Manifesto

Institute for Affective Sovereignty and Interdisciplinary Studies

Our Founding Vision

The Institute for Affective Sovereignty and Interdisciplinary Studies (Ryan Research Institute) was founded to establish a new academic frontier — Affective Sovereignty Studies.

We believe that the right to interpret and define one’s own emotions is not only a matter of psychology, but also a fundamental dimension of human dignity, autonomy, and freedom in the age of artificial intelligence.

Our Core Principles

1. Affective Sovereignty
• Every individual holds the inalienable right to define, interpret, and express their own emotions.
• Against the rise of algorithmic power and affective AI, we assert the primacy of human emotional rights.
2. Interdisciplinary Foundation
• Our research integrates psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, and artificial intelligence into one scholarly domain.
• We bridge disciplines to form a new knowledge system, rooted in both scientific rigor and existential depth.
3. Human-Centered AI Ethics
• AI must not colonize human emotions; rather, it should serve as a mirror, tool, and partner for emotional growth.
• We develop frameworks for ethical, transparent, and dignity-preserving AI systems.
4. Existential and Philosophical Commitment
• Beyond technical regulation, we affirm the ontological and existential dimension of emotion.
• To feel is to exist; to preserve emotional sovereignty is to preserve humanity itself.

Our Mission

• To establish Affective Sovereignty Studies as a recognized academic discipline.
• To create a global research hub where scholars, artists, and technologists converge on the study of emotion, rights, and AI.
• To publish foundational texts, manifestos, and research frameworks that will shape the ethics of the 21st century.
• To educate the next generation of thinkers who will defend emotional autonomy in the face of algorithmic encroachment.

Our Call

This manifesto is not merely a declaration, but an invitation.

We invite scholars, researchers, and practitioners from around the world to join us in building a discipline that safeguards the most intimate frontier of human existence — our emotions.

The future of humanity depends not only on what machines can do, but on what humans must preserve.