The Universal Law of the Scale of Social Illusions (Kozhevanov's Law)

This article introduces the Universal Law of the Scale of Social Illusions, proposing that social status, power, and wealth are proportionate to the scale of illusions an actor creates and their control over audience perception. The law formalizes this dynamic as S∝I×C×D, where I is the scope of the illusion, C is control over dissemination channels, and D is audience trust. Drawing on social constructionism, symbolic power theory, epistemology, and social psychology, the paper examines how individuals, organizations, and states shape reality through scalable illusions. Empirical and historical evidence demonstrates the law's relevance across politics, economics, media, and digital platforms, from institutional ideologies and corporate branding to viral content and influencer culture. Philosophically, it underscores that collective reality emerges from interpretive frameworks rather than objective facts, positioning the management of perception as central to social influence. The law's interdisciplinary potential is discussed, including implications for sociology, political science, economics, cognitive studies, and media analysis. By providing a conceptual and formal tool for understanding social dynamics, this framework offers both explanatory power and methodological guidance for future research into the mechanisms by which trust, belief, and perception underpin social structures. Preprint version. Not peer reviewed.