Theory of Constructed Cultures

The view that culture isn't a static inheritance passed down like DNA, but a dynamic set of practices, values, and symbols that a group actively builds, debates, and modifies to adapt to new circumstances. Traditions are often "invented," and what seems ancient was frequently constructed quite recently to create a sense of shared identity and continuity in a changing world.

Example: "Modern Scottish tartans for specific clans? Mostly constructed in the 19th century. The Theory of Constructed Cultures shows that what feels like an ancient, essential identity is often a recently built toolkit for solidarity and tourism. Culture isn't a museum piece you inherit; it's a workshop where you build 'who we are' in the present, often using recycled parts from the past."

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026

Theory of Constructed Societies

The argument that "society" is not just a collection of people in a place, but a complex, fragile construct held together by shared fictions—laws, money, norms, and identities. It's a giant game where everyone agrees to follow certain rules and believe in certain concepts (like citizenship or contracts), and the game completely falls apart if enough people stop believing and participating.

Example: "A traffic jam at a red light with no police in sight is the Theory of Constructed Societies in action. The red light itself is just a colored bulb. The 'rule' it represents is a pure construction. Our collective decision to obey that fiction, even when we could run it, is what keeps the social order from collapsing into chaos. Society is a group project of pretending abstract rules are real."

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026

Theory of Constructed Logic

The provocative idea that even the rules of logic (like non-contradiction: a thing cannot be both A and not-A) are not timeless, Platonic truths discovered by the brain, but are cognitive tools our minds and cultures have constructed because they are useful for survival and communication. Other systems of reasoning (dialetheism, fuzzy logic) can be constructed, showing that our "common sense" logic is one possible system among many.

*Example: "In our logic, 'the statement is true or false' seems obvious. In quantum computing, a qubit can be in a superposition—both 1 and 0 at once. The Theory of Constructed Logic suggests our everyday logic isn't the law of the universe, but a very useful mental model we built to navigate a middle-sized, slow-moving world. For the subatomic realm, we had to construct a weirder logic."*

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026

Theory of Constructed Rationality

The insight that what counts as "rational" behavior is defined by cultural and historical context. Maximizing personal profit is "rational" in neoliberal economics. Sacrificing oneself for one's community is "rational" in a honor-based society. Rationality is not a universal calculator in the brain; it's a set of culturally constructed goals and acceptable means that we learn and perform.

Example: "My boss said turning down a promotion to care for my dad was 'irrational.' My family said it was the only honorable choice. The Theory of Constructed Rationality explains the clash: we were using different construction manuals. His manual defined rationality as individual career maximization. Mine defined it as fulfilling familial duty. Neither is 'natural'; both are learned scripts for sensible action."

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026

Theory of Constructed Fallacies

The meta-view that our catalog of "logical fallacies" is itself a constructed system for policing thought within a specific rhetorical tradition (Western academic debate). What one culture condemns as an "appeal to emotion" might be another's preferred method of moral persuasion. The rulebook for "valid argument" is a constructed social agreement, not a holy text of pure reason.

Example: "In the courtroom, a lawyer's emotional story about a victim is powerful persuasion. In a formal debate, it's dismissed as an 'appeal to pity' fallacy. The Theory of Constructed Fallacies shows that the error isn't in the emotion, but in breaking the constructed rules of the specific reasoning game we're playing. The fallacy is a foul in one sport that's the main move in another."

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026

Theory of Constructed Politics

The perspective that the entire arena of politics—left vs. right, the issues that matter, the very idea of what government should do—is not a reflection of natural human divisions, but a constructed battlefield. Ideologies, parties, and political identities are built over time through media, education, and leaders to organize conflict, allocate resources, and give meaning to social life.

Example: "The 'culture war' issue of the 1850s was slavery. Today it's gender identity. The Theory of Constructed Politics says the fundamental conflict isn't natural; the battleground is constructed. Political elites and media build salience around certain issues to mobilize groups, constructing 'us vs. them' around whatever symbols and fears will hold a coalition together at the time."

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026

Theory of Constructed Economics

The argument that "the economy" is not a natural force like weather, but a human-constructed game with invented rules, players (households, firms), and scores (GDP, money). Concepts like "inflation," "unemployment," and "the market" are models we built; they then take on a life of their own and shape our behavior, but they began as ideas, not laws of physics.

*Example: "A 'recession' is two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth. GDP itself is a constructed metric invented in the 1930s. The Theory of Constructed Economics shows that the terrifying, objective-sounding force that 'causes' layoffs is actually a story we tell ourselves using numbers we invented. We built the game, forgot we built it, and now tremble at its rules."*

by Abzu Land January 31, 2026