Multi-Level Constraint Recursive Realization: An Inter-Level Integrative Framework from Physics to Society

Understanding the continuity from physical and biological systems to the mind and society remains a fundamental scientific challenge, often hindered by disciplinary fragmentation. This paper proposes the Multi-level Constraint Recursive Realization (MCRR) framework to offer a unified, first-principles-based account of this continuity. Its core thesis is that any persistent dissipative structure must satisfy three irreducible meta-constraints: (1) acquiring resources, (2) optimizing internal processes, and (3) maintaining its boundary. The framework's central mechanism is "recursive realization": higher-order complexities (e.g., adaptive behavior, mind, institutions) are not emergent novelties but strategic solutions evolved to resolve escalating conflicts among these constraints in variable environments. This process is driven by system-environment conflict, follows a logic of dynamic multi-dimensional prioritization, and is governed by cost-benefit trade-offs. MCRR systematically derives a functional hierarchy from passive structures to institutionalized society, explaining increasing flexibility as a recursive response to more complex constraint conflicts. It integrates and extends insights from autopoiesis, life history theory, and active inference, positioning them within the broader narrative of constraint satisfaction. As a heuristic meta-framework, the MCRR provides novel and testable perspectives for cognitive neuroscience, computational psychiatry, AI, and social sciences, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue on adaptation, complexity, and the origins of intelligence and culture.