What is constructed categories?

Constructed categories is a concept in personal epistemology: There is no single correct way to categorize — categories serve purposes.

Example: A hospital classifies a patient as 'non-compliant.' A social worker classifies the same person as 'under-resourced.' A billing system classifies them as 'high-risk.' Same human being, three categories — each constructed to serve a different institution's purpose. None of these categories was discovered in the patient. Each was imposed by a system with its own goals, and each produces different downstream actions: discharge notes, support referrals, premium adjustments.

This concept is part of Phase 12 (Classification and Typing) in the How to Think curriculum, which builds the epistemic infrastructure for classification and typing.