Gödelian Constraint on Epistemic Freedom (GCEF): Constraint Realism and the Topology of Epistemic Limits

This preprint introduces the Gödelian Constraint on Epistemic Freedom (GCEF), a unifying metatheory explaining why embedded agents cannot resolve certain classes of problems across mathematics, physics, AI, and cognition. GCEF identifies topological, thermodynamic, and architectural limits on modeling capacity, showing that epistemic occlusion is a structural inevitability—not a temporary obstacle.

The paper defines a novel class of intractable problems—E-class problems—that are locally coherent but globally unverifiable. These failures emerge from recursive simulation limits, cost-bound inference, and symbolic distortion under constraint.

Building on Gödel, Turing, Lawvere, Landauer, and Kolmogorov, the work formalizes a constraint-driven epistemology, culminating in the introduction of Constraint Realism: a post-empiricist stance that treats coherence not as truth, but as viable simulation under deformation.

Applications span quantum gravity, AI alignment, epistemic collapse, cognitive modeling, and ethical decision-making in lossy systems. The paper also critiques transcendental realism, reframes progress as topological refinement, and situates itself within a lineage of recursive epistemic skepticism.

Intended as both provocation and blueprint, this work offers a generative framework for designing symbolic systems in an era defined by epistemic overload and simulated coherence.

Related Work:
For a speculative, narrative exploration of the implications of GCEF—written for a broader philosophical audience—see:
“Transcendence is Entropy in Drag” (Substack essay): https://substack.com/home/post/p-168720593