Governance
Why Governance, Not Configuration
The Configuration Illusion
Most enterprise systems offer "configurable policies."
This is an illusion of control.
Configuration is reversible.
Configuration is forgettable.
Configuration is not enforceable in court.
When a regulator asks why a decision was made,
"it was configured that way" is not an answer—
because configuration can be changed without a trace.
Governance Is Architecture
PMFA does not offer configuration.
PMFA offers governance.
Governance is:
— declared in policy, not scattered in code
— versioned and immutable
— traceable to every decision it produced
— auditable by external authority
When policy changes, the change is an event.
The old policy remains on record.
The system remembers what governed what—and when.
The Difference
| Configuration | Governance |
|---|---|
| Can be changed at runtime | Changes are versioned events |
| No history by default | Complete history by design |
| Trust that it was set correctly | Proof that it governed correctly |
| Audit requires documentation | Audit is automatic |
The Manifest Is Sovereign
All decisions flow from the Manifest. The Manifest defines what PMFA is. Individual interpretations may vary, but the Manifest is the final authority.
The Canon Is Closed
The 40 essays constitute a closed system. They will not be expanded. New ideas must fit within existing axioms or remain outside the canon.
No Democratic Dilution
PMFA is not governed by consensus. Popular opinion does not modify doctrine. If the majority disagrees with an axiom, the majority is wrong—or PMFA is not for them.
Compliance Is Binary
A system is either PMFA-compliant or it is not. There are no degrees. Partial compliance is non-compliance.
The System Enforces Itself
In a correctly built PMFA system, governance is automatic. The system prevents violations. Human oversight exists for edge cases, not for routine operations.
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