Semantic Collapse and Civilizational Entropy

This paper proposes a new framework for understanding civilizational collapse—not primarily as a material or ecological event, but as a semantic phenomenon. Civilizations are not only energy systems but also semiotic engines that generate coherence through language, myth, ritual, and narrative. When these symbolic structures fragment or degrade, cultures enter a state of symbolic entropy: the loss of shared meaning, identity cohesion, and long-range temporal orientation. Through the lenses of systems theory, media ecology, and cultural semiotics, this work analyzes how degenerative feedback loops, platform-driven symbolic inflation, and AI-generated post-symbolic content accelerate the erosion of civilizational coherence. The paper introduces the concept of fragmentation fields and explores the conditions under which symbolic systems can be regenerated through field-sensitive design, mythic reintegration, and ritual reconstruction. The study concludes by proposing coherence as a new civilizational compass—one that prioritizes semantic depth, rhythmic intelligence, and symbolic alignment over acceleration, scale, or control.