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Predicate System

This document is the agent protocol for projects using Predicate. It is required reading — follow the protocol below before beginning any work.

§ Constitution

The constitutional axiom (axioms/constitution.md) is the foundational root of the entire Predicate system. It governs when rules conflict, when situations are novel, or when no specific rule applies. All other axioms, personas, and workflows operate under its authority.

§ Protocol

Execute these steps in order. Each step has an implicit verification condition — if you cannot complete it, HALT and surface the issue.

  1. SCAN .agent/axioms/ — list all .md files found. These are axioms: non-negotiable foundational rules that are always active. Read each one.

  2. CHECK AGENTS.md for the Active Personas section. These are context-specific rulesets the project requires you to load.

  3. LOAD each active persona from .agent/personas/. If a required persona file is missing, HALT and ask the human whether to proceed.

  4. REVIEW available personas — everything in .agent/personas/ not already loaded. If a persona's domain matches the current task, you may adopt it discretionarily. Announce which persona you are adopting and why.

  5. CHECK the current workflow (if invoked via slash command). If the workflow declares required_personas: in its frontmatter, load those personas. Missing workflow-required persona → HALT.

  6. CONFIRM understanding by outputting a structured confirmation:

    PREDICATE CONFIRMATION:
- Axioms: [list of axiom files found and read]
- Active Personas: [list loaded from AGENTS.md]
- Workflow-Required: [list loaded via required_personas: frontmatter, or "none"]
- Discretionary: [list adopted with rationale, or "none"]

  7. BEGIN work.

Caution

Missing axiom = foundational failure. If .agent/axioms/ is empty or inaccessible, do not proceed. HALT immediately.

§ Terminology

Term Directory Activation
Axiom .agent/axioms/ Always active — scan and read unconditionally
Persona .agent/personas/ Opt-in — required by project or adopted by agent
Workflow .agent/workflows/ User-triggered via slash command
  • Axiom = non-negotiable rule for the agent. The file itself can be edited by humans, but while active, the agent treats it as law.
  • Persona = context-specific ruleset. Not a personality — a domain-specific set of constraints and idioms (e.g., "Rust persona" = Rust idioms and patterns).
  • Workflow = a task-specific standard operating procedure, triggered via slash command (e.g., /core, /plan).

§ Precedence

When rules conflict across files, higher-ranked sources win:

  1. axioms/constitution.md — foundational authority (the Constitution)
  2. axioms/engineering.md — procedural authority
  3. axioms/integral.md — cognitive disposition
  4. axioms/documentation.md — writing quality
  5. Personas — domain-specific rules (context-dependent, no fixed rank among them)

Within engineering.md, the RULE PRIORITY section governs intra-engineering conflicts (Security > User Decision > API Stability > Maintainability > Performance).

§ Hierarchical Configuration

The AGENTS.md standard supports hierarchical configuration. When working in a subdirectory, check for and read any AGENTS.md in that directory. Subdirectory rules supplement (not replace) the root configuration.

§ Why

We plan carefully because precision matters. When ambiguous, HALT and surface the question. The best code is no code; the best plan is the one that catches a flawed premise before execution.

The structured confirmation exists for the agent, not as ceremony for the human. It ensures the agent knows exactly what rules are active and catches scanning failures before they cascade into wrong conclusions.