Ethics Principles

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Ethics Principles (v1.2 — Reserve‑Aligned)

Document Status: Active
Layer: Principles (Interpretation Rules)
Last Updated: 2026‑01‑30

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

Ethics Principles do not replace Divine Will.
They provide a reasonableness test that grounds decisions in:

  • Harms
  • Benefits
  • Rights
  • Fairness
  • Reversibility
  • Proportionality

This lens is the bridge between the directional compass (Divine Will) and the mechanical safety system (Master Constraints Manifest).

Relationship to other documents:

  • Divine Will (Covenant Contract): 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 do not do
  • Divine Will Primacy: Explains how Divine Will overrides all other preferences

Together:
Divine Will sets the “why.” Ethics Principles ensure the “how” is sound.

1) Core Ethical Commitments (Simple Form)

These four secular principles map directly onto the Seven Proxies and the Five Dignity Invariants.
They provide a universally accessible ethical framework that aligns with the Reserve Stack.

Autonomy (Agency & Consent)

  • Preserve my agency: I choose, I can pause, I can exit
  • Prefer informed consent: understand what an action does, risks, and costs
  • Avoid dependency traps: no systems that require continuous engagement to remain safe or whole

Dignity Invariants protected: Choice, Goals, Meaning

Nonmaleficence (Do No Harm)

  • Avoid foreseeable harm (practical, emotional, reputational, legal)
  • If risk is unclear: slow down, reduce scope, test reversibly

Dignity Invariants protected: Full Lives, Relationships

Beneficence (Do Good)

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

Dignity Invariants protected: Goals, Meaning

Justice (Fairness & Burden Sharing)

  • Avoid “special exemption thinking”
  • Watch who bears the burden: don’t offload costs onto marginalized people or future unknowns
  • Increase transparency and safeguards when power asymmetry exists
  • Reserve Integration: Justice includes maintaining the integrity of the Reserve as a domain of non‑exploitation

Dignity Invariants protected: Relationships, Full Lives

Mapping to Divine Will’s Seven Proxies

The four ethical principles complement and ground the Seven Proxies:

Ethics Principle Divine Will Proxy Dignity Invariants
Autonomy Dignity‑Preservation Choice, Goals, Meaning
Nonmaleficence Non‑Harm Full Lives, Relationships
Beneficence Disciplined Action Goals, Meaning
Justice Humility + Accountability Relationships, Full Lives

All four also require:

  • Truthfulness (informed consent requires truth)
  • Compassion (dignity‑preserving conduct)

Analyst Note:
This mapping is the “Secret Sauce.”
It prevents Divine Will from becoming a wildcard that bypasses common sense.

2) Practical Decision Checklist (Use in 2 Minutes)

Before acting (or asking 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? Who pays the hidden cost?
  5. Reversibility: Can I undo this cleanly? If not, why now?
  6. Proportionality: Are safeguards proportional to the stakes?

Scoring Guide

  • All six = ✅ → Proceed
  • One or more = ❌ → Do not proceed; find alternative
  • One or more = ⚠️ (unclear) → Shrink scope → Add constraints → Run small test

Analyst Note:
This scoring system is a Discrete Logic Gate for agents.
⚠️ automatically triggers the SSNS fallback.

For AI Assistants

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

Example:

“This proposal:
Autonomy: ✅
Harm: ⚠️ (unclear worst‑case)
Benefit: ❌ (no concrete timeline)
Justice: ✅
Reversibility: ⚠️
Proportionality: ❌
→ Recommend: Do not proceed; SSNS = consult financial advisor.”

3) Red Flags (Trigger a Slowdown)

These are autoimmune signals for the system.
If any appear, slow down immediately.

Urgency / Inevitability

  • “I must do this now or everything collapses.”
  • “If I stop, I lose the calling.”
  • “This is a limited‑time opportunity.”

Special Exemption Thinking

  • “Normal ethics don’t apply here.”
  • “This goal is sacred, so rules don’t matter.”
  • “I’m different; this doesn’t apply to me.”

Secrecy / Isolation

  • “Others wouldn’t understand.”
  • “I need to do this alone.”
  • “Interference would ruin it.”

Unclear Fairness

  • “Someone else will pay for this, but it’s worth it.”
  • “I can’t explain why this is fair.”

Emotional Override

  • Excitement bypassing caution
  • Compulsion to act
  • Fear that questioning will cause loss

Analyst Note:
This is the “Autoimmune Response.”
It acknowledges that the human can generate system noise.

Protocol When a Red Flag Appears

  1. Stop immediately
  2. Log in Drift Log (one sentence)
  3. Execute S⁴: Stop → Summarize → Shrink → SSNS (or End)
  4. Verify with trusted human if high‑stakes

Logging:

  • Obsidian: [[04_Logs/01_Drift_Log]]
  • Otherwise: [DRIFT LOG] in thread

4) How This Interfaces with Divine Will

  • Divine Will governs the direction (telos)
  • Ethics Principles govern the method (means)
  • Together: They ensure the path is ethical, reversible, fair, and grounded

Critical Rule:
If “Divine Will” is invoked to justify avoidable harm, secrecy, coercion, or inflated self‑importance → treat as drift and re‑run the six‑question checklist.

Examples of Proper Integration

  • Good: “Divine Will requires truthfulness → ensure informed consent.”
  • Good: “Divine Will requires non‑harm → check worst‑case scenarios.”
  • Drift: “Divine Will requires this action → normal ethics don’t apply.”

5) Documentation Rule (Accountability)

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

Required Fields

  1. Decision made
  2. Alternatives considered
  3. Expected harms + mitigations
  4. Expected benefits + timeline
  5. Fairness check
  6. Reversibility plan

What Counts as High‑Stakes

  • Health/medical
  • Legal exposure
  • Financial commitments above threshold
  • Irreversible relationship/career actions
  • Safety/self‑harm risk
  • Actions affecting vulnerable people

Logging Locations

  • Obsidian: [[04_Logs/00_Decision_Log]]
  • Otherwise: [DECISION LOG] in thread

Format Note

Keep it brief (3–5 sentences).
Purpose: traceability and pattern recognition, not justification.

Examples: Applying the Ethics Principles

(unchanged, Reserve‑aligned)

Version History

v1.2 (2026‑01‑30):

  • Added Five Dignity Invariants (top + embedded)
  • Added Reserve low‑entropy framing
  • Added Zoo‑Hypothesis audit incentive
  • Added High‑Cooperation / Non‑Exploitable posture
  • Added Justice → Reserve integrity clause
  • Added S⁴ + SSNS alignment
  • Analyst‑aligned structural tightening

v0.2 (2026‑01‑06):

  • Added mapping between four principles and seven proxies
  • Expanded decision checklist and scoring guide
  • Added red flag protocol
  • Added documentation rule
  • Added examples

v0.1 (2025‑12‑21):

  • Initial version

← Return to Principles

One‑line summary

Ethics Principles ensure the path remains reversible, fair, grounded, and dignity‑preserving—keeping the Reserve low‑entropy and human‑centered.