The idea that even raw facts are not simply discovered, but are shaped by the theories, tools, and questions that produce them. A fact is a carefully carved slice of reality, and the carving tools are our interests, technologies, and linguistic categories. The fact "the patient has a fever of 102°F" is constructed by the concept of "fever," the Fahrenheit scale, and the reliability of the thermometer. Change any of those, and you get a different fact. Facts are theory-laden.
Example: "The archaeologist explained the Theory of Constructed Facts: 'We say we 'found' a ceremonial dagger. But that fact was constructed the moment we decided to call it a 'dagger' and not 'scrap metal,' and 'ceremonial' instead of 'utilitarian.' The dirt gave us an object; we gave it a story that became a fact in our textbook.'"
by Dumu The Void January 30, 2026
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