Theory of Epistemological Paradigms

The theory that knowledge itself operates within paradigms—frameworks that determine what counts as knowledge, what methods are valid, what standards of evidence are acceptable. Epistemological paradigms are the deep structures of knowing: assumptions about truth, beliefs about justification, commitments to certain ways of knowing over others. The Theory of Epistemological Paradigms argues that there is no knowledge-in-itself, no transparadigmatic standard; knowledge is always knowledge-within-a-paradigm. Different cultures, different eras, different communities operate within different epistemological paradigms, each producing knowledge that is real within its framework. The theory doesn't say all knowledge is equal; it says knowledge is always situated, and that understanding knowledge means understanding the paradigms that produce it.

Example: "He used to think knowledge was knowledge—same for everyone, everywhere. The Theory of Epistemological Paradigms showed him otherwise: what counted as knowledge in a scientific lab didn't count in an Indigenous community; what was known in the 12th century wasn't known in the 21st. Knowledge wasn't one thing; it was many, each produced by different paradigms. He stopped looking for universal knowledge and started learning different ways of knowing."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Privileged Epistemological Position

The systematic elaboration of epistemological privilege as a framework for understanding the politics of knowledge. The Theory of Privileged Epistemological Position argues that some ways of knowing are privileged, others marginalized, and that this privilege reflects social power, not epistemic superiority. It traces how Western epistemology became dominant, how it was used to delegitimize other knowledge systems, how it continues to shape what counts as knowledge. It doesn't claim that privileged epistemology is always wrong; it claims that its privilege should be examined, not assumed. The theory is the foundation of epistemic justice, of the recognition that a fair evaluation of knowledge requires examining not just claims but the conditions under which they're heard.

Example: "He'd thought his way of knowing was just common sense—the natural way to think. The Theory of Privileged Epistemological Position showed him otherwise: his epistemology was privileged because it came from the dominant culture, because it was taught in schools, because it was backed by power. Other epistemologies existed, but they were marginalized. He started asking why his way of knowing was on top."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Epistemological Privilege

The comprehensive framework for understanding how certain ways of knowing are privileged over others, and how this privilege shapes knowledge production and validation. The Theory of Epistemological Privilege argues that epistemology is not neutral—that what counts as knowledge is shaped by social power, historical accident, and institutional structures. It traces the mechanisms of privilege: funding that supports certain research, publication that favors certain methods, education that teaches certain epistemologies. It analyzes the effects of privilege: knowledge that serves dominant interests, knowledge that excludes marginalized perspectives, knowledge that presents itself as universal while being deeply partial. The theory doesn't claim that privileged epistemology is always wrong; it claims that its privilege should be examined, its partiality acknowledged, its dominance questioned.

Example: "He'd thought epistemology was just philosophy—abstract, neutral, above politics. The Theory of Epistemological Privilege showed him otherwise: epistemology was deeply political, shaped by power, serving interests. The questions asked, the methods valued, the answers accepted—all reflected who had privilege. He started asking not just what was known, but who got to know, and why."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Efficiency Constructions

The theory that efficiency is not a natural or neutral measure but a constructed concept—built by particular interests for particular purposes, shaped by social, economic, and political forces. Efficiency Constructions argues that what counts as "efficient" depends on who's asking, what they value, what they're trying to achieve. An efficient factory from an owner's perspective (maximizing output per worker) may be profoundly inefficient from a worker's perspective (maximizing exploitation). An efficient healthcare system from a budget perspective (minimizing cost) may be inefficient from a patient's perspective (minimizing care). The theory reveals that efficiency is always efficiency-for, never efficiency-in-itself.

Example: "He'd always thought efficiency was just efficiency—a neutral measure of how well things worked. The Theory of Efficiency Constructions showed him otherwise: efficiency was always constructed, always from some perspective. The factory was efficient for profits, not for workers; the policy was efficient for budgets, not for people. He stopped asking 'is it efficient?' and started asking 'efficient for whom?'"

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Constructed Efficiency

A close cousin to the Theory of Efficiency Constructions, this theory emphasizes that efficiency is not discovered but made—built through decisions about what to measure, what to value, what to count. Constructed Efficiency argues that the very definition of efficiency is a social product, shaped by power and interests. An efficient transportation system might mean different things to commuters, environmentalists, and developers—and which definition prevails depends on who has power. The theory calls for examining how efficiency is constructed, whose interests its construction serves, and what alternatives are excluded.

Example: "The city claimed its new transit system was 'efficient.' The Theory of Constructed Efficiency asked: efficient for whom? Commuters? The system was slow. The environment? It ran on diesel. Developers? Property values near stops soared. The efficiency was constructed to serve real estate interests, not riders. Once she saw the construction, she couldn't unsee it."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Efficiency Paradigms

The theory that efficiency operates within paradigms—frameworks that determine what counts as efficient, what methods are used to measure it, what values it serves. Efficiency Paradigms argues that different paradigms produce different efficiencies: what's efficient in a capitalist paradigm (profit maximization) may be inefficient in an ecological paradigm (sustainability); what's efficient in a bureaucratic paradigm (rule-following) may be inefficient in a creative paradigm (innovation). These paradigms are incommensurable—they can't be directly compared because they define efficiency differently. The theory calls for recognizing which paradigm you're in, and understanding that other paradigms have their own, different efficiencies.

Example: "He couldn't understand why environmentalists called the coal plant 'inefficient' when it produced so much power. The Theory of Efficiency Paradigms explained: they were in different paradigms. His paradigm measured efficiency by output; theirs measured by sustainability. Neither was wrong; they were just measuring different things. He started asking what paradigm he was in, and whether it was the right one."

by Abzugal February 21, 2026

Theory of Efficiency Privilege

The systematic elaboration of efficiency privilege as a framework for understanding the politics of evaluation. The Theory of Efficiency Privilege argues that efficiency is never neutral—that certain definitions are privileged, others marginalized, and that this privilege reflects social power, not technical superiority. It traces how corporate efficiency became dominant, how it was used to justify exploitation and extraction, how alternative efficiencies (ecological, social, humane) were suppressed. It doesn't claim that privileged efficiency is always wrong; it claims that its privilege should be examined, its partiality acknowledged, its dominance questioned.

Example: "He'd thought efficiency was just efficiency—technical, neutral, above politics. The Theory of Efficiency Privilege showed him otherwise: efficiency was deeply political, shaped by power, serving interests. The measures used, the values counted, the outcomes favored—all reflected who had privilege. He started asking not just 'is it efficient?' but 'whose efficiency, and who benefits?'"

by Abzugal February 21, 2026