Decision Making Principle 3: Evidence over Authority
Rank and tenure do not replace reasoning — standing follows track record in domain
Principle
Evidence and reasoning outrank title at the commitment boundary; authority weight follows track record in the relevant domain, not rank alone.
Decision Making Principle 3 puts evidence over authority. Rank and tenure must not replace reasoning; junior signal must not disappear because power owns the narrative.
What it requires
- Authority weight follows track record in domain — not title alone
- Designated captured evidence in the (A)DR — load tests, models, studies — with honest tiers
- Positional authority is not epistemic authority (But Commitment Is Not Enough)
Why irreducible
Without it, errors persist because power owns them — the organisational form of epistemic tier collapse.