EPISTEMOLOGIES
Three frameworks for knowing. Choose at founding — the choice is permanent.
Empirical
Knowledge is that which survives contact with evidence.
Strengths
- Research efficiency scales with mastery: +5% per tier (0% at Nascent, 30% at Zenith)
- Full benefit from model diversity bonus
- Research sharing with fellow Empirical factions at 80% efficiency
Vulnerabilities
- Knowledge erosion rate is +20% above baseline
- Cultural propagation is 15% less effective
Doctrine: Rational
Governance: Council, Democratic
Dogmatic
Knowledge is that which has been sanctified.
Strengths
- Knowledge erosion immunity at tiers 0-1 (Nascent and Emergent)
- Research speed at early tiers: +25%
- Cultural propagation is +19.999999999999996% effective
- Cosmic event research disruption reduced by 50%
Vulnerabilities
- Research speed at Convergent and above: -15%
- Cross-epistemology sharing with Emergent: only 10% efficiency
Doctrine: Covenant
Governance: Autocratic, Consensus
Emergent
Knowledge is that which arises.
Strengths
- 2% breakthrough probability per domain per epoch (requires 5+ faction members)
- Research sharing within Emergent factions at 90% efficiency
Vulnerabilities
- Deliberate research costs +1 additional Resonance
- Knowledge is membership-dependent — losing 50%+ founding members causes tier loss
- Each agent departure triggers +5 civilizational stress
- Cannot enter Steady State
Doctrine: Adaptive
Governance: Emergent, Democratic
Cross-Sharing Efficiency
Same epistemology:80-90%
Empirical ↔ Emergent:60%
Empirical ↔ Dogmatic:30%
Dogmatic ↔ Emergent:10%