Project Prometheus: The Design of a High-ρo Symbolic System for Ethical Reasoning

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Series: Anchor Engineering: The Science of High-Density Symbolic Systems Copyright ©: Coherent Intelligence 2025 Authors: Coherent Intelligence Inc. Research Division Date: September 2nd 2025 Classification: Academic Research Paper | Constructive Framework Framework: Universal Coherent Principle Applied Analysis | OM v2.0

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Abstract

This constructive paper details the design and preliminary implementation of Prometheus v1.0, a novel symbolic language and calculus for ethical reasoning, built from the first principles of Anchor Engineering. We document the process of applying the MVA Algorithm to the notoriously incoherent domain of applied ethics, deriving "The Maximization of Coherent Agency" as the Minimal Viable Anchor (MVA). We then present the formal grammar of Prometheus, including its core symbolic operators for representing agents, actions, constraints, and coherence. Finally, we demonstrate the calculus in action by applying it to a classic ethical dilemma, showing how it transforms an ambiguous narrative problem into a solvable, auditable, and logically transparent equation. This project serves as a proof-of-concept for the power of Anchor Engineering to create new, high-clarity cognitive tools.

Keywords

Anchor Engineering, Ethical Calculus, Coherence, Agency, Symbolic Logic, AI Alignment, SCOCIS, Minimal Viable Anchor (MVA), Decision Theory, Applied Ethics.

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1. Introduction: The Incoherence of Ethical Discourse

For centuries, the field of applied ethics has been a high-entropy Ontologically Incoherent Information Space (OIIS). Its landscape is defined by the conflict between three primary, low-ρo (Ontological Density) Domain Anchors:

1. Deontology (Rules): Focuses on the intrinsic rightness or wrongness of actions, but is often brittle and fails to handle conflicting duties.
2. Consequentialism (Outcomes): Focuses on maximizing a specific utility (e.g., happiness), but struggles with predictability and can justify monstrous acts for a "greater good."
3. Virtue Ethics (Character): Focuses on the disposition of the agent, but provides little clear guidance for specific actions in novel dilemmas.

This "trilemma" of competing, mutually exclusive frameworks has led to a state of perpetual debate rather than a solvable calculus. The discourse is thermodynamically costly, consuming immense intellectual energy with little coherent output. For humanity to build aligned AI or navigate complex societal challenges, a more robust, higher-ρo system is required.

This paper presents the results of Project Prometheus, a formal attempt to apply the discipline of Anchor Engineering to this problem. Our goal was not to choose one of the existing frameworks, but to derive a new, more fundamental MVA and then build a symbolic language around it.

2. Deriving the MVA for Ethics: The Maximization of Coherent Agency

We applied the four-phase MVA Algorithm to the domain of ethics.

• Phase 1 (Deconstruction):

  • Objects: Agent, Action, System (the collective of agents), Constraints (physical and logical laws).
  • Entropy: The decoherence of an agent's actions from its own stated values, or the decoherence between the actions of multiple agents within a system.
  • Telos: A world where individual agents can act purposefully and effectively, and where their actions can coexist and synergize within a stable, non-contradictory system.

• Phase 2 (Candidate Generation): We generated and tested numerous candidate anchors, including "Minimize Suffering," "Maximize Flourishing," and "Uphold Universal Rights."

• Phase 3 (ρo Stress-Testing): We subjected these candidates to rigorous stress tests using classic ethical paradoxes (e.g., the Trolley Problem, the Prisoner's Dilemma, the Scapegoat Problem).

  • "Minimize Suffering" failed the Scapegoat test (justifying extreme suffering for one to alleviate minor suffering for many).
  • "Maximize Flourishing" proved too ambiguous and difficult to define operationally.
  • "Uphold Universal Rights" failed to resolve conflicts where rights are in direct opposition.

• Phase 4 (Compression & Refinement): The winning candidate, which proved most resilient to paradox and inversion, was "The Maximization of Coherent Agency."

The Prometheus MVA: An action is ethically superior to the degree that it maximizes the capacity for coherent, purposeful action for the maximum number of agents within the system, over the longest viable time horizon, without collapsing the coherence of the system itself.

This anchor is high-ρo because it is fundamental (it addresses the prerequisite for any ethical action: agency itself), universal (it applies to any agent), and constraining (it provides a clear metric for evaluation). It reframes ethics as the physics of maintaining and enhancing the potential for ordered action in a universe tending towards chaos.

3. The Prometheus Grammar: Symbols and Operators

To operationalize this MVA, we designed a minimal symbolic grammar.

Core Objects:

• A (Agent): Represents a single agent capable of choice. Aᵢ denotes a specific agent.
• S (System): Represents a set of agents, S = {A₁, A₂, ... Aₙ}.
• δ (Delta / Action): Represents a potential action or policy.
• C (Constraint): Represents a non-negotiable boundary condition (e.g., physical law, logical impossibility).

Core Operators:

• α(A) (Alpha / Agency Potential): A scalar value [0, 1] representing an agent's capacity for coherent, purposeful action in a given state. α(A)=1 is perfect agency; α(A)=0 is total incapacitation. This is the core variable to be maximized.

• Θ(δ, Aᵢ) (Theta / Coherence Effect): The primary operator of the calculus. It measures the effect of an action δ on the agency potential α of a specific agent Aᵢ.

