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.