A Decidable Multi-agent Logic for Reasoning About Actions, Instruments, and Norms

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Contributors

Abstract

We formally introduce a novel, yet ubiquitous, category of norms: norms of instrumentality. Norms of this category describe which actions are obligatory, or prohibited, as instruments for certain results. We propose the Logic of Agency and Norms (LAN) that enables reasoning about actions, instrumentality, and normative principles in a multi-agent setting. Leveraging LAN, we formalize norms of instrumentality and compare them to two prevalent norm categories: norms to be and norms to do. Last, we pose principles describing relations between the three categories and evaluate their validity vis-a-vis notions of deliberative acting. On a technical note, the logic will be shown decidable via the finite model property.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationLogic and Argumentation
EditorsMehdi Dastani, Huimin Dong, Leon van der Torre
Place of PublicationCham
PublisherSpringer International Publishing AG
Pages219-241
Number of pages23
ISBN (print)978-3-030-44638-3
Publication statusPublished - 2020
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 85083735491
ORCID /0000-0003-3214-0828/work/142249484