Definitions by Dumu The Void

Rational Metabiases

Second-order biases about rationality itself—systematic distortions in how we understand, value, and deploy rationality. Rational Metabiases include: assuming rationality is universal rather than culturally specific; treating your tradition of rationality as Rationality itself; believing that more rationality always improves decisions; using "rational" as a term of approval for views you already hold; ignoring the rationality embedded in practices that don't look rational to you. Rational Metabiases shape not just how we reason, but how we think about reasoning itself.

Rational Metabiases "He calls himself 'rational' and others 'emotional.' That's Rational Metabias—using rationality as an identity marker, not a practice. His rationality isn't neutral; it's a particular tradition with its own assumptions. The metabias is thinking your rationality is the rationality, not one rationality among many."

Rational Metabiases by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Logic Metabiases

Second-order biases about logic itself—biases in how we evaluate, teach, and apply logical systems. Logic Metabiases include: treating classical logic as the baseline and others as deviations; assuming logical skill is innate rather than learned; using logic to police rather than to understand; believing that more logic always leads to better thinking; assuming logical people are less biased. Logic Metabiases are biases about logic's role, value, and nature—not biases in logical reasoning, but biases in how we relate to logic as a practice.

Logic Metabiases "He thinks studying logic makes him objective. That's Logic Metabias—confusing logical training with freedom from bias. Logic is a tool; using it doesn't make you unbiased—it just gives you a particular kind of training. The metabias is thinking logic is above bias, when it's actually one of the places bias hides best."

Logic Metabiases by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Logical Metametabiases

The most meta level of bias: biases about biases about logic—systematic distortions in how we think about our thinking about logical systems. Logical MetaMetabiases occur when we develop theories about logical biases that are themselves biased, creating infinite regress of reflection. They include: assuming we can fully escape logical bias; treating awareness of bias as immunity to it; using meta-analysis as a way to feel superior rather than to understand; creating hierarchies of bias-awareness that become new biases. Logical MetaMetabiases are what happen when reflexivity becomes its own form of blindness—when knowing about bias becomes a way of not seeing your own.

Logical Metametabiases "He's read all the books on logical biases, so now he thinks he's immune. That's Logical Metametabias—using knowledge of bias as a shield against self-examination. Knowing about bias doesn't eliminate it; it just gives you new ways to be biased about bias. The meta-level isn't escape; it's just another level. Thinking you've transcended bias is the ultimate bias."

Logical Metametabiases by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Philosophical Biases

Systematic distortions in how we do philosophy—the assumptions we bring to philosophical questions that shape what answers seem plausible. Philosophical Biases include: realism bias (assuming our concepts map reality); rationalism bias (trusting reason over experience); individualism bias (focusing on individual knowers); presentism bias (judging past philosophers by current standards); technical bias (valuing technical sophistication over wisdom). Philosophical biases are the invisible lenses through which we see philosophical problems—and they determine what we see and what we miss.

Philosophical Biases "He dismissed ancient philosophy as 'primitive.' That's Philosophical Bias—presentism, judging the past by the present. The Greeks weren't primitive; they were asking different questions with different tools. Philosophical bias makes us miss the wisdom in other times and places because we're too busy ranking them by our standards. Philosophy without bias would be conversation across time, not judgment of it."

Philosophical Biases by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Philosophy Biases

Biases within philosophical practice—the assumptions, preferences, and exclusions that shape what philosophy is and who gets to do it. Philosophy Biases include: canon bias (studying the same dead white men); method bias (privileging analytic over continental, or vice versa); language bias (philosophy happens in English, German, French—not in indigenous languages); gatekeeping bias (who gets called a philosopher); progress bias (assuming philosophy progresses like science). Philosophy Biases make philosophy smaller than it could be—a conversation among some rather than a discipline for all.

Philosophy Biases "Your philosophy degree covered zero non-Western thinkers. That's Philosophy Bias—assuming Western philosophy is philosophy, not one tradition among many. Philosophy means 'love of wisdom,' not 'love of European wisdom.' Bias makes the discipline a club instead of a conversation."

Philosophy Biases by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Epistemological Biases

Systematic distortions in how we know, arising from our location, identity, and commitments. Epistemological Biases include: confirmation bias (seeking confirming evidence); availability bias (using what's easily recalled); anchoring bias (over-relying on first information); cultural bias (assuming our categories are universal); identity bias (knowing in ways that protect identity). Unlike logical biases (about logic itself), epistemological biases are about the process of knowing—the psychological and social factors that shape what we believe and how we justify it.

Epistemological Biases "He only reads news that confirms his views. That's Epistemological Bias—confirmation bias in action. We all have it; the question is whether we know we have it. Epistemological biases aren't failures; they're human. But pretending you don't have them is how they control you."

Epistemological Biases by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026

Epistemology Biases

Biases in how we study knowledge itself—the assumptions and preferences that shape epistemological inquiry. Epistemology Biases include: privileging Western epistemology over others; focusing on propositional knowledge over procedural, tacit, or experiential knowledge; assuming knowledge is individual rather than social; treating justification as more important than understanding; ignoring the role of power in knowledge production. Epistemology Biases shape what questions get asked, what answers count, and who gets to be an epistemologist.

Epistemology Biases "Your epistemology class only studied Descartes, Hume, and Kant. That's Epistemology Bias—assuming Western philosophy is epistemology, not one epistemology among many. Indigenous epistemologies? Ignored. Feminist epistemology? Optional. Eastern epistemology? Comparative philosophy. Epistemology bias makes the discipline smaller than the phenomenon it studies."

Epistemology Biases by Dumu The Void March 1, 2026