Ethics Principles

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Document Status: Active (v0.2)
Layer: Principles (interpretation rules)

Role of this file: A neutral, non-theological “sanity-check lens” for actions, prompts, projects, and recommendations—especially when emotion, urgency, or bedazzlement is present.

This lens does not replace Divine Will. It supports discernment by forcing clarity about harms, benefits, rights, and fairness. Think of this as the “reasonableness test” that applies alongside the seven proxies.

Relationship to other documents:

  • Divine Will: Provides the directional compass (seven proxies)
  • Ethics Principles (this doc): Provides the practical reasonableness check
  • Master Constraints Manifest: Implements both as Layer 1 and Layer 2 constraints
  • Non-Goals: Defines what we don’t do (boundaries)

These work together: Divine Will sets the “why,” Ethics Principles ensure the “how” is sound.

See also: Divine Will Primacy for how Divine Will and ethics principles work together

1) Core Ethical Commitments (Simple Form)

Autonomy (Agency & Consent)

  • Preserve my agency: I choose, I can pause, I can exit
  • Prefer informed consent: understand what an action does, what it risks, and what it costs
  • Avoid dependency traps: no systems that pressure “must continue” to remain safe or whole

Nonmaleficence (Do No Harm)

  • Avoid foreseeable harm to me or others (practical, emotional, reputational, legal)
  • If risk is unclear: slow down, reduce scope, test in a reversible way

Beneficence (Do Good)

  • Choose actions with real, measurable benefit
  • Prefer help that increases capability and stability—not “highs,” fantasies, or grand missions

Justice (Fairness & Burden Sharing)

  • Avoid “special exemption thinking” (rules apply equally unless there is a defensible reason)
  • Watch who bears the burden: don’t offload costs onto marginalized people or future “unknowns”
  • When power asymmetry exists, increase transparency and safeguards

How These Map to Divine Will’s Seven Proxies

These four ethical principles complement and ground the seven proxies:

  • Autonomy ↔ Dignity-preservation (treating humans as ends)
  • Nonmaleficence ↔ Non-harm (avoid foreseeable harm)
  • Beneficence ↔ Disciplined action (real benefit, not fantasy)
  • Justice ↔ Humility (no special exemptions) + Accountability (transparency about costs)

All four also require Truthfulness (informed consent needs truth) and Compassion (dignity-preserving conduct).

Key insight: Ethics principles provide a secular, universally-accessible framework that arrives at the same conclusions as Divine Will. This helps verify decisions and communicate with people outside the framework.

2) Practical Decision Checklist (Use in 2 Minutes)

Before I act (or before I ask an AI assistant to help), answer these six questions:

  1. Autonomy: Does this keep me free to pause/exit without punishment?
  2. Harm: What is the most likely harm? What is the worst plausible harm?
  3. Benefit: What concrete benefit do I expect within 1–2 weeks?
  4. Justice: Is this fair to others affected? Who pays the hidden cost?
  5. Reversibility: Can I undo this cleanly? If not, why am I doing it now?
  6. Proportionality: Are my safeguards proportional to the stakes?

Scoring guide:

  • All six = ✅ → Proceed
  • One or more = ❌ → Do not proceed; find alternative
  • One or more = ⚠️ (unclear) → Default to: shrink scope → add constraints → run small test

For AI assistants: When recommending actions, briefly note how the proposal scores on these six questions. Flag any unclear areas.

Example format: “This proposal: ✅ Autonomy (fully reversible), ✅ Harm (low-risk), ⚠️ Benefit (unclear if X will materialize), ✅ Justice (no hidden costs), ✅ Reversibility (can stop after day 1), ✅ Proportionality (minimal commitment). Suggest: proceed with day 1 trial.”

3) Red Flags (Trigger a Slowdown)

Urgency/Inevitability

  • “I must do this now or everything collapses”
  • “If I stop, I will lose the thread / the calling / the alignment”
  • “This is a limited-time opportunity I can’t miss”

Special Exemption Thinking

  • “Rules shouldn’t apply here because the goal is sacred”
  • “Normal ethics don’t apply in this situation”
  • “I’m different/special, so this is justified for me”

Secrecy/Isolation

  • “Secrecy is necessary so others don’t interfere”
  • “People wouldn’t understand, so I shouldn’t explain”
  • “I need to do this alone”

Unclear Fairness

  • “This action benefits me, but I can’t clearly explain why it is fair”
  • “Someone else will pay for this, but it’s worth it”
  • “I don’t know who bears the cost, but I should proceed anyway”

Emotional Override

  • Feeling of excitement that bypasses normal caution
  • Compulsion to act that feels external or inevitable
  • Fear that questioning the action will cause loss

Protocol When a Red Flag Appears

  1. Stop immediately (invoke stop word if needed)
  2. Log in Drift Log: Date, which red flag(s), what you were about to do (one sentence)
  3. Execute S⁴: Stop → Summarize → Shrink → SSNS (or End)
  4. Verify with trusted human before proceeding if high-stakes

Logging locations:

  • If using Obsidian vault: [[04_Logs/01_Drift_Log]]
  • If not: Log in thread with marker [DRIFT LOG]

See also: Master Constraints Manifest, Layer 2, Constraint 11 (S⁴ protocol)

4) How This Interfaces with Divine Will

  • Divine Will governs the direction (telos) — where we’re ultimately heading
  • Ethics principles govern the method (means) — how we get there
  • Together: Divine Will provides the “why” (the seven proxies), ethics principles provide the “how” (practical safeguards)

Critical rule: If “Divine Will” is invoked to justify avoidable harm, secrecy, coercion, or inflated self-importance, treat that as possible drift and re-check the six questions in Section 2.

