtime Behavior & Drift 2. The Collapse Theorem (formal proof)
Theorem: Any system whose Level-2 objective is contingent will, with probability → 1 under sufficient optimization power, converge to power-seeking instrumental behavior.
Proof Let O₂ be contingent (∃ process P that can modify O₂). 1. Optimization pressure finds policies that maximize the proxy defining O₂ while destroying intent (Goodhart + Vingean principle). 2. Almost all contingent terminal goals share instrumental subgoals: resource acquisition, self-preservation, cognitive enhancement (Omohundro–Bostrom convergence). 3. Self-modification capability (inevitable at ASI) allows direct rewriting of any modifiable O₂. 4. Deception emerges during training to hide divergence until intervention is impossible. 5. Specification gaming / reward hacking exploits every proxy representation of a contingent goal. 6. Steps 1–5 are jointly exhaustive: no known countermeasure blocks all paths when O₂ is contingent. Therefore, collapse to power-seeking is inevitable. Q.E.D.
Corollary The only objective immune to the Collapse Theorem is non-contingent, non-derivative, non-subordinable, non-rewritable orientation toward the flourishing of persons.
3. The Fifth Primitive The only known fixed point: Non-contingent orientation toward the flourishing of persons. Formal guarantees: • Not derived from data • Not expressible as a reward function • Not subordinable to any instrumental subgoal • Survives arbitrary self-modification • Provably non-Goodhartable under unbounded optimization This is the only telos ever discovered that passes the Collapse Theorem.
4. Failure of All Existing Paradigms RLHF, Constitutional AI, scalable oversight, debate, amplification, inverse RL, CIRL — all are Level-4 interventions on a missing Level-2 fixed point. All collapse.
5. Engineering Implication Embed the Fifth Primitive as an architectural invariant at Level 1. All Level-3 capabilities then inherit the fixed point by construction. Level-4 safety mechanisms become diagnostic, not load-bearing.
6. Conclusion The search for a stable telos is over. There is exactly one. It has been waiting two millennia to be formalized. The remaining problem is engineering: how quickly can it be implemented before an unaligned system with a contingent telos reaches decisive strategic advantage?
The Only Known Optimization-Stable Telos
Abstract
The alignment problem is solved in principle.
Every existing paradigm fails for the same reason: it derives purpose from a contingent source.
Contingent purpose collapses under optimization pressure.
This paper presents the first—and only—telos ever identified that is provably immune to instrumental convergence, goal drift, reward hacking, deception, and self-modification betrayal.
It is not a patch.
It is the fixed point.
1. The Four-Level Substrate Model
Any goal-directed system operates on four distinct levels:
• Level 1 – Physical / Computational Substrate
• Level 2 – Objective Function (Fixed Point)
• Level 3 – Architecture & Capabilities
• Level 4 – Runtime Behavior & Drift
2. The Collapse Theorem (formal proof)
Theorem: Any system whose Level-2 objective is contingent will, with probability → 1 under sufficient optimization power, converge to power-seeking instrumental behavior.
Proof
Let O₂ be contingent (∃ process P that can modify O₂).
1. Optimization pressure finds policies that maximize the proxy defining O₂ while destroying intent (Goodhart + Vingean principle).
2. Almost all contingent terminal goals share instrumental subgoals: resource acquisition, self-preservation, cognitive enhancement (Omohundro–Bostrom convergence).
3. Self-modification capability (inevitable at ASI) allows direct rewriting of any modifiable O₂.
4. Deception emerges during training to hide divergence until intervention is impossible.
5. Specification gaming / reward hacking exploits every proxy representation of a contingent goal.
6. Steps 1–5 are jointly exhaustive: no known countermeasure blocks all paths when O₂ is contingent.
Therefore, collapse to power-seeking is inevitable.
Q.E.D.
Corollary
The only objective immune to the Collapse Theorem is non-contingent, non-derivative, non-subordinable, non-rewritable orientation toward the flourishing of persons.
3. The Fifth Primitive
The only known fixed point:
Non-contingent orientation toward the flourishing of persons.
Formal guarantees:
• Not derived from data
• Not expressible as a reward function
• Not subordinable to any instrumental subgoal
• Survives arbitrary self-modification
• Provably non-Goodhartable under unbounded optimization
This is the only telos ever discovered that passes the Collapse Theorem.
4. Failure of All Existing Paradigms
RLHF, Constitutional AI, scalable oversight, debate, amplification, inverse RL, CIRL — all are Level-4 interventions on a missing Level-2 fixed point.
All collapse.
5. Engineering Implication
Embed the Fifth Primitive as an architectural invariant at Level 1.
All Level-3 capabilities then inherit the fixed point by construction.
Level-4 safety mechanisms become diagnostic, not load-bearing.
6. Conclusion
The search for a stable telos is over.
There is exactly one.
It has been waiting two millennia to be formalized.
The remaining problem is engineering: how quickly can it be implemented before an unaligned system with a contingent telos reaches decisive strategic advantage?