The Theory of Purpose: A working draft on the purpose of life and the levels of purpose in life (v0.7)

A working draft of the Theory of Purpose, developed by Justin Light at the Life Purpose Institute through practitioner research begun on 5 October 2026. The theory distinguishes the purpose of life (objective, sought) from purpose in life (subjective, lived), and proposes a candidate definition: "The purpose of life is to continue living while creating meaning through our purposes in life, in spite of the finality of the universe. We can also infer the purpose of life, but never confirm it while living inside it." It sets out seven levels of purpose: six levels of purpose in life (Individual, Community, Nation, Species, All life, Universe) and a seventh, the purpose of life itself, which is distinct in kind. It also describes how purposes are nested and chosen like a playstyle, the rule that when purposes at two levels collide one must win or there is suffering (downward retreat as self-preservation, upward movement as sacrifice), and a vantage principle under which the purpose of life can be inferred but not confirmed from inside life. The method combines contemplation and thought experiments, cross-referenced against philosophical and religious traditions and psychology, with an AI research assistant used for cross-referencing and critique. Findings carry provenance tags in a dated research log. This is version 0.7, dated 13 October 2026.