Glossary

This glossary defines shared meanings for key terms used across the Humanity Accord.

Words shape understanding.
Shared language prevents drift, manipulation, and misunderstanding.

Definitions here prioritize clarity, consequence, and practical use.

Agency

The capacity of an individual to make informed choices and act on them.

Agency includes the ability to refuse, to change direction, and to accept responsibility for consequences.

Authority

The recognized right to make decisions within a defined scope.

Authority is conditional, limited, and revocable. It is not synonymous with power.

Coercion

The use of force, threat, deprivation, or constrained alternatives to compel behavior.

Coercion invalidates consent.

Collective

A group of individuals coordinating toward shared goals.

A collective has no ethical standing independent of the individuals it comprises.

Consent

Voluntary agreement to participate, given with adequate information and meaningful alternatives.

Consent must be revocable and free from coercion or desperation.

Continuity

The capacity of a society to persist across time without collapse or degradation of dignity.

Continuity requires stewardship, learning, and restraint.

Dignity

The inherent worth of a human being, independent of utility, status, belief, or productivity.

Dignity is non-negotiable and foundational to cooperation.

Domination

Control exercised without meaningful consent, recourse, or accountability.

Domination undermines trust and provokes resistance.

Ethics

Shared principles that guide action where rules are insufficient and outcomes are uncertain.

Ethics prioritize harm reduction, dignity, and responsibility.

Failure

An outcome that does not meet intended goals.

Failure is information. Ethical systems respond with correction and learning rather than denial.

Harm

Damage to wellbeing, dignity, trust, or long-term viability.

Harm may be physical, psychological, social, or ecological.

Knowledge

Understanding that survives contact with reality through observation, testing, correction, and revision.

Knowledge is provisional and improves through disciplined humility.

Model

A simplified representation of reality used to explain, predict, or teach.

Models are tools, not truth, and must be revised when they conflict with observation.

Pluralism

The coexistence of diverse values, cultures, and expressions within shared constraints.

Pluralism does not override consequence or dignity.

Power

The capacity to influence outcomes or control resources.

Power increases responsibility; it does not confer moral exemption.

Repair

Actions taken to restore trust, function, and dignity after harm occurs.

Repair prioritizes acknowledgment, restitution, and prevention of recurrence.

Responsibility

Obligation to account for the consequences of one’s actions.

Responsibility follows impact, not intent alone.

Scarcity

A condition in which resources, time, or capacity are limited relative to demand.

Scarcity shapes conflict and requires coordination to manage ethically.

Stewardship

Careful management of resources, systems, and relationships to preserve future possibility.

Stewardship prioritizes long-term viability over short-term gain.

System

An interconnected set of elements producing outcomes over time.

Systems must be understood in terms of incentives, feedback, and consequence.

Transparency

The availability of information necessary to understand decisions, power, and impact.

Transparency enables trust and accountability.

Violence

The use of force intended to harm or coerce.

Violence is treated as systemic failure and a last resort for immediate containment of irreversible harm.

Closing Note

These definitions are not immutable.

They may evolve as understanding deepens, provided changes preserve clarity, dignity, and responsibility.

Shared language is a form of shared care.