Rights and Practical Reasoning in Deontic Logic

Abstract

This paper brings together two traditions in deontic logic: the theory of normative positions, that is, reasoning about different types of rights, and practical reasoning, which has special relevance from the viewpoint of artificial intelligence (AI). We do this by exploring the role epistemic rights play in practical reasoning. Rights such as the right to know are intended to enable us to make informed decisions. They often play a role in determining what kind of plans we can make. A patient has the right to know his hospital test results so he can choose his treatment after his doctor has fulfilled her duty of informing him about possible risks and outcomes. This paper investigates, from the “database perspective”, the role of (epistemic) rights in planning different scenarios from the database perspective and the dynamics of temporal beliefs and intentions. We take this perspective, extend the logic with deontic notions, and illustrate this with a running example.