selfreferencing

Self-referencing, also known as self-reference, is the property of something that refers to itself. It can occur directly, when the referent is the thing itself, or indirectly, through a chain that returns to the origin. In mathematics and logic, self-reference often intersects with fixed points, truth predicates, and definability. In everyday language, a sentence or statement may be self-referential if it describes itself or its own truth value, sometimes producing circularity.

In linguistics, self-reference appears in reflexive pronouns and phrases that designate the speaker or the subject of discourse. In philosophy and logic, it underpins many paradoxes, notably the Liar Paradox, and it is central to Gödel’s incompleteness theorem through the construction of a sentence that asserts its own unprovability. Self-reference is a useful tool for exploring the limits of formal systems and the nature of truth.

In computer science and mathematics, self-reference is exemplified by quines—programs that output their own source code. Recursive definitions and fixed-point combinators capture self-reference within computation and formal reasoning. Self-referential data structures, such as circular linked lists and graphs with self-loops, demonstrate how an element can reference itself within a system.

In literature and the arts, self-referential works, or metafiction, explicitly acknowledge their own status or devices, creating a reflexive dialogue with the audience. Across disciplines, self-reference raises important questions about meaning, truth, and the limits of representation.