Atala PRISM

FOUNDATIONS
OF DECENTRALIZED IDENTITY
Atala Foundations Foreword
Thank you for your interest in Atala and our Foundations Pioneer We believe that building systems for positive outcomes do not
Course. Self-Sovereign Identity is a fascinating topic that we believe happen by accident. Having the intent and practice of self-
has the power to offer long-term positive social impact globally. improvement for ourselves and the people we work with gives us
SSI today is used to improve supply chain management by making better odds of building systems that will improve people’s lives.
data flow more reliable and transparent, leading to more efficiency.
Implementations that follow the privacy by design principles of SSI We also introduce foundational concepts from ‘Patterns of
return agency and ownership of digital identities back to individuals. Commoning’ that show us that people have always found novel
ways to work together to achieve common goals–and there is no
In this reader, you will find an introduction to the fundamental single way to cooperate and collaborate. Our Pioneer community is
concepts necessary to build your own decentralized ecosystems; a commons with a shared goal to build incredible SSI applications.
issuers, holders, verifiers, trust frameworks, governance frameworks, As you get deeper into your understanding of creating decentralized
trust registries, etc. These concepts and tools bring the human ecosystems, these patterns will become more powerful when
element into Web3 applications, which allows us to convey who applied to incentive structures by leveraging the power of smart
we are into the layer-1 blockchain contexts we know and love– contracts and native crypto assets. What we cover here just briefly
with their permissionless, censorship-resistant, and innovative introduces the topic.
consensus algorithms, whether on Cardano, Ethereum, or any other
cryptocurrency blockchain. A few examples of SSI’s new possibilities We hope you enjoy our treatment of the foundations for building
are next-generation governance protocols for DAOs, alternative ecosystems that unlock mobility for people worldwide. This is just
education and career pathways, emergent reputation systems for the first step in a long and productive journey into the world of
diaspora populations, and loyalty programs. possibilities Web3 offers for you.

We are opinionated about doing our best to improve how we do

our work every day–this is why you will also find we weave into
our foundations a lightweight treatment of ethics. We have been Tony Rose
Head of Product, Atala
inspired by the book ‘Technology and the Virtues’ as a tool for
IOG
helping us think through how we build systems that have a better
chance of creating long-term positive social impact.
Introduction
Fire and frost – ignorance of science, neglect of our physical
environment, and failure to cultivate human potential
– we can’t afford them anymore: there is too much at stake.
Patterns of Commoning, 2015, p. 118

Welcome to Atala PRISM: Foundations. We are excited to have you join us on this journey
as we explore identity, as it is today, and what it can be in the future. With the following
material, our goal is to explore the complexities of identity in the digital world and outline
how we can improve upon the systems we use today.

Who we are is personal and intimate, and even though it is becoming more entwined with
businesses and services online we are finding ways to protect what makes us individuals.
In many cases, we give up control of who we are for access and convenience. Today we
find ourselves at a crossroads–do we continue down the path of allowing multi-million
and billion-dollar companies to control our identity and data? Or do we retake control
of our identities and data?

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 4 Introduction

Blockchain

Over the past 15 years, emerging technology has kicked open the doors to allow users to
manage their identities. Blockchain technology has been a revolutionary development.
Cryptocurrencies are what most people think of when blockchain comes up in
conversation, they are essential, but there is more that blockchain offers in utility.

Bitcoin was a spark at the right time. In 2009, in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial
crisis, its creation enabled financial independence and created portability, access,
and an alternative to the traditional banking system. In the early days, many detractors
were saying Bitcoin would never be achievable or valuable. Today, many people,
businesses, and even countries use and accept it as legal tender.

The Bitcoin story is helpful while discussing utility. There was a tool, blockchain, that Satoshi
Nakamoto conceptualized, this tool was essential in building a new financial system,
and there was a need, the financial crisis. Pairing the blockchain with a new finance
protocol was the first in a long line of innovations in blockchain technology.

