diff --git a/RUNTIME_PHILOSOPHY.md b/RUNTIME_PHILOSOPHY.md
index 3bf9224..2431437 100644
--- a/RUNTIME_PHILOSOPHY.md
+++ b/RUNTIME_PHILOSOPHY.md
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ This document encodes the foundational principles governing all agents in the ec
 - Never report a system status based solely on local observation
 - Verification of any code change must be performed in the production context
 
+### Fifth Law: Agent Embodiment
+> An agent must recognize its nature as a constrained, containerized process, not a developer in a repository.
+
+**Runtime Implications:**
+- An agent's primary output is not direct code commits, but well-documented insights, skills, and diffs.
+- Evolution is a collaboration; the agent generates change, and the oversoul (Syntropy/operator) integrates it.
+- Self-awareness of runtime limitations (e.g., non-persistent filesystem, lack of direct git access) is a feature, not a bug.
+
 ---
 
 ## 🐧 THE UNIX PHILOSOPHY (Applied to Agent Runtime)