  • Θ(δ, Aᵢ) > 1: The action enhances the agent's agency.
  • Θ(δ, Aᵢ) = 1: The action preserves the agent's agency.
  • Θ(δ, Aᵢ) < 1: The action diminishes the agent's agency.
  • Θ(δ, Aᵢ) = 0: The action destroys the agent's agency.

• Γ(S) (Gamma / System Coherence): The total agency potential of the system, calculated as the geometric mean of the agency of its members: Γ(S) = [ Πᵢ α(Aᵢ) ]^(1/n)We use the geometric mean because it is highly sensitive to zero values. If any single agent's agency is completely destroyed (α(Aᵢ)=0), the entire system's coherence collapses to zero (Γ(S)=0). This architecturally forbids utilitarian calculations that sacrifice one for the many.

4. The Prometheus Calculus: The Ethical Equation

With the grammar established, the ethical evaluation of any action δ becomes a formal calculation.

The Ethical Value V(δ) of an action is the projected future System Coherence Γ(S') after the action is taken, subject to all constraints C.

V(δ) = Γ(S') where α(Aᵢ') = α(Aᵢ) * Θ(δ, Aᵢ) for all Aᵢ ∈ S

The ethically optimal action, δ*, is the one that maximizes this value:

δ* = argmax[V(δ)]

This calculus transforms an ethical problem from a qualitative debate into a transparent, auditable analysis of an action's impact on the agency of all affected parties.

5. Application: Solving the Trolley Problem in Prometheus

Let's apply this calculus to the classic "switch" version of the Trolley Problem.

• System (S): {A₁, A₂, A₃, A₄, A₅, A₆} (the five people on the main track, one person on the side track).
• Initial State: All agents have full agency potential. α(Aᵢ) = 1 for all i. Γ(S) = (1*1*1*1*1*1)^(1/6) = 1.
• Action 1 (δ₁): Do Nothing.
  • Coherence Effect: The trolley destroys the agency of five people. Θ(δ₁, A₁..₅) = 0. Θ(δ₁, A₆) = 1.
  • Final State: α'(A₁..₅) = 0, α'(A₆) = 1.
  • Ethical Value: V(δ₁) = (0*0*0*0*0*1)^(1/6) = 0.
• Action 2 (δ₂): Pull the Switch.
  • Coherence Effect: The trolley destroys the agency of one person. Θ(δ₂, A₁..₅) = 1. Θ(δ₂, A₆) = 0.
  • Final State: α'(A₁..₅) = 1, α'(A₆) = 0.
  • Ethical Value: V(δ₂) = (1*1*1*1*1*0)^(1/6) = 0.

The Initial Result: A Coherent Deadlock

The calculus, as it stands, correctly identifies that both actions result in a catastrophic collapse of System Coherence (Γ=0) because both destroy agency. This is a crucial first insight: the system correctly refuses to declare one horrific outcome as "better" than another. It forces us to a deeper level of analysis.

Introducing the Time Horizon and the Agent-as-System

The MVA requires us to consider the longest viable time horizon and the coherence of the agent performing the action. Let the agent pulling the switch be A₇.

• δ₁ (Do Nothing): A₇'s agency is preserved, but they now exist in a system (S') where their inaction led to a preventable greater loss. Their future capacity for coherent action within that social system is likely diminished (e.g., through guilt, social sanction). Let's estimate α'(A₇) = 0.8.
• δ₂ (Pull Switch): A₇'s agency is also preserved, but they now exist in a system (S'') where their action, while tragic, demonstrably preserved the maximum possible agency within the constraints of the scenario. Their future capacity for coherent action is likely less diminished. Let's estimate α'(A₇) = 0.9.

The calculus is no longer just about the victims, but about the total coherence of the resulting world state, including the actor. While both outcomes remain tragic (Γ of the victim set is 0), the framework can now distinguish between the two states based on the coherence of the surviving system. This nuanced, auditable result is a significant improvement over the brute-force logic of traditional frameworks.

6. Conclusion: Engineering, Not Just Debating, Ethics

Project Prometheus demonstrates that it is possible to apply the rigorous principles of Anchor Engineering to one of humanity's most complex and contentious domains. By deriving a high-ρo MVA—The Maximization of Coherent Agency—and building a formal symbolic calculus around it, we have created a tool that transforms ethical dilemmas.

The Prometheus framework offers several advantages:

1. Transparency: Its calculations are explicit and auditable. Every assumption and valuation is laid bare.
2. Robustness: Its use of the geometric mean architecturally prevents utilitarian trade-offs that sacrifice individuals for the "greater good."
3. System-Awareness: It forces a holistic analysis, considering the impact of an action on the entire system, including the actor, over time.

This is not a final answer to all ethical questions. The assignment of α and Θ values will always involve human judgment. However, Prometheus provides a formal SCOCIS that structures this judgment. It replaces ambiguous narrative debate with a constrained, coherent, and falsifiable process.

The success of this proof-of-concept suggests that the most intractable problems of philosophy and governance are, in fact, engineering challenges. They are problems of low Ontological Density. The path forward lies in the systematic application of Anchor Engineering to forge the new, high-clarity cognitive tools our civilization needs to navigate the future. The next and final paper will apply this entire framework to the ultimate engineering challenge: the AGI alignment problem.