How Organisms Gained Causal Independence and How It Might Be Quantified
Two broad features are jointly necessary for autonomous agency: organisational closure and the embodiment of an objective-function providing a ‘goal’: so far only organisms demonstrate both. Organisational closure has been studied (mostly in abstract), especially as cell autopoie...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/7/3/38 |
| _version_ | 1797712436701167616 |
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| author | Keith Douglas Farnsworth |
| author_facet | Keith Douglas Farnsworth |
| author_sort | Keith Douglas Farnsworth |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Two broad features are jointly necessary for autonomous agency: organisational closure and the embodiment of an objective-function providing a ‘goal’: so far only organisms demonstrate both. Organisational closure has been studied (mostly in abstract), especially as cell autopoiesis and the cybernetic principles of autonomy, but the role of an internalised ‘goal’ and how it is instantiated by cell signalling and the functioning of nervous systems has received less attention. Here I add some biological ‘flesh’ to the cybernetic theory and trace the evolutionary development of step-changes in autonomy: (1) homeostasis of organisationally closed systems; (2) perception-action systems; (3) action selection systems; (4) cognitive systems; (5) memory supporting a self-model able to anticipate and evaluate actions and consequences. Each stage is characterised by the number of nested goal-directed control-loops embodied by the organism, summarised as will-nestedness N. Organism tegument, receptor/transducer system, mechanisms of cellular and whole-organism re-programming and organisational integration, all contribute to causal independence. Conclusion: organisms are cybernetic phenomena whose identity is created by the information structure of the highest level of causal closure (maximum N), which has increased through evolution, leading to increased causal independence, which might be quantifiable by ‘Integrated Information Theory’ measures. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:21:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f14458414555490f92404ed6999dfe21 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T07:21:47Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f14458414555490f92404ed6999dfe212023-09-02T22:24:38ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372018-06-01733810.3390/biology7030038biology7030038How Organisms Gained Causal Independence and How It Might Be QuantifiedKeith Douglas Farnsworth0School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast BT97BL, UKTwo broad features are jointly necessary for autonomous agency: organisational closure and the embodiment of an objective-function providing a ‘goal’: so far only organisms demonstrate both. Organisational closure has been studied (mostly in abstract), especially as cell autopoiesis and the cybernetic principles of autonomy, but the role of an internalised ‘goal’ and how it is instantiated by cell signalling and the functioning of nervous systems has received less attention. Here I add some biological ‘flesh’ to the cybernetic theory and trace the evolutionary development of step-changes in autonomy: (1) homeostasis of organisationally closed systems; (2) perception-action systems; (3) action selection systems; (4) cognitive systems; (5) memory supporting a self-model able to anticipate and evaluate actions and consequences. Each stage is characterised by the number of nested goal-directed control-loops embodied by the organism, summarised as will-nestedness N. Organism tegument, receptor/transducer system, mechanisms of cellular and whole-organism re-programming and organisational integration, all contribute to causal independence. Conclusion: organisms are cybernetic phenomena whose identity is created by the information structure of the highest level of causal closure (maximum N), which has increased through evolution, leading to increased causal independence, which might be quantifiable by ‘Integrated Information Theory’ measures.http://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/7/3/38autonomyIITcausationautopoiesiscognitionaction-selectionagencyfree willconsciousness |
| spellingShingle | Keith Douglas Farnsworth How Organisms Gained Causal Independence and How It Might Be Quantified Biology autonomy IIT causation autopoiesis cognition action-selection agency free will consciousness |
| title | How Organisms Gained Causal Independence and How It Might Be Quantified |
| title_full | How Organisms Gained Causal Independence and How It Might Be Quantified |
| title_fullStr | How Organisms Gained Causal Independence and How It Might Be Quantified |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Organisms Gained Causal Independence and How It Might Be Quantified |
| title_short | How Organisms Gained Causal Independence and How It Might Be Quantified |
| title_sort | how organisms gained causal independence and how it might be quantified |
| topic | autonomy IIT causation autopoiesis cognition action-selection agency free will consciousness |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/7/3/38 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT keithdouglasfarnsworth howorganismsgainedcausalindependenceandhowitmightbequantified |