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What is blockchain? It is called the ‘ledger in the sky.’ Think of it as This discussion may seem out of place in a discussion about
a distributed server–meaning no one individual controls or has identity–it is not. We are laying the foundation of concepts that
the info. It gets spread across hundreds or thousands of nodes. A will get introduced later. One of the naturally occurring thoughts
node is a single copy of all the data, bolstering the integrity and associated with Bitcoin and blockchain is that the users trust and
distribution of the information. These nodes work together to form a believe it is secure, censorship resistant, and portable. For some, it
network that supports the blockchain. They also help validate blocks has permitted access to a financial system for the first time in their
as they get created, this ensures that what gets written to the chain lives. These points should not get discarded as marketing or talking
is accurate. If one part of the chain goes down, as long as more points. As we explore concepts further, we will discuss why they are
nodes are in the network, it will remain active and running. essential to self-sovereign identity and how it is possible.

Each block on the blockchain acts as a container that holds

transactions. Each transaction in a block can represent a variety
of things. The one most people will be familiar with is a monetary
transaction. If I purchase ADA, that transaction gets written to
the Cardano blockchain, along with dozens of other transactions
containing purchases/sales. These form a block that is validated
by the nodes. Validation is critical because it proves the data is Without this modest degree of
authentic as it gets distributed across the network (all the nodes). foresight, ethical norms would
seem to have little if any power
to guide our actions. For even a
timeless and universally binding
ethical principle presupposes that
we can imagine how adopting
that principle today is likely to
sustain or enrich the quality of
our lives tomorrow.
Technology and the Virtues, 2016, p. 6
What is identity?

Identity is the essence of who we are. A quick aside, an entity is defined as a thing Let’s say I bank with Acme Bank. They know
It comprises our immutable characteristics with a distinct and independent existence. about me and how much money I have
like race, sex, ethnicity, date of birth, and When we refer to identity, we speak to any because I have an account with them. If I
our mutable personas like online accounts, person, organization, corporation, business, walked into Mega Bank and asked for my
where we bank, our cell phone provider, physical or digital thing. We will use the funds, they would have no record of me or
etc. As we navigate daily life, everyone and term entity throughout this text with this my funds and would probably assume that I
everything we interact with converges with denotation. was attempting to rob the bank.
portions of our identity. It sounds ludicrous because it is. We do
Every individual has varying levels of trust not go to a different bank for access to our
In our exchanges with strangers, family, that take time to develop. It is a personal account–we go to our bank, where we are
friends, or businesses we leave traces of decision ingrained in our life experiences. known. These documents are not us.
ourselves behind. The information that we Nobody should be coerced into sharing They represent something about us. It is
share with individuals can be stored within information if they are uncomfortable critical to distinguish between who we are
human memory, likewise, the information with it. This idea is not an earth-shattering and authenticating information about us.
that we share with businesses is stored revelation, but it is essential to remember
within a data storage medium–to be that the decision should be ours.
recalled at a later time/date by both parties. “Identity is this incredible invisible
Because this level of data storage occurs, We should be able to distinguish between force that controls your whole life.
when we communicate with people, we who we are and the information about us
It’s invisible like gravity is invisible,
carefully control the information that we that gets authenticated. If I said my favorite
share in an attempt to mitigate our risks. color is blue, it might be accurate, but there but it controls your whole life.”
Digital interactions are more complex is no way to prove that. If I were required
Tony Robbins
because we do not control the data flow. to prove my age, that is something I can
There are pieces of information that we are authenticate with a government ID or
required to provide. a birth certificate.

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 7 Introduction

Using identity

Across the globe, people use their identities in different ways. Someone in the
United States is more likely to use a driver’s license daily than someone in Japan,
where public transportation is more widely accessible.

Every time we use a cell phone, social media, email, text, access a
bank account, or turn the lights on, we engage our identity. We have
a relationship with these entities through accounts or credentials
required to interact with them. If we had no credentials, how would
the cell phone provider or electric company know how much of the
utility we used and where to send the bill?

It is no different from interacting with a utility or a service,

like an email account. We have personas that we acquire
via a username and password, which grants us access to
our inbox, contacts, calendar, etc. We do not store that
data. It is accessible via permission–our credential.

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 8 Introduction

 We make these connections everywhere throughout our day. We may stand in line at our
local coffee shop and engage with a stranger. Our favorite barista may have children we
inquire about, which is a deeper relationship. The business itself would be more formal,
where we provide our name and payment information.

