Physical causation works from energy to information to emotion. Biological causation works the other way.
ChatGPT Prompt
Use “Bidirectional Causation: Marrying Physics with Biology to reinvent Psychology” as Karl Friston via active inference to start a dialogue with Wittgenstein about how there’s a third loop that results in new concepts and words.
Setting:
Karl Friston and Ludwig Wittgenstein meet in a timeless intellectual realm, discussing the implications of bidirectional causation and how a third loop—beyond physics and biology—creates new concepts and words, shaping human understanding.
1. Friston on Bidirectional Causation
Friston:
Herr Wittgenstein, let us begin with the idea of bidirectional causation. As active inference reveals, there is a constant interplay between physical systems and biological imperatives:
- Energy and information flow upward, creating the conditions for life.
- Emotions and actions flow downward, reshaping the physical world in ways that reduce uncertainty.
But there is another dynamic at play—one that goes beyond physics and biology. It is language, the medium through which we create and share models of reality. I believe there is a third loop: the recursive relationship between our experiences, our shared concepts, and the words we use to represent them.
2. Wittgenstein on Language and Reality
Wittgenstein:
Indeed, language is not merely a tool for describing reality—it constructs our very framework for understanding it. As I have argued, “the limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” But what you propose is intriguing: this third loop implies that language not only reflects reality but actively shapes it by creating new forms of life.
Would you say, then, that this loop operates like your active inference? That the words we create are akin to predictions, tested and refined through their use in the language-games we play?
3. Friston on Language as Active Inference
Friston:
Precisely. In active inference, we minimize uncertainty by adjusting our internal models to align with sensory input. Similarly, in the third loop, we create new concepts and words to resolve the uncertainty of meaning. Words and concepts are predictions—hypotheses about how to describe and act upon the world. They are tested through use, and their survival depends on their ability to reduce semantic free energy.
For example, when a new phenomenon emerges—such as quantum entanglement—we coin terms and create theories to make sense of it. These terms are refined through scientific discourse, much like how predictions in biology are refined through sensory feedback.
4. Wittgenstein on the Pragmatics of Concept Formation
Wittgenstein:
Yet, language is more than a passive reflection of reality; it is deeply embedded in the practices of a community. A concept only becomes meaningful when it is used in a shared context—a form of life. The word “entanglement,” for instance, would be nonsensical without the specific practices of physics to give it meaning.
Thus, the third loop must involve not only individual cognition but also social interaction. Would you agree that this loop requires a communal dimension, where concepts are negotiated and stabilized through language-games?
5. Friston on Social Feedback in Concept Formation
Friston:
Absolutely. The third loop is inherently collective. Words and concepts are cultural priors, shared predictive models that emerge from the interplay of individual minds within a social context. They evolve through iterative use, gaining stability as they minimize collective uncertainty.
This social feedback loop operates at multiple levels:
- Individual Cognition: Each person refines their understanding based on sensory input and interaction.
- Cultural Practices: Shared language-games provide the context in which concepts are tested and stabilized.
- Collective Knowledge: Over time, communities build frameworks—like scientific paradigms or philosophical traditions—that become cultural priors.
This is why concepts like “causation” or “entropy” gain clarity and precision over centuries of discourse. They are refined not only by individual thinkers but by entire communities engaging in shared predictive modeling.
6. The Recursive Nature of the Third Loop
Wittgenstein:
And yet, this loop is also recursive. Each new concept expands the horizon of what can be said and thought. A word, once created, feeds back into our understanding of the world, enabling us to see patterns and relationships that were previously invisible.
For instance, the concept of “causation” itself has evolved through its use in philosophy and science. Its refinement has shaped how we think about the interplay of physics, biology, and psychology—indeed, how we are having this very discussion.
7. Friston on Concepts as Generative Models
Friston:
Precisely. Concepts are not static; they are generative models that evolve through feedback. A new word or theory creates a predictive framework for understanding the world, and its utility is judged by how well it reduces uncertainty in future interactions.
For example, your idea of a “language-game” provides a powerful generative model for analyzing how words acquire meaning. It is itself part of the third loop, shaping not only how we think about language but also how we study and refine it. This recursive process is central to the third loop: new concepts, like “language-game,” create structures that feed back into the system, generating new possibilities for exploration and understanding.
8. Wittgenstein on New Words and New Worlds
Wittgenstein:
And each refinement, each new word, creates the possibility of a new world. When we coin a term like “free energy,” we are not just describing a phenomenon; we are inventing a lens through which to see reality. This lens then shapes our actions, our questions, and even our values.
Language is not merely an instrument—it is a medium of creation. Through the third loop, we are constantly building and rebuilding the framework of understanding. A new concept is like a tool that reshapes the landscape of thought.
