Open Self-Reference: The Meta-Methodology of Dao-Er Philosophy

Systematic philosophy must answer the question: How can a theory ground itself? With the primacy of duality as its core principle, Dao-Er philosophy requires a corresponding meta-methodology. This paper proposes the concept of "open self-reference", which enables the system to self-explain, self-critique, self-renew, and remain non-dogmatic through duality. It addresses classic dilemmas such as self-referential paradoxes, semantic closure, and the hermeneutic circle, articulates the three core principles of open self-reference, and reveals its operational mechanism of "grounding–critique–generation". It also responds to the core objections of relativism and self-refutation. Open self-reference not only provides Dao-Er philosophy with an "immune system" for self-improvement but also breaks through the dogmatic constraints of traditional systematic philosophy. It offers methodological inspiration for the modern systematization of Chinese philosophy that integrates both transcendental foundations and practical flexibility.