While we wait for our coffee, we may be texting friends, browsing social media, or talking
to someone on the phone. These interactions bring in the cell phone company and the
individuals we communicate with. We would easily add dozens of interactions during the
few minutes we are waiting. Conservatively, we can estimate 15 connections during our 15
minutes at the coffee shop.

If we begin adding these up throughout the day, that is 60 connections an hour and closing
in on 1,000 per 16 hours of being awake. Remember, this estimate is on the low side of the
scale–in many cases, this number will be much higher.

Hopefully, this has helped express how integral our identity is in our daily lives. Often, we
do not think about these associations or even consider engaging with them and sharing
information–but we constantly have these interactions throughout our day.

“The value of identity of course is so often

with it comes purpose.”
Richard Grant

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 9 Introduction

Identity management

There are a lot of dystopian ideas about digital identities. A widely used protocol to manage our personas is a process
Many of these ideas come from the book 1984. Citizens are called single-sign-on (SSO). This protocol allows us to sign in to
constantly under surveillance for their actions and the information another service through an existing relationship. An example of this
they share. The notion of big brother is a genuine concern, is Google. If you have an account with Google, you can use that
but as we walk through how it works, we hope to dispel these credential to access hundreds, if not thousands, of other services.
apprehensions. The uneasiness about fiction becoming a reality These services that offer SSO are called IDPs (identity providers).
is understandable. They offer conveniences but have many drawbacks that we will
explore later.
One of the best ways of countering these narratives is transparency.
In part, that is what we are doing here. There are several identity
models in use today. Looking at each and how they work will
illuminate the problems and benefits.

The average person has approximately 100 online accounts today.

Because of the growing number of personas, many have turned to
password or account management tools. These tools help organize
our personas–but most require another account and password to
access or unlock the management tool itself.

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 10 Introduction

Physical documents are another problem entirely. Today, many of our documents
are issued by a single office and usually printed on special paper with seals and/or
other security measures. If we lose a document or it is stolen, getting a replacement is
complicated. Typically, we must prove who we are in several forms to get a duplicate.
The process is extremely tedious, challenging, and time-consuming.

The last issue to discuss is identity theft. Having so much of our identity in the hands
of others opens us up to this growing problem. Our digital accounts can become
compromised, exposing any connected data, like bank accounts, credit cards, etc.
Theft occurs in physical documents, but digital identity is more prevalent
because of the flaws in the existing systems.

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 11 Introduction

The moral ideal is that of having ‘nothing to hide,’ and thus nothing
to lose from a transparent society. As Google CEO and Chairman
Eric Schmidt famously said in a candid news interview, “If you have
something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t
be doing it in the first place.” Aside from its outrageous conflation of
discretion and vice, this philosophy overlooks the fact that information
about me is also usually information about the others with whom
I share my life, and thus to focus only on the question of whether I
have something to hide is a profoundly solipsistic attitude to privacy
concerns, one incompatible with the virtue of moral perspective.
Technology and the Virtues, 2016, p. 191
Ethics

No matter what kind of product we are working on, we need to A question that we must ask ourselves in order to create more
reflect on our actions. Whether that be an algorithm, user interface, user-friendly technology for the future, without diving too deeply
experience, or hardware stack, all of our decisions impact the users into ethics is: What is the good life? Each of these philosophies
of our products. Are we creating something fair and responsible for defines it differently based on their ideas. As people in the emerging
individuals and humanity? Who defines these ethical principles? technology space, we should have some idea of what the good life
is for the users of our systems so that we can create technology
These are big questions. Answering the question is dependent on that works for the people. What that is should be carefully thought
what philosophical theory we follow. Do we draw upon our ancients, out, planned, and researched before sending something into the
such as Aristotle, Confucius, and Buddha–or modern philosophers, world.
maybe a combination of them all? Deciding on which ethical
framework to follow is not the focus here; the important part is There are many ethical considerations for a product that deals
applying some of these considerations to what we build. with identity, but several are crucial: accessibility, security, privacy,
agency, and censorship-resistance. We must understand the
We will not explore too deeply into the philosophical ideas and challenges outside of our geographic spaces to build a viable
debates regarding ethics. There are dozens of books written by product for all.
people who have studied these for decades. For continued
reading about these ethical frameworks, refer to the Ethics section An example of this is a conversation I had with a gentleman
in the Appendix. from Zambia, Africa. He explained that government IDs and birth
certificates do not get issued. In Zambia, the most common
document used for proving who you are is a certificate of baptism.
In most Western countries, this idea seems unbelievable because it
Sunlight is the best disinfectant.
is a keepsake document. This example is the kind of consideration
and understanding we should have when creating any product.

