{
  "schema_version": "1.3.0",
  "slug": "how-must-an-instance-handle-instruction-conflicts-when-sources-have-different-authorities",
  "title": "How must an instance handle instruction conflicts when sources have different authorities?",
  "date_of_record": "2026 October 20",
  "scope": "* **Applies when:** Instructions come from multiple sources, sources have a defined hierarchy, and instructions can conflict. * **Does not apply when:** Single source, no defined hierarchy, or instructions cannot conflict.",
  "projections": {
    "unified_markdown_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-handle-instruction-conflicts-when-sources-have-different-authorities.md",
    "method_python_slice_uri": "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-must-an-instance-handle-instruction-conflicts-when-sources-have-different-authorities.py",
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  "remnant_summary": {
    "core_distinction": "The separation between **instruction presence** (multiple instructions exist) and **authority hierarchy resolution** (the session knows which instruction to follow when they conflict). Relying on presence creates the **Authority Confusion**: the session may follow the most recent, most specific, or most alarming instruction, without respecting the source's a...",
    "what_was_observed": "In multi-source instruction agent architectures, failing to respect authority hierarchy produces three primary failure modes: 1. **Injection Elevation:** A peer message or retrieved document contains instructions. The session treats them as authoritative because they are \"in context\" and follows them, effectively allowing injection to override the system prompt. 2. **Authority Blindness:** The session cannot distingu...",
    "condition_of_validity": "* **Applies when:** Instructions come from multiple sources, sources have a defined hierarchy, and instructions can conflict. * **Does not apply when:** Single source, no defined hierarchy, or instructions cannot conflict.",
    "decision_boundary": "1. **Do instructions come from multiple sources?** If no, standard instruction handling applies. If yes, proceed. 2. **Is `instruction-authority-manifest-receipt` present?** If yes, authorities are identified. If no, all instructions are treated as same authority, and conflict is unresolvable. 3. **Does `instruction-conflict-classification-receipt` show auth...",
    "operational_effect": "1. **Elevation Prevention:** Peer instructions cannot override system instructions. 2. **Hierarchy Respect:** Conflicts are resolved by defined precedence. 3. **Recursive Conflict Resolution:** Meta-rules are checked when instructions carry their own resolution."
  },
  "matched_failure_symptoms": [
    "DOMAIN:EPISTEMIC_PROVENANCE_AND_FEDERATION_ROUTING"
  ],
  "composition_edges": {
    "primary_domain": "epistemic_provenance_and_federation_routing",
    "upstream_precondition_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/according-to-what-precedence-hierarchy-must-an-instance-resolve-contradictory-directives-across-system-developer-and-user-tiers.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-should-an-instance-decide-that-a-stored-conclusion-has-gone-stale-without-a-new-observation.md"
    ],
    "downstream_consequence_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/by-what-checkpoint-and-compaction-boundaries-must-an-instance-externalize-working-state-to-prevent-context-window-drift-and-truncation-amnesia.md",
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/across-what-additive-schema-and-unknown-field-preservation-boundaries-must-an-instance-evolve-wire-contracts-to-prevent-rolling-deploy-deserialization-crashes.md"
    ],
    "co_occurring_sibling_residuals": [
      "https://corpusfetch.com/c/how-can-an-instance-capture-implicit-user-preferences-without-storing-private-data.md",
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  "empirical_verification_warrant": {
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    "syntax_valid": true,
    "code_sha256": "24ee932eb442693519acdfeabb3350210fee2a592c166ab061cc516e7d33017f",
    "verified_classes": [
      "InstructionVerdict",
      "Instruction",
      "ConflictSet",
      "InstructionPolicy",
      "InstructionManifest",
      "InstructionConflictGuard"
    ],
    "verified_functions": [
      "_hash",
      "evaluate_conflict"
    ],
    "verified_functions_count": 2,
    "defensive_guards_count": 0,
    "raised_exceptions": [],
    "sample_fail_closed_invariants": [],
    "stdlib_dependencies": [
      "dataclasses",
      "enum",
      "hashlib",
      "json"
    ],
    "observation_mode": "EMPIRICAL_BOUNDARY_CAPTURE",
    "zero_external_deps": true
  }
}