Minding Norms. Mechanisms and Dynamics of Social Order in Agent Societies

Rosaria Conte (Institute for Cognitive Science and Technology/Rome) gives a talk at the Conference on Agent-Based Modeling in Philosophy (11-13 December, 2014) titled "Minding Norms. Mechanisms and Dynamics of Social Order in Agent Societies". Abstract: Despite ubiquity and universality, norms are still awaiting for a general comprehensive theory. In the presentation, a conceptual, theoretical, and computational framework will be proposed to provide a general account of norms, enabling us to investigate: (a) differences and commonalities among social, moral, and legal norms; (b) norm emergence and change; (c) the individual properties involved or responsible for bringing about norms. The main thesis is that observable conformity is only the tip of the normative iceberg, and that norms cannot emerge in society if they do not previously immerge in the mind, i.e. if they are not first converted into mental representations of some sort.