Metaepistemological Sciences

The formal study of how we study how we know things, a discipline so recursive that its practitioners are often found in a state of permanent confusion, unsure whether they are knowing, knowing about knowing, or knowing about knowing about knowing. It's the field that asks: How do we know that our methods for acquiring knowledge are valid? And how do we know that we know that? And if we can't be certain about certainty, what can we be certain about? (Spoiler: nothing). Metaepistemological sciences are popular among grad students who have read too much philosophy and now question whether their coffee cup actually exists.

Example: "Her thesis in metaepistemological sciences was an attempt to establish a valid methodology for validating methodologies. After three years, she concluded that any methodology used to validate itself is inherently circular, and therefore, her entire thesis was based on a logical flaw. She was awarded a PhD for 'exceptional self-awareness.'"

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Metaepistemological Social Sciences

The study of how groups of people collectively develop, maintain, and argue about their shared ways of knowing. It examines why scientific communities sometimes cling to outdated paradigms (because the old guys who established them are still alive and grant-reviewing), why conspiracy theories spread so effectively (because they offer a simpler, more emotionally satisfying epistemology than the complicated truth), and why "common sense" is different in every culture (because knowing is a social activity). It's the field that reveals that even our most cherished "facts" are often just things we all agreed to stop arguing about.

Example: "A metaepistemological social sciences study explored why flat-Earthers believe what they believe. It found that their epistemology wasn't necessarily 'worse' than mainstream science; it was just different, prioritizing personal experience and distrust of authority over peer review and empirical consensus. The study was then attacked by flat-Earthers for being part of the very 'authority conspiracy' it was describing."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026