Causally embedded agency

Embodiment and other origin stories for minds

2025-12-22 — 2026-02-03

Wherein causal embedding is proposed as a framing for embodiment and stochastic parrotology, and formal approaches to empowerment and an ecology of mind are promised.

adaptive
agents
causality
cooperation
economics
evolution
extended self
game theory
graphical models
incentive mechanisms
learning
mind
networks
social graph
utility
wonk
Figure 1

When people talk about embodiment, they’re questioning whether the body is a necessary part of the mind. When they ask about stochastic parrotology, they’re wondering whether interacting with the world is a necessary part of agency.

I suspect both of these frustratingly vague families of questions can be made more precise by considering the idea of causal embedding.

Maybe we could also better understand empowerment and ecology of mind by using this framing? Also, perhaps something more useful and interesting than that free will question philosophers get exercised about.

Let’s see. Formalisms to come.

Probably related, in some unnecessarily convoluted way: Embedded agency.

1 References

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Dobbyn, and Stuart. 2003. “The Self as an Embedded Agent.” Minds and Machines.
Everitt, Carey, Langlois, et al. 2021. “Agent Incentives: A Causal Perspective.” In Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence.
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