On the dynamics of institutional agreements (Q970091)

The authors first focus on the logic of acceptance, in particular, on the logic of the operator ``If the agents in the set of agents \(G\) identify themselves with institution \(x\), then they together accept that \(p\)''. This logic of acceptance (AL, for short) is introduced by means of a possible worlds semantics together with a sound and complete axiomatic formal system for this semantics. The authors then proceed to consider the relation of acceptance to communication, more precisely, to public announcements. They investigate the logic of this relation by extending AL to a dynamic logic of acceptance (DAL, for short). The extension involves two dynamic modal operators, which were added to the language of AL. One of these operators is a formal representation of the intuitive operator ``\(p\) holds after the public announcement of \(q\) in institutional context \(x\)''; the other formally corresponds to the intuitive operator ``\(p\) holds after the shifting of \(G\) to \(q\) in institutional context \(x\)''. The second operator captures cases where the agents \(G\) do not function as members of an institutional context \(x\) but have the possibility of joining \(x\) by shifting their acceptances. The authors want to consider cases where an announcement is made within an institution \(x\) that would contradict the agents' acceptances. In some of these situations, the agents would no longer identify with \(x\), but they might decide to change their acceptances in order to remain part of \(x\). The operator allows for a formal representation of this shift. A possible worlds semantics for the extended language is provided by the authors together with an axiomatic formal system that is shown to be sound and complete for the semantics. Finally, they relate DAL to the AGM belief revision operations, sketch a logic integrating belief with acceptance, and discuss the distinction between group acceptance and common belief. The authors also show how AL and DAL can be used as formal frameworks within which certain aspects of judgment aggregation can be modeled.