In this note, we will explore one of the key concepts—agency—as a lens for understanding human agency. The complementary concept is observation itself, which refers to the capacity of humans to act, make decisions, and influence the world.
Agency is the capacity of an individual to imagine possibilities, reflect on them, form intentions, and act upon them in the world.
Note: In its current form, this document constitutes a general approximation to a theory of agency—particularly collective agency.
Related Concepts: Consciousness, Free Will, Cognitive Science (Mind, Behavior)
Note: This is one of the most important notes I have. It addresses the concept of agency as embedded—how we perceive others and act in relation to them—and extends this analysis to sets of actors organized into group formation
This framework presents a structured representation of agency: the architecture through which an agent perceives, interprets, decides, acts, and adapts within an environment.
It organizes the layered cognitive and behavioral processes that transform raw environmental signals into deliberate action, and subsequently into adaptive learning. The model traces the flow from abstract orientation (vision, principles) to observable behavior (action), while explicitly incorporating feedback loops that update internal representations and modify future conduct.
This structure is hierarchical for analytical clarity. However, the hierarchy does not imply strict temporal precedence. Higher-order constructs (e.g., vision) may emerge independently of prior perceptual grounding, though they remain incomplete or unstable without eventual reconciliation with experience.
At its core, the model describes:
| Tier | Level | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Environment | Reality | The external context in which the agent operates, providing stimuli and responding to the agent’s actions. |
| Perceptual (Behavioral → Cognitive) | Sensor Input | Raw signals from the environment resulting from action–environment interaction; provides feedback but does not itself constitute meaning. |
| Interpretive (Cognitive) | Interpretation | Processing inputs through models and principles to make sense of situations. |
| Interpretive (Cognitive) | Imagination | The ability to generate novel scenarios, hypotheses, or mental simulations beyond current perceptions and known models. |
| Interpretive (Cognitive) | Problematization | The ability to identify gaps between the current state and a desired state, question assumptions, and define meaningful problems. This creates the “problem space” for action. |
| Imaginative | Vision | The overarching orientation or desired state that anchors all lower levels; a conception of “what ought to be.” |
| Representational (Cognitive) | Model | Internal representation of environment, self, or system. |
| Deliberative (Normative → Strategic) | Goal | Concrete, prioritized target states selected in alignment with the vision and principles; defines what is to be achieved within a given horizon. |
| Foundational (Cognitive) | Principle | Core values, rules, or heuristics guiding decisions. |
| Strategic (Cognitive) (How to do it?) | Strategy | High-level goals and approaches derived from interpretation. |
| Operational (Bridging Cognitive → Behavioral) (How to do it?) | Scheme | Structured methods for implementing strategies across contexts. |
| Tactical (Behavioral) (How to do it?) | Tactic | Short-term, concrete maneuvers to achieve scheme-level objectives. |
| Planning (Behavioral) (How to do it?) | Plan | Sequenced actions designed to execute tactics and achieve objectives. |
| Programmatic (Behavioral–Organizing) (What do do?) | Project | A bounded, goal-oriented organizational unit that instantiates a scheme through coordinated plans, resources, and responsibilities. |
| Execution (Behavioral) (What do do?) | Action | Actual behavior or interventions in the environment. |
| Adaptive (Re-Interpretive) | Feedback | Information about outcomes that updates models, principles, strategies, and possibly vision. |