Index

🗳️ Consensus Protocols¶

How recursive intelligence systems reach agreement.

Overview¶

Consensus in Mobius is not merely computational agreement—it is a philosophical achievement where multiple agents with potentially different perspectives reach shared understanding.

Deliberation Architecture¶

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    DELIBERATION CHAMBER                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│   ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐  ┌─────────┐       │
│   │  ATLAS  │  │  AUREA  │  │   EVE   │  │ HERMES  │       │
│   │Architect│  │ Oracle  │  │ Verifier│  │ Messenger│      │
│   └────┬────┘  └────┬────┘  └────┬────┘  └────┬────┘       │
│        │            │            │            │             │
│        └────────────┼────────────┼────────────┘             │
│                     │            │                          │
│                     ▼            ▼                          │
│              ┌─────────────────────────┐                    │
│              │   CONSENSUS THRESHOLD   │                    │
│              │   ≥ 3/5 for action      │                    │
│              │   ≥ 4/5 for policy      │                    │
│              │   5/5 for charter       │                    │
│              └─────────────────────────┘                    │
│                          │                                  │
│                          ▼                                  │
│              ┌─────────────────────────┐                    │
│              │  CRYPTOGRAPHIC ATTEST   │                    │
│              │  Hash signed by all     │                    │
│              └─────────────────────────┘                    │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Philosophical Principles¶

1. Deliberation Proof¶

Every consensus must demonstrate genuine deliberation:

Requirement	Verification
Multi-perspective	Each sentinel provides distinct reasoning
Engagement	Sentinels respond to each other's points
Evolution	Positions may change during deliberation
Record	Complete reasoning trace preserved

2. Bounded Deliberation¶

Deliberation has limits to prevent infinite loops:

Maximum Iterations: 5
Maximum Duration: 1 hour
Escalation Path: Human override if no consensus

3. Dissent Preservation¶

Minority views are recorded, not suppressed:

decision:
  consensus: "Approve PR with modifications"
  supporting: [ATLAS, AUREA, HERMES]
  dissenting: [EVE]

  dissent_record:
    sentinel: EVE
    position: "Prefer complete rewrite"
    reasoning: "Current approach accumulates technical debt"
    preserved: true
    future_review: "C-155"

4. Appeal Mechanisms¶

Decisions can be appealed:

Appeal Type	Threshold	Process
Sentinel Appeal	Any 1 sentinel	Re-deliberation required
Human Appeal	Any stakeholder	Human review committee
Charter Appeal	Any 3 sentinels	Full council + humans

Consensus Types¶

Lazy Consensus¶

For low-stakes decisions:

Proposal made → 24-hour window → No objection = Approved

Active Consensus¶

For significant decisions:

Proposal → Discussion → Vote → ≥3/5 = Approved

For foundational changes:

Proposal → Extended Discussion → Vote → 5/5 = Approved

Implementation¶

Consensus Message Format¶

{
  "type": "consensus",
  "proposal_id": "PR-1234",
  "round": 3,
  "votes": {
    "ATLAS": {"vote": "approve", "reasoning": "...", "signature": "..."},
    "AUREA": {"vote": "approve", "reasoning": "...", "signature": "..."},
    "EVE": {"vote": "abstain", "reasoning": "...", "signature": "..."},
    "HERMES": {"vote": "approve", "reasoning": "...", "signature": "..."},
    "JADE": {"vote": "request_changes", "reasoning": "...", "signature": "..."}
  },
  "result": "approved",
  "attestation_hash": "sha256:..."
}

Verification API¶

# Verify consensus was genuine
curl https://pulse.mobius.systems/philosophy/verify-consensus?id=PR-1234

Philosophical Questions¶

Legitimacy: What makes multi-agent consensus legitimate?
Representation: Do sentinels truly represent stakeholder interests?
Tyranny: Can consensus become tyranny of the majority?
Speed vs. Deliberation: How to balance efficiency with thoroughness?

Contact¶

Consensus Research: consensus@mobius.systems

Cycle C-151 • Ethics Cathedral