In this note, we will explore one of the key concepts—observation—as a lens for understanding human agency. The complementary concept is agency itself, which refers to the capacity of humans to act, make decisions, and influence the world. Observation allows us to study how agents perceive, interpret, and respond to their environment, providing insight into the mechanisms of action and choice.
Goals:
What is an observation? How observation are represented? What is Observer Theory? What is the Structure of Observer Theory?
Observer: Reality → Perception → Representation or Description.
Observer: An entity—human, machine, or conceptual—that perceives, measures, or collects information about a system or phenomenon. An observer may interpret, encode, or transform this information into a representation or description.
Reality: The totality of phenomena, processes, and structures that exist independently of the observer. Reality provides the source of information for observation, whether directly accessible or mediated.
Perception: The process by which an observer senses, interprets, and organizes input from reality. Perception is not a passive reception but an active construction that shapes what the observer can detect, attend to, and subsequently represent.
Representation: A formal or structured encoding of perceived phenomena, such as symbols, models, diagrams, equations, code, or neural patterns. A representation stands for aspects of reality and allows the observer to manipulate, communicate, or reason about them.
Description: A concrete account, statement, or depiction of a representation, expressed in natural or formal language, diagrams, or other communicable forms. Descriptions aim to explain, characterize, or make phenomena understandable to the observer or others.
Reality refers to the totality of extra-mental elements that exist independently of any observer. It encompasses objects, events, processes, and structures that can, in principle, be perceived, measured, or modeled.
Observers engage with reality through perception and representation, creating mental models or symbolic representations that allow them to structure, interpret, and act within it.
Indirection in reality refers to the distance or mediation between phenomena that exist in the world and our perception or understanding of them. For example, consider the concept of a “rock.” This concept is an abstract category that we use to classify certain objects in the world. While the concept has a direct reference to reality—i.e., it points to actual physical stones—the category itself is not the rock; it is a mental representation that mediates our understanding of the phenomena. In this sense, reality is accessed indirectly through concepts, models, and perceptions, rather than encountered in its raw, uninterpreted form.