From Capitalism to Circulationism: A Neuroeconomic Transition of Emotion, Beauty, and Knowledge

From Capitalism to Circulationism: Toward a Rhythmic Civilization proposes a post-capitalist paradigm in which emotional, aesthetic, and social flows replace accumulation, hierarchy, and control as the organizing principles of civilization. Drawing upon the author’s prior Theory of Social Tension, this paper conceptualizes society as a resonant field where emotion, knowledge, and beauty circulate through rhythmic equilibrium rather than static order. The study traces a historical and structural transformation: from Realism’s aesthetic of possession to Impressionism’s emotional vibration, Cubism’s multi-perspectival resonance, and the avant-garde’s dynamic participation. These artistic revolutions prefigured a broader social movement—the emergence of Circulationism—that extends artistic freedom to governance, education, and economics. The proposed framework defines governance as the modulation of affective frequencies (Resonant Governance) and redefines freedom as the right to self-tune one’s emotional state (frequency autonomy). It integrates insights from affective neuroscience, art theory, and systems design to outline a civilization of rhythm: a social order sustained by emotional coherence rather than material accumulation. Ultimately, Circulationism envisions a future civilization that replaces representation with recreation, control with resonance, and progress with rhythm—restoring emotional homeostasis as the foundation of human sustainability.