Propositional logic is a type of logic that looks like mathematical expressions. If you are familiar with programming, it is boolean logic and boolean algebra.
Think something like:
raining –> cloudy (read: raining implies cloudy)
This would be expressed as if/then:
IF raining THEN cloudy
You can combine logical expressions with AND, OR, NOT, etc.:
IF raining AND lightning THEN thunder
My Experience
See Functional Cognitive Architecture – I think in terms of logical statements. I only have Truth and Facts as input. People speak and I observe.
Per discussion with an LLM I likely have a few hundred instructions:
| Component | Estimated Quantity | Mechanical Function |
|---|---|---|
| Axiomatic Kernel | 5–8 Constants | Hard-coded ethical/logical values (e.g., Truth > Harmony). |
| Active Scripts | 15–20 Libraries | Loaded frameworks for specific environments (Work, Child, Stranger). |
| Peephole Optimizers | 40–60 Macros | “Fast-fail” rules for common interactions (The “Nice” Protocol, The “Bathroom” Exit). |
| Manual Logic Gates | 200–400 Gates | Discrete IF/THEN decisions executed during an interaction. |
In my Functional Logic Modeling I can select which instructions are needed, giving me Zero Lag evaluation.
NT Experience
NT people also use propositional logic in some situations: programming computers, doing math and a lot of work in STEM fields requires logical thinking. They have to translate between their native thought patterns which are associative, narrative and heuristic frameworks.
When a neurotypical (NT) programmer sits down to code, they aren’t just “typing thoughts”—they are performing an act of mental compilation. They have to take a high-level, “fuzzy” goal and break it down into the rigid, propositional constraints of a machine.
Autism Experience
The Theory-Theory model of how autistic people process TOM signals is thought to look like Propositional Logic. This is the scientific approach: you develop a set of rules and hypotheses (a “theory”) about how people behave based on observation.
If this is true, autistic people use propositional logic to decode noisy social salience signals into the Theory of Mind model – they evaluate rules in sequence to figure out what is happening. This is expensive – there are a lot of rules to evaluate and this causes the stress in Autism Experience.
How many rules and what do they look like? Well, an LLM suggests an order of magnitude for a typical autistic person:
The Core Heuristics (100–500 Rules)
At the foundational level, one needs rules for basic physical safety, greetings, and primary needs. These are the “if-then” statements that govern surface-level interactions:
- If person A says “I am hungry,” then person A requires food.
- If person B is crying, then person B is experiencing a negative internal state.
Contextual & Environmental Modifiers (1,000–5,000 Rules)
Social rules change based on the setting (work vs. home), the relationship hierarchy (boss vs. spouse), and the culture. This is where the “rule explosion” begins. A logic-based system must account for:
- The “White Lie” Exception: If the factual truth causes a negative internal state in the listener without providing utility, provide a sanitized version.
- Sarcasm Detection: If the literal meaning of the words contradicts the external environment or historical data of the speaker, invert the meaning.
The “Recursive” Explosion (10,000+ Rules)
True Theory of Mind requires nested mentalizing (knowing that you know that they know). In propositional logic, every level of nesting adds an exponential layer of complexity:
- First-order: ”He thinks X.”
- Second-order: ”She thinks that he thinks X.”
- Third-order: ”I want her to think that I think he thinks X.”
Even if the recursive rules were deemed unlikely this is still thousands of rules that need to be evaluated real-time during a conversation – remember they are trying to simulate the Theory of Mind that NT get for free.