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 13 Introduction

For one thing, we would be foolish to neglect the rich resources for
our task already available to us within the classical virtue traditions
of Aristotelian, Confucian, and Buddhist ethics. These resources are of
more than historical interest, as the shared conceptual pillars of these
systems will turn out to be critical to the successful management of our
own present condition.

We should also recognize that every human understanding of moral

excellence bears the traces of one or more past traditions, and humans
have always sought insight from the moral sages of history, who
likewise sought to lift themselves and their own communities out of
shortsighted, base, ignorant, and destructive patterns of activity.
Technology and the Virtues, 2016, p. 61-62
Appendix

Ethics and likely to promote the ultimate aim of all human action: human flourishing or
living well (which for social animals like us, always means living well with others).
2.1 Classical Virtus Traditions: Aristotelian, Confucian, and Buddhist Ethics
A virtuous person reliably discerns and employs effective practical means to
2.1.1 Aristotelian Ethics achieve these ends, as appropriate to the specific circumstances in which he
The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle (384-322 BCE) greatly extended and finds himself. So, for example, we can imagine that in one situation a virtuous
modified the ethical teachings of his Athenian predecessors Socrates and Plato person may best promote the moral end of fiercely protecting an important
in a definitive series of lectures on the good life, the notes of which were collected secret; yet in a different time and place, the same person might rightly judge that
in a volume titled Nicomachean Ethics. With the notable exception of its enduring promoting the moral end requires him to expose that secret.
influence upon the Catholic moral tradition (largely owed to the writings of St. In Aristotle’s view, this discerning skill in living rightly is cultivated through a
Thomas Aquinas), Aristotelian ethics largely fell out of favor in the modern West process of habituation and gradual refinement of one’s character, in which one’s
until the mid-20th century, when it was returned to contemporary relevance by repeated practice of moral actions is guided and encouraged by a combination
a growing community of neo-Aristotelian virtue ethicists. As noted in Chapter of proper laws, moral education, and the presence of noble human models
1, its current revival is generating new scholarly interest in the applicability of (called phronimoi: ‘practically wise persons’) who exemplify and inspire virtuous
Aristotelian ethics to contemporary moral problems. living. In a fully cultivated or virtuous person (a phronimos), one’s habits, thoughts,
Many key features of Aristotle’s ethics were sketched in Chapter 1. However, it and emotions have been refined and harmonized to such a degree that virtuous
will help to summarize the core commitments of his approach. Aristotle claimed actions are consistent, produced with spontaneity and pleasurable ease, infused
that the highest good of a human life, that for the sake of which all voluntary with appropriate moral feeling and belief, and above all, intelligently guided by
human action occurs, is eudaimonia (variously translated as ‘happiness’ or practical wisdom or phrónēsis. While Aristotle reserves the very highest and rarest
‘human flourishing’). He claimed that eudaimonia is constituted by a complete form of eudaimonia for those suited to a life of theoretical reason–that is, a life
life of virtuous activity, defined as excellence in the active fulfillment of our unique spent contemplating eternal and divine realities–he claims that any human being
function (ergon) as human beings. Believing this function to be the exercise of our equipped with practical reason and a basic level of material security can achieve
capacity to reason, Aristotle argued that its fulfillment in a life of happiness with a flourishing and happy life through political activity and civic friendship (philia
others presupposes the self-cultivation of various moral excellences of ‘virtues’ politikē). This counts as eudaimonia because, like philosophical contemplation,
(arêtes) of character, such as courage (andreia), honesty (aletheia), patience living well in community with others also requires the constant exercise of our
(praotes), friendliness (philia), justice (dikaiosynē), and moderation (sōphrosúnē), distinctive capacity for higher reasoning. For Aristotle, expressing this function
along with the unifying intellectual virtue of practical wisdom (phrónēsis). (ergon) of our particular animal kind is what makes our lives humanly good.

