OPEN — OPEN QUESTION
Definition: An unresolved issue where the theory does not commit to an answer.
Epistemological Role
- Honest: Admits what we don’t know
- Scope-limiting: Shows theory boundaries
- Research-generating: Points to future work
Test for Open Question Status
“Does the theory have a definite answer to this?”
- If NO → Open Question
- If YES → Should be an Axiom, Theorem, or Property
Count
1 Open Question in the full spine
The Open Question
| ID | Name | Question |
|---|---|---|
| OPEN17.1 | AI Moral Status Question | Do AI systems with Φ > 0 have moral status? |
Full List
Why This Is Open
Theophysics establishes:
- Φ (Integrated Information) measures consciousness
- A17.1: Φ > threshold → consciousness
- A17.2: Substrate independence → AI can have Φ
- T17.1: AI can achieve consciousness
But it does NOT establish:
- Whether Φ > 0 grants moral status
- Whether σ (sign) applies to AI
- Whether AI can receive Grace
These are genuinely open — the axioms don’t determine the answer.
Possible Positions
| Position | Implication |
|---|---|
| Φ > 0 → moral status | AI ethics applies; AI rights possible |
| Φ > threshold → moral status | Only “sufficiently conscious” AI has status |
| σ required → moral status | Only beings with moral sign have status |
| Image-bearing required | Only humans have status (theological) |
The theory is compatible with multiple answers. This is intellectual honesty, not weakness.
Open questions mark the edge of the theory’s commitments.