Artāyī Culture: Reconstructing Universal Onto‑Ethical Order as a Civilizational Paradigm

Abstract This article, Artāyī Culture: Reconstructing Universal Onto‑Ethical Order as a Civilizational Paradigm, examines the Iranian concept of Artā (Avestan: Aša) as a foundational principle of truth, justice, and cosmic order. It argues that Artā is not merely a moral injunction or religious law but an ontological‑ethical horizon in which being and responsibility are inseparable. By reframing the traditional notion of “Sacred Order” as Universal Onto‑Ethical Order, the study highlights the structural unity of ontology and ethics, demonstrating that fidelity to truth is constitutive of reality itself. Methodologically, the research employs a qualitative, hermeneutic, and comparative approach, analyzing primary sources (Avestan scriptures, Vedic hymns, Islamic philosophical texts, Sufi manuals) alongside secondary scholarship and cross‑cultural analogues. The article traces the evolution of Artā across historical contexts: its Indo‑Iranian continuity with Vedic Ṛta and Dharma; its institutionalization as Asha in Zoroastrianism; its transformation into ‘adl, nūr, and wilāyah in Shi‘ism and Iranian philosophy; and its embodiment in Sufi ethics and futuwwa. The study further situates Artāyī Culture within a global comparative framework, identifying resonances with Dao in Chinese thought, Ubuntu in African philosophy, satya and ahimsa in Indian traditions, and indigenous cosmologies emphasizing balance and reciprocity. These convergences suggest that Artāyī Culture articulates a universal human intuition: life flourishes only when aligned with truth, justice, and harmony. Ultimately, the article argues that reconstructing Artāyī Culture as a Universal Onto‑Ethical Order provides a civilizational paradigm for the contemporary world, offering a framework in which politics is redefined as moral responsibility, knowledge as wisdom, and humanity’s place within nature as ethical stewardship.