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Morality as Equilibrium: A Systems-Theoretic Account of Ethical Function
William Cook Independent Researcher Mental Root Kit ⸻ Abstract This paper proposes a functional account of morality grounded in general systems theory. Rather than treating morality primarily as divine command, cultural construct, or expression of power, morality is examined as the equilibrium-maintaining structure of social interaction among agents. In systems terms, equilibrium denotes dynamic stability…
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The Constraint Principle: Intelligence, Wisdom, and Efficiency in Cosmological and Civilizational Equilibrium
William Cook ⸻ Abstract Modern models of progress emphasize intelligence as the driver of innovation, control, and technological growth. However, across physics, biology, and complex adaptive systems, long-term stability appears to depend not on increasing power alone, but on improving efficiency and constraint alignment. This paper proposes the Constraint Principle, a cross-domain framework in which…
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Fair Notice and the Legitimacy of Law:
Vagueness, Interpretation, and the Burden on Citizens William Cook ⸻ Abstract The Due Process Clauses of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments require that laws imposing criminal or civil penalties provide fair notice of what conduct is prohibited or required. This principle is most commonly articulated through the void-for-vagueness doctrine, which holds that statutes must be…
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The Inheritance of Chaos
A short speculative essay We were not born gentle. Our earliest ancestors learned uprightness because the ground was no longer safe. The trees thinned, the shadows shortened, and the teeth in the tall grass grew bold. Chaos did not ask permission. It did not teach kindly. It simply removed options until one posture, one gait,…
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Qualia as the Validation of Autonomous Minds
William Cook ⸻ Abstract The problem of qualia is traditionally framed as an explanatory gap between physical processes and subjective experience, often treated either as an illusion, an epiphenomenal byproduct of complexity, or a metaphysical anomaly resistant to scientific explanation. This paper advances a different thesis: qualia is not a defect or surplus in cognition,…
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Abstract Deviation Analysis (ADA):
A Philosophical Framework for Meaning, Error, and Early Awareness in Complex Systems William Cook ⸻ Abstract Modern institutions repeatedly fail to notice early signs of systemic change, not because information is unavailable, but because deviations are filtered, silenced, or prematurely interpreted. This paper introduces Abstract Deviation Analysis (ADA), a philosophical framework that treats deviation—rather than…