Theory of the Elasticity of Epistemology

A meta-framework proposing that epistemological frameworks themselves are elastic—that our theories of knowledge can stretch to accommodate new ways of knowing without abandoning their core insights. The Elasticity of Epistemology suggests that epistemology isn't a set of rigid rules but a stretchy fabric of concepts—justification, truth, belief—that can deform under pressure from new contexts (indigenous knowledge, artificial intelligence, quantum mechanics) and return to shape or take new form. It's epistemology that knows its own flexibility.

Theory of the Elasticity of Epistemology "Traditional epistemology couldn't handle AI knowledge—too rigid. Theory of the Elasticity of Epistemology says stretch it: justification still matters, but it looks different for machine knowers. Epistemology isn't brittle; it's elastic. The question isn't whether it fits; it's how far you can stretch it without breaking."

Theory of the Elasticity of Epistemology by Nammugal March 4, 2026