Threshold Ontology of Stability: An Integrated Model of Human Systems under Conditions of Chronic Stress and Nonlinear Transition

Abstract This paper develops a formal theoretical framework for analysing human systems under chronic stress and nonlinear instability. Moving beyond binary models of stability and rupture, it proposes a threshold-based ontology in which system dynamics unfold across three functional regimes: minimal maintenance, calibration, and structural transition. The model integrates concepts from complexity theory, resilience thinking, and systems philosophy, while explicitly distinguishing between philosophical interpretation and operational formalisation. System viability is defined as a dynamic persistence condition under variable stress loads. A phase-diagnostic decision principle is introduced to guide intervention under uncertainty, and hysteresis is modelled as a structural asymmetry in recovery dynamics. Keywords Complex systems; threshold dynamics; system viability; hysteresis; resilience theory; phase transition; social systems theory