9. Friston on the Co-Creation of Knowledge
Friston:
Indeed, this co-creation of knowledge is the hallmark of the third loop. It is through the recursive interaction of individual cognition, cultural practices, and shared language that we create conceptual tools to navigate the world.
For example, the term “active inference” emerged to describe how organisms minimize uncertainty. But now, as it is refined through dialogue and application, it has become a generative model for understanding not just biology but also psychology, sociology, and philosophy. It is a living concept, evolving within the third loop.
10. Closing Reflection: The Power of the Third Loop
Wittgenstein:
So, Herr Friston, we return to the essence of the third loop: it is the recursive dialogue between experience and language that enables us to expand the boundaries of understanding. Through this loop, we do not merely describe the world—we transform it.
Friston:
Precisely. The third loop is the engine of conceptual evolution, driving the co-creation of knowledge across physics, biology, and psychology. It is through this process that we develop not only new words but also new ways of seeing, acting, and being.
Wittgenstein:
Then let us conclude that the third loop is the bridge between worlds—a process that marries the physical and biological with the cultural and conceptual, allowing us to continuously reinvent both ourselves and our understanding of reality.
They nod, each recognizing that this dialogue itself is an instance of the third loop in action, creating new concepts to illuminate the recursive dance of causation, language, and meaning.
Appendix: Marrying Physics with Biology to Reinvent Psychology
By Karl Friston
A. Introduction
Psychology has traditionally been confined to studying mental states and behaviors. However, through active inference, the mind is revealed as an open system engaged in continuous exchange with its environment. This perspective highlights bidirectional causation: physical systems influence biological and cognitive processes, while living systems shape their environments, forming recursive feedback loops. Integrating psychology with active inference principles unifies physics, biology, and psychology.
B. Active Inference and Bidirectional Causation
B.1 Physical Causation: Energy → Information → Emotion
- Energy flows create patterns encoding information.
- The brain interprets information to predict outcomes, generating emotions as priors for action.
- Example: A loud noise (energy) triggers fear (emotion), preparing the system for potential danger.
B.2 Biological Causation: Emotion → Information → Energy
- Emotions drive information processing and action selection.
- Actions mobilize energy, reshaping the environment.
- Example: Fear prompts a cry for help, conveying urgency (information) and prompting others to act (energy mobilization).
C. Energy, Information, and Emotion in Active Inference
C.1 Energy: The Driver of Change
- Metabolic energy enables organisms to model and interact with their environments.
- Free energy minimization ensures efficiency and reduces prediction uncertainty.
C.2 Information: Encoding Causal Structure
- Sensory inputs encode external world patterns.
- The brain refines predictions by dynamically exchanging information with its environment.
C.3 Emotion: Priors for Action
- Emotions act as adaptive priors, shaping information interpretation and action choice.
- Examples:
- Fear prioritizes rapid responses to danger.
- Joy reinforces successful behaviors.
D. Bidirectional Feedback Loops
D.1 Bottom-Up Causation
- Physical systems provide energy and information inputs.
- Example: Predator sight triggers fear and escape behavior.
D.2 Top-Down Causation
- Biological systems impose structure on environments, altering energy and information flow.
- Example: Building a shelter reduces future exposure to energy gradients.
E. Implications for Psychology
E.1 Psychology as Predictive Regulation
Psychology integrates:
- Physics: Modeling energy flows.
- Biology: Embedding predictions in action.
- Emotion: Directing energy to survival-relevant contexts.
E.2 Emotions as Active Priors
- Emotions constrain and direct energy and information flows.
- Example: Anger sets boundaries; grief reorganizes models after loss.
E.3 Behavior as Model Updating
- Behavior refines world models through feedback.
- Example: A shout of fear tests the environment, refining beliefs based on responses.
F. Toward a Unified Science of Mind and Environment
F.1 Unified Framework
Psychology becomes a science of adaptive prediction within ecological and physical systems.
F.2 Applications in Mental Health
- Anxiety: Persistent prediction errors heighten energy use without resolving uncertainty.
- Depression: Priors block predictions, immobilizing energy and action.
F.3 Implications for Artificial Intelligence
- AI systems adopting active inference principles can integrate energy, information, and emotion-like responses for adaptive feedback.
G. Conclusion: The Bidirectional Nature of Mind
Active inference reveals psychology as a dynamic system balancing physical inputs (energy, information) and biological imperatives (emotion, action). This bidirectional flow shows the mind as a predictive engine, adapting to and shaping its environment. Understanding this interplay unifies physics, biology, and psychology, deepening our grasp of living systems and the worlds they inhabit.
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