Theory of Epistemological Frameworks

The systematic study of how epistemological frameworks operate, how they shape knowledge, how they change over time, and how they relate to power and culture. The Theory of Epistemological Frameworks argues that knowledge is never framework-free—that all knowing happens within some structure of assumptions, standards, and practices. It examines how frameworks are established (through education, institutions, authority), how they're maintained (through peer review, gatekeeping, socialization), how they change (through paradigm shifts, revolutions, cultural contact), and how they're related to social power (whose frameworks dominate, whose are marginalized). The theory doesn't claim that all frameworks are equally valid; it claims that all knowledge is framework-dependent, and that understanding frameworks is essential for understanding knowledge itself.

Example: "He used to think knowledge was just knowledge—objective, universal, framework-free. The Theory of Epistemological Frameworks showed him otherwise: all knowledge comes from somewhere, all knowing happens within some structure. His framework wasn't reality; it was just his framework. Understanding that didn't make knowledge impossible; it made it more honest."

Theory of Epistemological Frameworks by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal March 9, 2026