Minimal definition of Agency

The capacity to maintain internal order (homeostasis) by:

• Distinguishing “Me” from “Not‑Me” (boundary).
• Updating a model (Context) from Texts.
• Acting in a closed loop (sense → update → intervene) to secure goals under constraints.

Closed‑loop control (sense → update → act)

• Sensing: acquire Texts.
• Update: adjust Context (beliefs, state estimates).
• Act: intervene to change future Texts (e.g., control inputs).
• Evaluate: compare outcomes to goals; iterate.

Delegation of Agency (measurement as closing the loop)

• An “event” becomes decisive when it enters the loop and one potential outcome becomes enacted (registered + acted upon).
• In quantum labs: choosing a measurement basis and registering an outcome is a concrete delegation event.

What to measure (operational markers)

• Closed‑loop evidence: interventions that measurably change future Texts.
• Counterfactual sensitivity: different actions → detectably different distributions.
• Model improvement: reduced predictive error/free energy over time.
• Costs: energy, time, bandwidth, memory.

Further reading: Operational Criteria, Text–Context–Interpretation, Quantum Foundations, Glossary.