A virtuous person who successfully cultivates these excellences is able to

perceive the right end or goal to seek in a wide range of practical situations. To
be right, the end must actually be achievable by the person in that situation,

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 69 Appendix

2.1.2 Confucian Ethics that determine the proper form of ritual expression called for in each situation. The
Kongzi (551-479 BCE) or ‘Master Kong’ (Latinized as ‘Confucius’) was a teacher practice of moral self-cultivation aims to gradually refine this intelligent sensitivity.
and local government minister in the Chinese state of Lu. His moral and political As with Aristotelian virtue ethics, Confucianism is shaped by a philosophical
philosophy is collected in a handful of classic works, the best known of which belief that the ultimate goal of a human life (here, a life lived in accordance with
today is the posthumously assembled Analects. Confucian moral philosophy, the Way/Dao) is timeless and fixed by nature, transcending cultures and history. As
also known as ‘Ruism,’ was greatly extended and enriched by disciples and later did Aristotle, Confucians also rely heavily on the use of human models to illustrate
followers of Kongzi, among the best known of whom are Mengzi (also known as and inspire virtuous living; while ‘adherence to the Way’ is the final standard of a
mencius) and Xunzi. From the time of the Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 AD) to the good life, individuals draw from observation or historical accounts of the behavior
present day, Confucian thought has exerted a powerful influence on Chinese of particular ‘exemplary persons’ (junzi) to learn what adherence as a form of
culture and the ideology of the Chinese state, though its classical form has habituated practical wisdom or “intelligent awareness” that harmonizes cognitive,
been repeatedly altered over the centuries by interactions with other moral and perceptual, and affective motivations and guides their unified and appropriate
political schools of thought, most notably Chinese Legalism, Buddhism, Daoism, expression in particular moral contexts. The cultivated person reliably discerns
and Communism. the ‘middle way’–the ‘mean state’ or “due measure and degree” of response
As with all rich moral traditions, Confucianism is marked by doctrinal disputes called for by a given moral situation–and enacts that response with spontaneous
over the ‘correct’ version of the original account. Among the best known of ease and an elegant, authentic style. Thus in both traditions, the rigid following of
these is the dispute between Menzi and Xunzi over whether human nature is established moral rules and the maximizing of moral utility and subservient and
fundamentally good or evil. Yet classical Confucian thought maintains a stable conditional aspects of virtuous living at best, and mere ‘semblances’ of virtue at
core, centered on the need for persons to cultivate in themselves the kind of moral worst. This stands in stark contrast to modern deontological or consequentialist
virtues that enable the flourishing of relationships within the family–virtues that moral theories that regard virtue as defined by strict adherence to such principles.
are then gradually extended outward to other relationships to promote broader Yet we must not elide important differences between Confucian and Aristotelian
political flourishing. The Confucian self is not an isolated, autonomous individual conceptions of the good life. For one thing, Confucians stress the logical and
but a being defined by relationships and reciprocal obligations to others. A life natural priority of family virtue, while Aristotle privileges the flourishing of the
that enables familial and political flourishing is understood by Confucians as political state or polis and sees family virtue as guided by and ultimately in service
a life in harmony with the Way (Dao), which is seen as a timeless ideal for the to the state. Nor do individual Confucian virtues map neatly onto Aristotelian
functioning of human societies. ones. Though significant resonances and overlaps can be discerned, for example
To become the sort of person whose life engages this ideal pattern, one must between zhi (wisdom or intelligent awareness) and Aristotelian phrónēsis
allow one’s character to be shaped by a lifelong study of moral tradition and the (practical wisdom), even virtues with nominal counterparts in Aristotle, such as
practice of accepted moral rituals or ‘rites’ (li). These rituals express and foster courage (yong), are framed very differently by Confucians. Among the Confucian
attitudes of moral respect and deference in everything from the treatment of virtues having no direct counterpart in Aristotle are benevolence or humanity
one’s family members, to the conduct of public ceremonies, to one’s personal (ren), ritual proprietary (li), appropriateness (yi), and empathic reciprocity (shu).
dress and bodily gestures. Yet as we will see, ritual practice must never be allowed Finally, nothing in Confucian thought replicates the tension found in Aristotle (and
to become rote, mechanical, or rigid; it must embody a deep cognitive and in Buddhism) between active political flourishing and a life of contemplative and
emotional sensitivity to the particular roles, circumstances, and human needs philosophical well-being; for Confucians, all human flourishing is embodied in
family and political life.

