Methodology

How path ethics is applied

System Identification

First question: What is the relevant system? Not the unit (e.g., "a neuron"), but the connection structure (e.g., "the neural network").

Example: For a language, the system is not "the word", but the network of grammatical rules, semantic relations, and speaker practices.

A-A-P Evaluation

Ordinal assessment for each dimension. This is not a quantitative measurement, but a structural diagnosis based on observable system properties.

• Low (0–3): Reactive, dependent, short-lived
• Medium (4–6): Partially autonomous, networked systems
• High (7–10): Highly autonomous, central, historically deep systems

Ethical Implications

High values → High protection worthiness. However: Path ethics provides no absolute imperatives, but enables contextual trade-offs.

Example: A primary forest (A₁: 5, A₂: 9.5, P: 9) has very high ethical status. Its clearing is only justifiable under extreme conditions (e.g., existential food security), not for commercial profit.

Comparative Analysis

The Case Study Explorer enables direct comparison. Example: Bitcoin vs. Mycelium Network. Both are decentralized systems, but mycelium has higher A₂ (ecological integration) and P (evolutionary depth).