Abstract
In most expert systems, efforts are made to keep the rules in the knowledge base free from contradictions., because a logical system that generates even a single contradiction may collapse. We argue that not only can contradictions be tolerated, but in fact they are useful. An excellent test of an argument is to compare it with the best argument for the opposing view. Accordingly, we propose a multilevel architecture, where the object level may include contradictory rules, and the metalevels resolve these conflicts. Once such an architecture exists, there are advantages to allowing contradictions in wider contexts. In a legal context we may want to examine both sides of an argument. In administrative applications, we may need systems that ‘look over a clerk's shoulder’ to check that he is following one of several plausible, but not necessarily compatible, approaches. We are currently implementing these ideas.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Aiello, L., Levi, G., “The uses of metaknowledge in AI systems”, in Meta-level architectures and reflection, eds P. Maes, D. Nardi, North-Holland, 1988
Bench-Capon, T.J.M., Robinson, G.O., Routen, T.W., Sergot, M.J., “Logic Programming for Large Scale Applications in Law: A Formalization of Supplementary Benefits Legislation”, in Proceedings of the First International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Law; Northeastern University, Boston, ACM Press, 1987
Bench-Capon, T.J.M, Sergot, M., “Toward a Rule-Based Representation of Open Texture in Law”, in Computer Power and Legal Language, ed. C. Walter, Quorum Books, New York, 1988
Bench-Capon, T.J.M., Coenen, F., “Isomorphism and Legal Knowledge Based Systems”, Artificial Intelligence and Law,1 (1), 1992
Bourcier, D., “De la règle de droit à la base de règles. Comment modéliser la décision juridique?”, Actes du Séminaire Sciences du texte juridique, Far Hills, Québec, 1992, to appear in: Sciences du texte juridique, Yvon Blais, Cowansville, 1993
Bowen, K.A., “Meta-level Programming and Knowledge Representation”, New Generation Computing, 3, 1985
Breuker, J., den Haan, N., “Separating world and regulation knowledge: where is the logic?”, in Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Law, St. Catherine's College, Oxford, ACM Press, 1991
Cheng, A.S.K., Robinson, P.J., Staples, J., “Higher Level Meta Programming in Qu-Prolog 3.0”, in Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Logic Programming, ed. K. Furukawa, MIT Press, 1991
Côté, P-A, Interprétation des lois, 2ième édition, Yvon Blais, Cowansville, 1990.
Guidotti, P., Mariani, P., Sardu, G., Tiscornia, D., “Metalevel Reasoning — The Design of a System to Handle Legal Knowledge Bases”, in Settimo Convegno Sulla Programmazione Logica, GULP 92, Tremezzo, 1992
Hamfelt, A., Building Modular Legal Knowledge Systems. The Multilevel Structure of Legal Knowledge and its Representation, The Swedish Institute of Law and Informatics Research, IRI-Rapport 1990:2, 1990.
Hamfelt, A., “Metalogic Representation of Multilayered Knowledge”, PhD Thesis, Uppsala Theses in Computer Science 15, Uppsala University, 1992
Lenat, D. et al., “Reasoning about Reasoning”, in Building Expert Systems, eds F. Hayes-Roth, D. A. Waterman, D. B. Lenat, Addison-Wesley, 1983
MacCormick, D.N., Summers, R.S. Interpreting Statutes: A Comparative Study, Dartmouth Publishing, Aldershot, 1991
McCarthy, L.T., “A Language for Legal Discourse: 1 — Basic Features”, in Proceedings of the Second International Conference on AI and Law, UBC, Vancouver, ACM Press, 1989
Reiter, R., “On Closed World Data Bases”, in Readings in Artificial Intelligence, eds B.L. Webber, N.J. Nilsson, Morgan Kaufmann, 1981
Routen, T.W., Bench-Capon, T.J.M., “Hierarchical Formalizations”, International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 35, 1991
Russell, S., Wefald, E., “Principles of metareasoning”, Artificial Intelligence, 49, 1991
Sergot, M.J., Fariba, S., Kowalski, R.A., Kriwaczek, F., Hammond, P., Cory, H.T., “The British Nationality Act as a Logic Program”. Communications of ACM, 29(5), 1986
van Harmelen, F., “A Classification of Meta-level Architectures”, in Meta-Programming in Logic Programming, eds H. Abramson, M.H. Rogers, MIT Press, 1989
Wróblewski, J. “Paradigms of Justifying Legal Decisions”, in Theory of Legal Science, Proceedings of the Conference on Legal Theory and Philosophy of Science, Lund, Sweden, December 1983
Yoshino, H., Kakuta, T., “The Knowledge Representation of Legal Expert System LES-3.3 with Legal Meta-inference”, in Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Legal Knowledge and Legal Reasoning Systems, Tokyo, October 1992
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1993 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Poulin, D., St-Vincent, P., Bratley, P. (1993). Contradiction and confirmation. In: Mařík, V., Lažanský, J., Wagner, R.R. (eds) Database and Expert Systems Applications. DEXA 1993. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 720. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-57234-1_51
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-57234-1_51
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-57234-3
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-47982-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive