[Fis] What is “Agent”?

[Alex Hankey]

David Chalmers's analysis made it clear that if agents exist, then they are
as fundamental to the universe as electrons or gravitational mass.

Certain kinds of physiological structure support 'agents' - those
emphasized by complexity biology. But the actual subject has to be
non-reducible and fundamental to our universe.

Alex


On 17 October 2017 at 04:53, Arthur Wist <arthur.wist at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Krassimir, Dear FIS,
>
> I suspect one might find a way to answer this question about what
> constitutes an agent in this paper by J.H. van Hateren:
>
> https://arxiv.org/abs/1407.8314
>
> Entitled: "What does Maxwell's demon want from life? When information
> becomes functional and physical"
>
> (which also provides an important distinction about 'information')
>
> However, I would propose that 'an agent' /as such/ cannot exist, in the
> sense that it cannot exist as a fundamental, but that a system imbued with
> quality of agency however, *can* exist.
>
> Yet, this, as does the paper, would seem to pose the question of what
> endows a system with the quality of 'agency'. Perhaps one ought to use
> Heinz von Förster's approximation of "Recursively Operating Non-Trivial
> Machine", but replace "machine" with "system", and assume that this
> consequently leads to that...
>
> Kind regards,
>
>
> Arthur
>
>
> On Mon, 16 Oct 2017, 09:46 Gyorgy Darvas, <darvasg at iif.hu> wrote:
>
>> Information exists at all levels of Agents.
>>
>> Good luck,
>> Gyuri
>>
>>
>> On 2017.10.15. 23:27, Krassimir Markov wrote:
>> > Dear FIS Colleagues,
>> >
>> > After nice collaboration last weeks, a paper Called “Data versus
>> > Information” is prepared in very beginning draft variant and already is
>> > sent to authors for refining.
>> > Many thanks for fruitful work!
>> >
>> > What we have till now is the understanding that the information is some
>> > more than data.
>> > In other words:
>> >       d = r
>> >       i = r + e
>> > where:
>> >       d => data;
>> >       i => information;
>> >       r => reflection;
>> >       e => something Else, internal for the Agent (subject, interpreter,
>> > etc.).
>> >
>> > Simple question: What is “Agent”?
>> >
>> > When an entity became an Agent? What is important to qualify the entity
>> as
>> > Agent or as an Intelligent Agent? What kind of agent is the cell? At the
>> > end - does information exist for Agents or only for Intelligent Agents?
>> >
>> > Thesis: Information exists only for the Intelligent Agents.
>> >
>> > Antithesis: Information exists at all levels of Agents.
>> >
>> > Friendly greetings
>> > Krassimir
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
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>>
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-- 
Alex Hankey M.A. (Cantab.) PhD (M.I.T.)
Distinguished Professor of Yoga and Physical Science,
SVYASA, Eknath Bhavan, 19 Gavipuram Circle
Bangalore 560019, Karnataka, India
Mobile (Intn'l): +44 7710 534195
Mobile (India) +91 900 800 8789
____________________________________________________________

2015 JPBMB Special Issue on Integral Biomathics: Life Sciences, Mathematics
and Phenomenological Philosophy
<http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00796107/119/3>
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