Transcending the Dichotomy: The Theory of Loikiada as a Unifying Framework for Motivation and the Self

The egoism-altruism dichotomy fragments motivation science, yielding intractable paradoxes—most notably, self-sacrifice eluding evolutionary, economic, and hedonic explanation. This article introduces the Theory of Loikiada, a meta-framework resolving these impasses through a paradigm shift: reconceptualizing the Self as an autopoietic system (Loikiada) governed by one imperative—continuous strengthening of its own architectural integrity. Beyond resolving the altruism–egoism stalemate, Loikiada offers a unifying architecture nesting Self-Determination Theory, Cybernetic Big Five Theory, and Whole Trait Theory within a single processual account of self-construction. This processual ontology dissolves the self-sacrifice paradox: profound love integrates the other as core element of an Expanded Self, rendering sacrifice architectural preservation rather than altruism versus egoism. Crucially, the theory generates discriminative, falsifiable predictions—including a neural signature for Expanded Self processing (convergent mPFC–ventral striatum activity) distinguishing architectural affirmation from empathy or reward-seeking alone. By unifying frameworks and specifying conditions for disconfirmation, Loikiada advances a coherent, testable science of self-construction.