Pharos
An ethical framework for system design
“Design reveals structure, so understanding can become freedom.”
Technology will not save the world by simplifying it, but by making it understandable enough to be cared for.
Every structure teaches. Whether code, architecture, or governance, each design carries an ethic within its form. Pharos makes that ethic visible and actionable.
The framework helps identify ethical tensions in any domain where values conflict—software, healthcare, finance, governance, or social systems. It assumes that clarity and freedom are not luxuries but foundations, and that good design begins with honest structure.
The Five Principles
Lucidity
Alignment Without Illusion
"Never confuse clarity with comfort."
Autonomy
Coherence Within Constraint
"Enable agency; don't simulate it."
Scaffolding
Guidance Without Capture
"Support should fade at the pace of learning."
Legibility
Visibility With Judgment
"Make the system explain itself."
Integrity
Alignment as Truth in Motion
"Alignment is the closest truth we can build."
Ethical Tensions
Principles naturally conflict. Pharos makes these tensions visible:
- Lucidity ⚔️ Autonomy: Transparency vs. Privacy
- Scaffolding ⚔️ Autonomy: Support vs. Freedom
- Legibility ⚔️ Integrity: Simplicity vs. Accuracy
The goal is not to eliminate tension but to navigate it consciously.
Applications
Pharos provides a lens for examining ethical tensions across domains where values conflict.
Software Systems
Code quality, API design, data handling, user privacy
Healthcare Systems
Patient care, privacy protocols, treatment transparency
Financial Systems
Transactions, risk management, regulatory compliance
Social Systems
Governance structures, content moderation, community rules
Supply Chains
Transparency, traceability, ethical sourcing
Organizational Design
Decision-making, information flow, accountability