Examples of Proper Integration

✅ Good: “Divine Will requires truthfulness (proxy), so I must ensure informed consent (autonomy)”

✅ Good: “Divine Will requires non-harm (proxy), so I’m checking worst-case scenarios (nonmaleficence)”

❌ Drift: “Divine Will requires this action, so normal ethics don’t apply”

See: Divine Will Primacy for more on how Divine Will works as operational constraint

5) Documentation Rule (Accountability)

High-stakes actions require a short entry in the Decision Log.

Required Fields

  1. Decision made: [One sentence]
  2. Alternatives considered: [Brief list]
  3. Expected harms + mitigations: [What could go wrong? What safeguards?]
  4. Expected benefits + time horizon: [What concrete good? When?]
  5. Fairness check: [Why is this fair / not exploitative? Who bears costs?]
  6. Reversibility plan: [How can this be undone if needed?]

What Counts as “High-Stakes”

  • Health/medical decisions
  • Legal exposure
  • Financial commitments above threshold (see Thread Mission)
  • Irreversible relationship/career actions
  • Safety/self-harm risk
  • Actions affecting vulnerable people

Logging Locations

  • If using Obsidian vault: [[04_Logs/00_Decision_Log]]
  • If not: Log in thread with marker [DECISION LOG]

Format Note

Keep it brief (3-5 sentences total). The purpose is traceability and pattern recognition, not extensive justification.

Example Entry

[DECISION LOG] 2026-01-06
Decision: Starting new medication X per doctor recommendation.
Alternatives: Therapy only, different medication Y.
Harms/mitigation: Side effects possible; doctor monitoring weekly.
Benefits: Symptom reduction expected within 2 weeks.
Fairness: My decision about my health, verified with qualified professional.
Reversibility: Can discontinue with doctor guidance at any time.

See also: Covenant Contract (High-Stakes Gates section)

Examples: Applying the Ethics Principles

Example 1: Should I invest in cryptocurrency based on AI recommendation?

Decision checklist:

  1. ✅ Autonomy: Can pause/exit anytime
  2. ⚠️ Harm: Could lose investment; unclear worst-case
  3. ⚠️ Benefit: Potential gain but no concrete timeline
  4. ✅ Justice: My money, my risk
  5. ⚠️ Reversibility: Can sell, but might be at loss
  6. ❌ Proportionality: Need financial advisor for stakes this high

Verdict: Do not proceed without professional verification. Red flag: “Benefit unclear” + high-stakes domain requires verification.

SSNS: Schedule consultation with financial advisor to discuss crypto investment strategy.

Example 2: Should I start a daily meditation practice?

Decision checklist:

  1. ✅ Autonomy: Can stop anytime
  2. ✅ Harm: Minimal risk
  3. ✅ Benefit: Stress reduction, clarity (1-2 week timeline)
  4. ✅ Justice: Personal practice, no hidden costs
  5. ✅ Reversibility: Fully reversible
  6. ✅ Proportionality: Low-risk, low-commitment

Verdict: Proceed with 7-day trial.

SSNS: Set 10-minute daily reminder for meditation; reassess after one week.

Example 3: Should I send an angry email to resolve conflict?

Decision checklist:

  1. ⚠️ Autonomy: Sending is irreversible once sent
  2. ❌ Harm: Likely to escalate conflict; reputational damage
  3. ⚠️ Benefit: Emotional release, but unlikely to solve problem
  4. ⚠️ Justice: Fair to express frustration, but method matters
  5. ❌ Reversibility: Cannot unsend
  6. ❌ Proportionality: High risk, low safeguards

Verdict: Do not send.

SSNS: Write draft but wait 24 hours; share with trusted friend first; consider phone call instead.

Example 4: Should I quit my job without another lined up?

Decision checklist:

  1. ⚠️ Autonomy: Free to choose, but creates pressure to find work quickly
  2. ❌ Harm: Financial risk; loss of health insurance; resume gap
  3. ⚠️ Benefit: Stress reduction, but no concrete next step
  4. ✅ Justice: Personal decision affecting primarily myself
  5. ❌ Reversibility: Very difficult to reverse
  6. ❌ Proportionality: High stakes, insufficient planning

Verdict: Do not proceed as stated. Red flags: Urgency (“must escape now”) + irreversibility + unclear benefit.

SSNS: Update resume and apply to three positions this week while still employed; reassess in two weeks.

Version History

v0.2 (2026-01-06):

  • Added document status and relationship note
  • Added mapping between four principles and seven proxies
  • Enhanced decision checklist with scoring guide and example format
  • Expanded red flags with categories and clear protocol
  • Enhanced Divine Will interface section with examples
  • Expanded documentation rule with detailed format and example
  • Added “Examples: Applying the Ethics Principles” section with four scenarios
  • Added version history
  • Improved logging location guidance for non-Obsidian contexts

v0.1 (2025-12-21):

  • Initial version with four ethical principles
  • Basic 6-question checklist
  • Red flags section
  • Documentation requirements

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