Abstract
We propose a logic-based formalization of deontic explanations, which aim to address questions about obligations and permissions such as “Why does this norm apply?” or “Why should I perform A rather than B?”. Our framework is designed to be flexible, accommodating various deontic logics. In this work, we build on Åqvist’s dyadic deontic logics, extending them by introducing an obligation operator that supports Factual Detachment along with mechanisms for non-monotonic reasoning. Applying our framework to legal examples, we demonstrate its effectiveness in explaining normative statements while also identifying its limitations.
Agata Ciabattoni
Professor of Non-Classical Logics in Computer Science
Agata Ciabattoni is a full professor of non-classical logics in computer science. She is an expert in proof theory for non-classical logics and their applications in various fields. Among other things, she has been investigating proof theory for deontic logic, its applications in AI, connections to legal reasoning, and formalisation of the deontic reasoning of the Mı̄māmsā school of Indian philosophy.
Xavier Parent
Senior Postdoc Researcher
Xavier works mainly on logic and semantics, with a special focus on normative reasoning. He is currently funded with a research grant from FWF (Austrian Science Fund) working as Principal Investigator in a project titled “Axiomatizing conditional normative reasoning” (ANCoR), hosted at the Institute of Logic and Computation of the Faculty of Informatics at TU Wien, within A. Ciabattoni’s Theory and Logic research group.