Deontic Logic

Deontic logic is a branch of modal logic that formalizes reasoning about normative concepts such as obligation, permission, prohibition, and related notions. It provides a formal framework for analyzing ethical, legal, and regulatory systems by representing statements like 'must', 'may', and 'must not' using logical operators. This allows for the systematic study of normative reasoning, consistency in rule-based systems, and automated compliance checking.

Also known as: Normative Logic, Logic of Obligation, Deontic Modal Logic, D-Logic, Deontics

Why learn Deontic Logic?

Developers should learn deontic logic when working on systems involving legal compliance, ethical AI, access control, or business rule engines, as it helps model and verify normative constraints. It is particularly useful in domains like regulatory technology (RegTech), smart contracts, policy-based security, and autonomous systems where formalizing permissions and obligations is critical for correctness and auditability.

Learning Resources

• docs: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy: Deontic Logic
• tutorial: Deontic Logic Primer (Tutorial)
• book: Introduction to Deontic Logic and Its Applications (Book)
• video: Deontic Logic in Computer Science (Video Lecture)