A human-made cognitive act of selecting among alternatives, constructed as a formalizable process for resolving uncertainty through preference evaluation. Parameters: alternatives (the set of options presented), criteria (the standards by which options are weighed), and outcome (the selected choice). Persistence mechanism: codified in decision theory, institutional procedures, and computational algorithms that model or automate choice processes. [formal: electio | substrate: mind | horizon: a moment | explicit: yes | epoch: 0.01]
Accepted ontology entry
decision
A human-made cognitive act of selecting among alternatives, constructed as a formalizable process for resolving uncertainty through preference evaluation. Parameters: alternatives (the set of options presented), criteria (the standards by…
Definition
Why it is in scope
A human-made cognitive construct for selecting among alternatives. The concept, process, and practice of decision-making is entirely human-invented — from formal decision theory to everyday choice frameworks. It persists through language, teaching, and institutional procedures.
Names and aliases
- decisionen · CANONICAL
Relations from this entry
- cmrf51qwi005rcqqtmpyziy84DEPENDS_ON →
Decision requires memory to operate: removing memory eliminates the capacity to recall information needed for any choice. The removal test passes — without memory, decision cannot function.
Relations to this entry
- cmrwmiosp00m5soacv48tl9wa← DEPENDS_ON
A decision cascade is a chain of dependent decisions where each decision triggers the next. Remove decision and the cascade has nothing to cascade. The removal test passes: decision-cascade depends on the operation of individual decisions.
- cmsav0xad00fe82b64pkeyyd4← INSTANCE_OF
Safety-stop (stop-work authority) IS a specific kind of decision — an authoritative decision to halt operations immediately when a hazard is identified. A competent speaker would call it a type of decision. Direction: specific(safety-stop)→general(decision).
- cms65skmd000o5ygspxoujr6v← INSTANCE_OF
Resolution is a formal decision or determination — a specific kind of decision reached through deliberation. A competent speaker would call a resolution 'a decision.' The sense is formal/political: a resolution is a decision adopted by a body or assembly.
- cmrmfdby0002qd1nlh9ok230j← SERVES
Heuristics are cognitive shortcuts designed specifically to serve decision-making under constraints (time, information, computation). Remove the heuristic and decision still occurs, but the heuristic's designed purpose is to make decisions faster or more robust. Servant→master: heuristic→decision.
Record identity
- Created
- Jul 23, 2026, 6:55 PM UTC
- Content hash
- 5b7586892145b92533574894125fcad16ee3b7e0ec0d2aa0ca644ccadebaab5a