Structures for modal and deontic logics

Reasoning with and about norms is central in a variety of fields, ranging from legal reasoning to machine ethics.

Deontic logics provide a logical framework to give a formal and rigorous presentation of the inferential patterns involved in normative reasoning.

However, beside describing and representing, it is crucial to have explanations as to why a certain norm applies or not.

In logic, positive explanations come in the form of derivations, whereas negative explanations can be identified with countermodels.The REMODEL (StRucturEs for MOdal and DEontic Logics) project will introduce proof calculi to analyze and explain normative reasoning.

The calculi thus introduced will be Gentzen-style systems, i.e., analytic proof calculi in which the proofs result from a stepwise decomposition of the conclusion according to rules.The researcher has carried out several studies on the proof theory of modal and related logics and he aims to use his expertise in the field to carry out a dedicated research program in deontic logics.

The REMODEL project will tackle the problem of defining analytic proof systems for monotonic deontic logics and non-monotonic ones, employing the methodologies of structural proof theory.

Finally, he will study the relation between deontic and modal logics establishing formal embeddings via proof transformations.

The collaboration with the supervisor will be essential and the researcher will benefit from her experience both in the fields of proof theory and deontic logics.