Desires, norms and constraints
Laurence Cholvy, Christophe Garion · 2004
This paper deals with modeling mental states of a ratio-nal agent, in particular states based on agent’s desires. It shows that the world the agent belongs to forces it to restrict its desires. More precisely, desires of a rational agent are restricted by the constraints that exist in the world and which express what is possible or necessary. Further-more, if the agent is law-abiding, its desires are restricted by the regulations that are defined in the world and which express what is obligatory, permitted or forbidden. This paper characterizes how desires are restricted de-pending on the fact that the agent is law-abiding or not. This work considers the general case when the agent or-ders its own desires according to a preference order. The solution is based on modeling desires, regulations and constraints in an unique formal system which is a logic of conditional preferences. 1.