March 3, 2026Open Access

Epistemic Reconstruction and the Timing of Rational Competence

Key Points

Rational competence is described as developmental, emphasizing a learnable skill rather than fixed intelligence.
Late-onset epistemic reconstruction allows individuals to acquire rational norms after initial absence, indicating potential growth.
Evaluative bias and representational mismatch contribute to apparent intelligence gaps, suggesting paths for improvement.
Interpretive reconstruction may dissolve these gaps, reinforcing the notion of adaptability in rationality.

Abstract

This paper develops a first-principles conceptual framework for understanding rational competence as a developmental and epistemic phenomenon rather than a fixed indicator of intelligence. It distinguishes cognitive capacity from epistemic competence and introduces late-onset epistemic reconstruction as a distinct trajectory through which rational norms may be deliberately acquired after their earlier absence. The analysis explains how apparent intelligence gaps can arise from representational mismatch and evaluative bias, and why such gaps often dissolve under interpretive reconstruction.

Epistemic Reconstruction and the Timing of Rational Competence

Key Points

Abstract

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