Theory of Constructed Technologies

The perspective that technologies are not neutral tools with inevitable effects. They are built by people with specific values, assumptions, and worldviews embedded in their design. A social media algorithm isn't just code; it's a constructed technology that embodies theories about human attention, social interaction, and value (e.g., engagement = profit). These embedded constructions then shape user behavior, often reinforcing the very worldviews used to build them.

Example: "The dating app's 'matching algorithm' wasn't magic; it was a Theory of Constructed Technology in action. It was built on a model of human attraction as a checklist of preferences, which then taught users to see themselves and others as checklists. The technology didn't just find love; it constructed a new way of looking for it." Theory of Constructed Technologies

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026

Theory of Constructed Science

The sociological view that scientific knowledge, while aiming for objectivity, is inevitably a human construction shaped by social factors: funding priorities, institutional power, peer review culture, dominant paradigms, and even the personalities of leading scientists. This doesn't mean science is "just an opinion," but that the path to reliable knowledge is paved with social negotiations, controversies, and the gradual construction of consensus, not the simple revelation of pure nature.

Example: "Studying the Theory of Constructed Science, she saw the Nobel Prize not as a divine award for truth, but as the pinnacle of a construction process: decades of building a persuasive narrative, converting peers, winning grants, and marginalizing rival theories until one framework became the 'obvious' truth etched in textbooks."

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026

Theory of Constructed Evidence

The recognition that evidence is never neutral; it is always interpreted through a lens. A strand of hair is just a biological filament until a detective's theory of the crime constructs it as "evidence of the suspect's presence." A statistical correlation is just a number until an economist's model constructs it as "evidence for market manipulation." The theory comes first and dictates what counts as evidence and what that evidence means.

Example: "In the conspiracy forum, the same government press release was constructed as 'evidence of a cover-up' (because they'd admit that if it were true?) and as 'evidence of their brazen transparency' (to throw us off!). The Theory of Constructed Evidence shows the evidence itself was passive; the opposing theories did all the work."

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026

Theory of Constructed Facts

The idea that even raw facts are not simply discovered, but are shaped by the theories, tools, and questions that produce them. A fact is a carefully carved slice of reality, and the carving tools are our interests, technologies, and linguistic categories. The fact "the patient has a fever of 102°F" is constructed by the concept of "fever," the Fahrenheit scale, and the reliability of the thermometer. Change any of those, and you get a different fact. Facts are theory-laden.

Example: "The archaeologist explained the Theory of Constructed Facts: 'We say we 'found' a ceremonial dagger. But that fact was constructed the moment we decided to call it a 'dagger' and not 'scrap metal,' and 'ceremonial' instead of 'utilitarian.' The dirt gave us an object; we gave it a story that became a fact in our textbook.'"

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026

Theory of Constructed Truth

The extension of constructionism to the concept of truth itself. It posits that truth is not a static correspondence between statement and world, but an ongoing social process of justification within a community. A statement becomes "true" when it is agreed upon by the relevant epistemic community using their accepted rules (e.g., the scientific method, legal procedure, religious doctrine). This explains how something can be "true" in one context (e.g., a legal verdict) and not in another (e.g., a historical investigation).

Example: "He argued from the Theory of Constructed Truth: 'In this company, the truth is whatever the CEO says in the all-hands meeting. Your data is just a competing construction. To win, you don't need better facts; you need to become the community that defines the truth.' It was cynical, devastating, and probably accurate."

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026

Theory of Constructed Reality

The philosophical and sociological position that much of what we experience as objective reality is, in fact, built and maintained through social agreement, language, and shared practices. This doesn't deny physical reality (gravity is real), but argues that the meaning and categories we layer onto it—money, borders, gender roles, justice—are human constructions. These constructions feel real because we all participate in them, but they can and do change across time and cultures. Reality, in this view, is a co-created performance.

Example: "The meeting was a masterclass in the Theory of Constructed Reality. The 'crisis' existed only because they'd all agreed on metrics that defined it, the 'solution' was a PowerPoint that reshaped their shared narrative, and by the end, the constructed problem and its constructed solution felt more solid than the table they were sitting at."

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026

Theory of Constructed Emotions

The neuroscience-backed model, primarily associated with Lisa Feldman Barrett, which argues that emotions are not hardwired, universal programs (like "anger circuits") triggered by the world. Instead, they are real-time, whole-brain constructions. Your brain uses past experiences (concepts) to make meaning of incoming sensory data and internal bodily signals (arousal), creating an instance of "anger," "fear," or "awe" that is tailored to the specific context. Emotions aren't reactions you have; they are guesses your brain makes to keep you alive, and they vary wildly by culture and individual.

Example: "After learning the Theory of Constructed Emotions, she reframed her 'anxiety.' That churning stomach and racing heart before a presentation wasn't 'anxiety' invading her; it was her brain, using the concept of 'anxiety,' constructing a helpful state of high alert. She started calling it 'energized focus.' It didn't make it pleasant, but it made it feel less like a broken reaction."

by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026