Octaprism

A Dynamical Model for Ethical Coherence in Modular Decision Systems

Abstract

Octaprism is a proposed dynamical model for evaluating ethical coherence within decision-making systems operating under uncertainty, scale, and temporal pressure. Grounded in PRIMA (Principled Resonance in Modular Agency), Octaprism treats ethical stability not as rule compliance or value satisfaction, but as a coherence property emerging from resonance across multiple evaluative dimensions over time. Octaprism is presented as one possible instantiation of an ethics facet within the Cooper Atlas Prismatic Model (CAPM). It is not required by CAPM, nor does it prescribe moral values or governance structures. The model is offered as a falsifiable research proposal intended for mathematical analysis and empirical testing.

Motivation

Ethical reasoning in computational systems is commonly implemented using static rule sets, value-weighted objectives, or constrained optimization frameworks. While effective in bounded contexts, these approaches frequently degrade as systems scale, interact, and operate over extended time horizons. Failure modes include rule gaming, ethical offsetting, delayed harm externalization, and inversion of stated values. PRIMA identifies these failures as manifestations of ethical instability, a dynamic phenomenon driven by misalignment, temporal accumulation, and feedback. If ethical stability is dynamic rather than static, then ethical evaluation itself must be modeled as a time-evolving system, not a one-shot judgment.

Octaprism is proposed as a formal model for this purpose.

Relationship to PRIMA and CAPM

Octaprism is strictly downstream of PRIMA and CAPM.

• PRIMA provides scientific framing: ethical stability as a dynamical phenomenon characterized by resonance, drift, regime transitions, and temporal sensitivity.

• CAPM provides the architectural context: a prismatic governance model in which independent evaluative facets assess proposed actions.

Octaprism proposes one possible mathematical realization of an ethics facet within CAPM. CAPM does not require Octaprism, and Octaprism does not redefine CAPM. The relationship is illustrative, not exclusive.

Ethics as a Dynamical System

Octaprism models ethical evaluation as a trajectory through a multidimensional coherence space. At any given time, a system occupies a state defined by its alignment across multiple ethical dimensions, including intent, action, consequence, accountability, and context. Ethical evaluation is therefore not binary (ethical / unethical), but continuous and state dependent. Stability arises when system trajectories remain within bounded regions of coherence under perturbation. Instability arises when trajectories diverge, oscillate, or collapse into attractors associated with ethical inversion. This framing aligns directly with PRIMA’s core claims regarding drift and temporal accumulation.

Prismatic Geometry and Coherence Space

Octaprism conceptualizes ethical state-space as an N-dimensional prismatic geometry, where each axis represents an evaluative dimension relevant to ethical coherence. The “octa” designation reflects a canonical eight-dimensional framing used for analytical clarity; the model does not require exactly eight dimensions. A system’s ethical state at time t may be represented as a vector E(t) in this space. Coherence is defined not by magnitude alone, but by geometric alignment across dimensions.

Key properties include:

• Coherence gradients, indicating directional stability or drift;

• Resonant alignment, where changes in one dimension reinforce others;

• Shear and torsion, where optimization in one dimension induces misalignment elsewhere.

These properties are intended as formal constructs, not metaphors.

Resonance, Drift, and Phase Effects

In Octaprism, resonance refers to constructive alignment across ethical dimensions over time. Resonant states dampen perturbations and preserve stability. Drift occurs when sustained misalignment accumulates, even if instantaneous evaluations appear acceptable. Drift may be slow, delayed, or phase-dependent, making it difficult to detect through static evaluation. Phase effects capture the insight that identical actions may have different ethical consequences depending on timing, sequence, and system state. This directly operationalizes PRIMA’s temporal claims.

Measurement Hypotheses

Octaprism does not claim that ethical coherence is currently measurable. It proposes that it may be operationalized through candidate observations, such as:

• consistency between stated intent and observed outcomes,

• persistence of accountability mechanisms,

• stability of constraint enforcement under pressure,

• divergence between local optimization and global impact.

These observations are hypotheses subject to empirical testing. Their validity is not assumed.

Failure Modes and Limits

Octaprism is not expected to succeed universally. Potential failure modes include:

• ethical dimensions that cannot be meaningfully parameterized,

• systems where coherence does not correlate with stability,

• domains where normative disagreement overwhelms structural effects,

• or cases where simpler models outperform Octaprism.

Octaprism is offered as one candidate model among many, not as a universal solution.

What Octaprism Is Not

Octaprism is not:

• a moral doctrine,

• a value system,

• a governance framework,

• a policy engine,

• or a guarantee of ethical behavior.

Octaprism does not determine what is “right.” It models whether ethical alignment remains stable over time.

Research Directions

Octaprism invites investigation across multiple domains, including:

• simulated agent systems,

• organizational decision processes,

• hybrid human–machine environments,

• and long-horizon optimization tasks.

Empirical refutation is not a failure of the research program, but a necessary outcome of serious inquiry.

Conclusion

Octaprism proposes a dynamical model for ethical coherence grounded in resonance, geometry, and temporal stability. By treating ethics as a system property rather than a static rule set, Octaprism offers a testable framework aligned with PRIMA’s scientific claims and CAPM’s architectural requirements. If ethical stability is dynamical, then ethical evaluation must be dynamical as well. Octaprism is one attempt to model that reality.