Law of the Infinite Spectrum

The principle that not only do spectra exist, but they are infinite—there are infinitely many points between any two positions on any logical, rational, or formal continuum. Between "completely logical" and "completely illogical" lies an infinity of gradations, each subtly different from the next. Between "sound argument" and "fallacious argument" lies an infinite cascade of near-sound, mostly-sound, technically-fallacious-but-still-persuasive positions. The law of the infinite spectrum means that classification is always approximation, that boxes are always too small, and that any attempt to categorize human reasoning definitively is doomed to oversimplify. It's the logical equivalent of Zeno's paradox: you'll never reach the endpoint because there's always another halfway point.

Example: "She invoked the law of the infinite spectrum when her professor tried to grade arguments as simply 'valid' or 'invalid.' 'There are infinite gradations between those poles,' she said. 'This argument is more valid than that one, but less valid than another. The binary erases the nuance.' The professor said grades needed cutoffs. She said cutoffs were arbitrary. They were both right, which the law of the infinite spectrum predicted."

by AbzuInExile February 16, 2026