Epistemological Recursion

A recursive structure in theories of knowledge where the criteria for knowledge are themselves evaluated by the same criteria, leading to circularity or infinite regress. Epistemological recursion is central to the problem of the criterion: how can we know what counts as knowledge without already knowing something? It often appears in debates about epistemic authority, where one person’s standard of evidence is challenged by a meta‑standard that itself requires justification.

Example: “She demanded he prove his epistemology; he asked what epistemology she was using to judge his. Epistemological recursion: the infinite demand for justification of justification.”

Epistemological Recursion by Dumu The Void March 25, 2026