The Fruits of Finitude: Reflexive Minimalism in Epistemology and Ethics

Abstract

Reflexive Minimalism is a foundational paper proposing a minimal criterion for epistemic and normative stability: reflexive stability. A claim or norm is admissible only if it can survive its own application and does not undermine the conditions of reasoning, justification, or disagreement. The paper begins from epistemic finitude: finite agents cannot certify possession of final, unquestionable truth about ultimate reality. This does not imply relativism. Rather, it motivates reflexive humility: truth may be sought seriously, but no finite agent may treat their grasp of it as absolute possession. Applied to ethics, the framework rejects coercion grounded in uncertifiable ultimate claims and protects the shared space in which reasons can be given, challenged, and revised. This text serves as the programmatic foundation for a broader research project. A shorter core statement and further focused spin-offs will develop selected implications of the framework in epistemology, ethics, and related fields. An accessible introduction to this position: ‚Beyond Babel': https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22060635