The logic of actual obligation. An alternative approach to deontic logic

Abstract

In this paper we develop a system of deontic logic (LAO, the logic of actual obligation) with a rather limited scope: we are, only interested in obligations as far as they: are relevant for deciding what actions actually ought to be done in a particular situation, given some normative system N. In fact we are interested how actual obligations are derived from the prima facie ones implied by N. Hence statements expressing that certain states of affairs are obligatory, such as "the speed-limit ought to be 140 in stead of 100", fall out of the scope. (Roughly speaking LAO is what Castaneda calls a logic of "ought-to-do". (cf. [C]).) Since in LAO actions can be obligatory while assertions cannot, actions and assertions have to be strictly separated in the language of LAO.