fictionalconstructive

Fictionalconstructive is a methodological concept that combines fictional worldbuilding with constructive reasoning to explore problems and generate practical insights within a self-consistent imaginary system. It treats fictional constructs as testable environments in which hypotheses, designs, and policies can be articulated, examined, and iteratively refined without real-world risk.

Core principles include maintaining internal coherence of the fictional system, making explicit premises and constraints, and using iterative cycles of hypothesizing, prototyping, and evaluation. The approach stresses transparency about what is fictional and what counts as evidence, and it welcomes cross-disciplinary input to broaden the problem space.

Techniques used in fictionalconstructive include scenario-based design, constraint-based worldbuilding, what-if analysis, and artefact prototyping within narrative contexts. Practitioners document premises, rules of the fictional world, and the intended real-world analogies or lessons, enabling others to critique assumptions and outcomes.

Applications appear in speculative design, science fiction-informed systems thinking, policy scenario planning, education, and game design. For example, a writer might construct a fictional city with unique governance rules to illuminate policy tradeoffs in urban administration.

Reception in the literature frames fictionalconstructive as a niche, interdisciplinary toolbox. Critics warn that fiction can distort evidence or overfit to narrative goals, while proponents argue it broadens problem framing, reveals hidden assumptions, and can spark innovative solutions.

Related concepts include worldbuilding, speculative design, scenario planning, and constructive problem solving.