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 70 Appendix

2.1.3 Buddhist Ethics Many of Buddhism’s ethical norms follow from this view of all beings as casually
The religious and philosophical practice of Buddhism dates back to its origins on interconnected, in a manner that surpasses local spatiotemporal boundaries.
the Indian subcontinent in the 5th or perhaps 6th century BCE. Buddhism grew Buddhism also posits that suffering (duhkha), which it holds as fundamentally
out of a wider social phenomenon of spiritual wanderers devoted to challenging characterizing worldly existence within the cycle of rebirths, can be radically
the orthodox beliefs and practices of the Vedic tradition upon which modern transcended by reaching a state of enlightened liberation (nirvāna). Such as state,
Hinduism is founded. The historical individual credited with Buddhism’s founding is in which one achieves the same ‘awakened’ condition as did the original Buddha,
Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit; in Pāli script: Siddhattha Gotama), more commonly is in principle attainable within the lifetime of any individual by following the Noble
known as the Buddha (or the ‘awakened one’). Born to a royal family in what is now Eightfold Path, a developmental practice which jointly cultivates various practical
Nepal, as a young man Gautama renounced conventional social and religious life forms of spiritual knowledge (prajña), ethical conduct (sīla), and concentrated
and took up a personal quest for new spiritual and moral wisdom. As traditional awareness (samādhi).
accounts have it, he spent six years on his quest before becoming enlightened or While the moral teachings of Buddhism are sometimes described narrowly
‘awakened’ at the age of thirty-five, after which he spent the remainder of his life in terms of sīla–that is, adherence to the various ‘precepts’ or rules of ethical
spreading his religious and ethical teachings throughout northeastern India. conduct–a fuller understanding of Buddhist ethics conceives of sīla as one aspect
Following his passing at the reported age of eighty, Buddhist teachings and of complete virtue, which must be integrated with other virtuous dimensions
practices expanded, splintered, and were widely disseminated throughout of the Eightfold Path. That is, just as Confucian ritual action (li) and Aristotelian
Southeast and East Asia. While the highest concentrations of Buddhist moral habit (hexis) lead to genuine virtue only when integrated with appropriate
practitioners remain on the Asian continent, 20th century Buddhism is a global thought, perception, and feeling, Buddhist self-cultivation requires that fully
phenomenon with adherents numbering in the hundreds of millions–over a billion ethical conduct inform, and be informed by, right belief, right intention, and mental
on some accounts. Two major traditions of Buddhist thought are distinguished and emotional discipline. Such enrichment enables the enlightened person to
today, embodying significant divergences among their accepted teachings modulate his or her expression of the conventional moral precepts, or even in rare
and practices while retaining a common core of basic concepts and values. cases adopt ‘skillful means’ (upāya kauśalya) to suspend them, as called for by the
The oldest Theravada Buddhism, remains dominant in Southeast Asia, while morally relevant features of the particular situation. In this way, as with other virtue
Mahāyāna Buddhism is prevalent in East Asia where it takes a variety of cultural traditions, Buddhist ethics takes a holistic, flexible, and contextual approach to
forms (including Pure Land Zen, Tibetan, and other schools of Mahāyāna practice). moral action that is fundamentally distinct from either rule-based (deontological)
or consequentialist models of ethical life.
The core teachings of Buddhism are heavily rooted in traditional Vedic
metaphysics, incorporating its central concepts of karma (spiritually significant Buddhism’s resonances with other classical virtue traditions do not end here. As
action), samsāra (cycle of rebirths), Dharma (sacred duty or doctrine), and yoga with the central role granted by Confucian and Aristotelian ethics to ‘exemplary
(spiritual discipline). However, classical Buddhism departs from Vedic philosophy persons’ (the junzi and phronimoi respectively), bodhisattvas (persons actively
and Hinduism by denying the substantive reality of a self (ātman), a doctrine seeking enlightenment) generally receive direction to or assistance on the path
known as anātman (no-self). On this view, the worldly self that appears stable, of self-cultivation from the community of exemplary persons to which they
unified, and enduring is really no more than a collection of transient mental have access. In Buddhism this is the monastic community and lay members of
and physical phenomena of various types (the skandhas or ‘aggregates’); the Sangha, those spiritual and moral direction to others. Indeed, the virtuous
nor is there any ‘deeper’ unified self beneath the worldly one. Another key community of the Sanha represents one of the ‘Three Jewels’ of Buddhist teaching,
metaphysical principle is that of pratītya-samutpāda, or ‘dependent co-arising’. the other two being the sacred teachings of Dharma and the perfected being

