Action-Based Alternating Transition Systems for Arguments About Action

Abstract

This paper presents a formalism to describe practical reason-ing in terms of an Action-based Alternating Transition Sys-tem (AATS). The starting point is a previously specified ac-count of practical reasoning that treats reasoning about what action should be chosen as presumptive argumentation using argument schemes and associated critical questions. This pa-per describes how this account can be extended to situations where the effect of an action is partially dependent upon the choices of another agent. In this context we see practical rea-soning as proceeding in three stages. The first involves deter-mining the representation of the particular problem scenario as an AATS. Next the agent must resolve its uncertainties as to its position in the scenario. Finally, the agent moves to choosing a particular action to achieve its ends, propos-ing presumptive reasons for particular actions and subjecting them to a critique to establish their suitability, taking into ac-count the choices that can be made by the other agents in-volved. This account thus provides a well-specified basis for addressing the problems of practical reasoning as presump-tive argumentation in a multi-agent context.