The Evolving Moral Field: From Curvature to Plasticity

Values and norms are often treated as fixed frameworks guiding discourse. This paper proposes a different view: Here, values form a hypercomplex landscape that is dynamically reshaped through discourse itself. Discursive processes do not merely move within preexisting attractors; they also deepen valleys (stabilizing norms) and raise ridges (repelling failed paths). We introduce a model of landscape plasticity in which repeated convergence, cross-context resonance, and successful conflict resolution deepen normative attractors, while instability, breakdown, and deadlock trigger the rise of repelling ridges. The mechanism is formalized as a two-layer system: a fast layer of discourse trajectories and a slow layer of landscape adaptation, with feedback loops linking short-term discursive dynamics to long-term normative topology. This model allows for early detection of collapse trajectories and provides a framework for both human and machine learning of norms in a dialogical mode.