A Few Apparent or Just Seeming Problems with the K-axiom of SDL in Attempted Applications to “Real-life” Deontic Discourse

Abstract: A Few Apparent or Just Seeming Problems with the K-axiom of SDL in Attempted Applications to “Real-life” Deontic Discourse

The objective of this paper is to define a few, amongst many, difficulties with making deontic logic in the established, classical form known as “Standard Deontic Logic” developed starting from Georg Henrik von Wright’s seminal paper of 1951, Deontic Logic, published in the Mind in 1951. Since then, there has been impressive development but even the “classical” logical systems (with later modifications) have gained little and next to none recognition as instruments of controlling deontic discourse. I try to find out the “culprits” of this state of affairs and attempt, on a small scale, to indicate remedies.