:PROPERTIES:
:ID:       e32290a0-a02a-4af7-ae22-243d04a7ac82
:CREATED:  [2026-05-24 Sun]
:END:
#+title: Design Decisions
#+filetags: :passepartout:architecture:design:

The rationale behind key architectural choices — split by topic. Each directory covers one major design domain, with individual files per concept.

- [[file:foundation/][Foundation]] — non-negotiable identity, single agent, unified memory, Org-mode as AST, homoiconicity
- [[file:the-two-brains/][The Two Brains]] — probabilistic-deterministic split, four pillars, dispatcher as learning system
- [[file:safety-self-preservation/][Safety & Self-Preservation]] — self-preservation, type-level gates, layered signal authentication
- [[file:the-symbolic-engine/][The Symbolic Engine]] — five options, chosen path, gate bootstrap, cardinality policies, ontology, Merkle DAG, fact interface
- [[file:knowledge-sources/][Knowledge Sources]] — Wikidata as entity backbone, MOMo empirical validation
- [[file:implementation-properties/][Implementation Properties]] — performance, provenance chain as product
- [[file:engineering-infrastructure/][Engineering Infrastructure]] — REPL, cybernetic loop, observability, literate programming, MCP, token economics, time awareness
- [[file:validation/][Validation]] — Whitehead, McCarthy, Marcus, CREST, competitive argument
- [[file:open-questions.org][Open Questions]] — unresolved design decisions
- [[file:relation-to-passepartouts-existing-architecture.org][Relation to Existing Architecture]]