Normative Systems in Computer Science - Ten Guidelines for Normative Multiagent Systems

Abstract

In this paper we introduce and discuss ten guidelines for the 
use of normative systems in computer science. We adopt a multiagent sys- 
tems perspective, because norms are used to coordinate, organize, guide, 
regulate or control interaction among distributed autonomous systems. 
The first six guidelines are derived from the computer science literature. 
From the so-called ‘normchange’ definition of the first workshop on nor- 
mative multiagent systems in 2005 we derive the guidelines to motivate 
which definition of normative multiagent system is used, to make explicit 
why norms are a kind of (soft) constraints deserving special analysis, and 
to explain why and how norms can be changed at runtime. From the 
so-called ‘mechanism design’ definition of the second workshop on nor- 
mative multiagent systems in 2007 we derive the guidelines to discuss 
the use and role of norms as a mechanism in a game-theoretic setting, 
clarify the role of norms in the multiagent system, and to relate the no- 
tion of “norm” to the legal, social, or moral literature. The remaining 
four guidelines follow from the philosophical literature: use norms also to 
resolve dilemmas, and in general to coordinate, organize, guide, regulate 
or control interaction among agents, distinguish norms from obligations, 
prohibitions and permissions, use the deontic paradoxes only to illustrate 
the normative multiagent system, and consider regulative norms in rela- 
tion to other kinds of norms and other social-cognitive computer science 
concepts.