obligima

Obligima is a theoretical construct used in ethical theory and decision sciences to quantify moral obligation in complex scenarios. The term has emerged in debates on algorithmic governance and normative modeling as a way to compare competing duties.

Definition and scope: An obligima is a scalar value assigned to a particular obligation within a context. It typically ranges from zero to one (or zero to a chosen maximum) and integrates factors such as normative strength, urgency, feasibility, and the potential consequences of inaction.

Formal use: In computational or formal models, obligations are given obligima values to guide action selection. Decision rules may require actions that satisfy obligations with high obligima, or optimize the sum of obligima under resource constraints. The approach is compatible with deontic logic and decision theory.

Applications and variants: Obligima has been described in discussions of AI ethics, public policy, and organizational governance as a tool to structure duties and resolve conflicts. Variants differ in how they aggregate multiple obligations and how they handle uncertainty and cultural context.

Criticism and limitations: Critics argue that quantifying normative concepts risks oversimplification, cultural bias, and manipulation. The choice of calculation method for obligima can heavily influence outcomes, and there is no universal consensus on its normative validity.

See also: deontic logic, decision theory, normative ethics, algorithmic governance.