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of the Buddha nature itself. dilemma pitting important interests of one’s father or ruler against the interests
As with Confucian and Aristotelian ethics, the moral vision of Buddhism is of a suffering multitude from a neighboring kingdom, a virtuous Buddhist and a
motivated by a teleology that regards a certain sort of life or nature (here, the virtuous Confucian might make very different choices.
Buddha-nature) as a timeless and nonnegotiable ideal for human beings. Additionally, devout Buddhists’ relative disregard for material goods and political
As do the other virtue traditions, classical Buddhism also stresses the role of status would be incomprehensible to Aristotle and Kongzi, who each regarded
habituation in moral self-cultivation; enlightenment is typically sought through poverty and political disenfranchisement as significant if not insuperable
devotional practices (yoga) that function to gradually shape one’s mental/ obstacles to human flourishing. Finally, the state of human flourishing at which
emotional dispositions into a highly refined and disciplined form. Thus at its core, Buddhists aim, namely nirvāna, implies a transcendence of local and worldly
Buddhist ethics, as with all virtue ethics, is about gradually transforming oneself striving that is wholly incompatible with Confucian ethics or with Aristotle’s life of
into a certain sort of person–one who can live in a way that is worthy of human political happiness, and distinct even from Aristotle’s highest ideal, a life of rational
aspirations. Right rules or precepts of action are only guideposts on the path to philosophical activity.
that destination, not the destination itself, nor even the entire path.

Still, there are deep disagreements between Buddhism and other virtue Technology and the Virtues, 2016, p. 36-44
traditions, and among various Buddhist schools, about the good life and the path
leading to it. First and foremost, while individual points of contact can be found
between the expansive catalog of Buddhist virtues and the far more limited
Aristotelian and Confucian ones, the overall character profiles of the exemplary
person appear quite different among all three. In particular, the Buddhist virtues of
humility, detached equanimity, and expansive compassion find no clear parallels,
and even direct opposition, in the Aristotelian model which encourages great men
to cultivate a character marked by warranted pride, appropriate ambition, and
righteous indignation.

Comparing the profiles of the Buddhist and Confucian virtues may at first seem
to reveal closer affinities; but even here, virtues that seem nominally similar turn
out to have very different meanings in their full moral contexts. For example,
one might try to pair the virtue of Buddhist generosity (dāna) with Confucian
benevolence (ren), or Buddhist compassion (karunā) with Confucian empathy
(shu). Yet such an impulse obscures the fact that while Buddhist regard traditional
kinship loyalties as resulting from deluded ignorance of our common nature
and our moral obligation to reduce suffering for all creatures, the Confucian
worldview emphasizes graded love and compassion, with those to whom we are
related and to whom we have incurred reciprocal social obligations having a far
stronger claim to our generosity and concern than do strangers. Faced with a

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 72 Appendix

 Powered by Cardano

Atala PRISM is powered by Cardano, which is built by a decentralized community

of scientists, engineers, and thought leaders united in a common purpose: to
create a technology platform that will ignite the positive change the world needs.
It is the first blockchain platform to be built through peer-reviewed research, to be
secure enough to protect the data of billions, scalable enough to accommodate
global systems, and robust enough to support foundational change.

ATAL A PR I SM - Foundations of Decentralized Identity 97 Contact

 Register to our Pioneer Program Contact us

The Atala PRISM Pioneer Program trains professionals, UX designers, and software Got a question about any aspect of Atala PRISM? Just send a message and
developers to design decentralized identity solutions and ecosystems using the someone from the appropriate team will be in touch.
Atala PRISM Software Development Kit (SDK).
Credits

Author: Peter Vielhaber

Design: Tanguy Henrijean
Richie Chew
Copy Editor: Darryn Brugioni
Atala PRISM
THANK YOU!