Transcendence Anchors Marital Durability

The essay argues that marriages last when bound by commitments that point beyond individual fulfillment—religious vows, shared telos, or sacramental meaning—whereas philosophical currents that valorize autonomous self‑creation (exemplified by Nietzsche) hollow those anchors and make long‑term marriage fragile. Restoring durable marriage therefore requires cultural work that rebuilds shared, substantive purposes for conjugal life. — If true, this reframes marriage policy and cultural interventions: boosting marital stability is partly a question of restoring public narratives and institutions that supply transcendent or communal reasons to stay married, not only economic incentives.