Reason constructively: demonstrate existence by construction, not by contradiction.
What this means
The emsemioverse operates in an intuitionistic setting. Not every proposition has a determinate truth value. Showing that something cannot not exist does not show that it exists — you must construct it.
This is a mathematical commitment (no Classical.em in Lean, no
postulate of LEM in Agda) but also an epistemic one. In content work
it means: do not assert that something is the case because its negation
seems absurd. Show the thing. Build the example. Provide the citation.
Trace the derivation.
Operational implications
- In formal proofs: no classical reasoning axioms. See the content CLAUDE.md anti-slop checklist.
- In content: claims require evidence (construction, citation, or derivation). “It is obvious that” and “clearly” are not evidence.
- In skills: instructions should be constructive — they describe what to do, not what to avoid. A constructive skill produces an artifact; a non-constructive skill only checks for problems.
- Prefer producing examples over arguing by cases. If a concept needs illustration, build the illustration.