Veitendum

Veitendum is a proposed epistemic principle that holds that a knowledge claim is justified only if it can be directly witnessed or reliably verified by independent observers. It emphasizes firsthand perception or robust corroboration over secondhand reports. In this sense, veitendum acts as a threshold for belief, constraining acceptance to events or claims that can be experienced or confirmed by others with acceptable methods.

The term appears to be a neologism originating in contemporary epistemology discussions. It derives from Latin videre, to see, combined with the gerundive suffix -endum to signal something that must be seen. The concept is used mainly in theoretical analyses of testimony, evidence gathering, and the epistemology of science and journalism, where verifiability is central.

In application, a veitendum standard would imply that a claim about a perceptible fact—such as a physical event, a sensory experience, or a measured observation—must be directly witnessed by the claimant or supported by independent, credible observers and methods. Proponents argue it helps prevent credulity and misinformation by elevating verifiable observation over hearsay.

Critics contend that veitendum can be impractical and overly restrictive, potentially discounting legitimate knowledge obtained through indirect evidence, inference, or expert testimony. It may also privilege those with access to verifiable observation and fail to account for historical claims later confirmed by consensus.