Agency vs Drift: Foundations of Thermodynamic Agency

In the previous post, we introduced the premise that agency is fundamentally physical. We now consider the essential opposition to agency: drift—the natural tendency of systems toward entropy.

This contrast between intentional agency and entropic drift forms the foundational dynamic underpinning the Physics of Agency.

Drift: The Natural Tendency toward Entropy

Absent intentional intervention, systems inevitably evolve toward greater disorder and higher entropy:

• Gases disperse uniformly.

• Heat flows spontaneously from hot to cold.

• Complex structures degrade over time.

• Information dissipates into noise.

This drift toward entropy is not purposive; it is a statistical inevitability, reflecting the greater probability of disordered states.

Agency: Intentional Resistance to Entropy

Agency, by contrast, is the intentional effort by an agent to counteract drift. Specifically, agency involves:

• Constructing predictive internal models of possible future states.

• Intentionally biasing reality toward preferred outcomes through physical intervention.

• Investing measurable amounts of energy to create or maintain structured states that would otherwise succumb to entropic drift.

Every act of genuine agency imposes a directional structure upon the naturally entropic unfolding of the universe.

Thermodynamic Cost of Agency

Intentionally resisting entropy requires an expenditure of physical energy. This energetic cost is intrinsic and inevitable:

• Every kybit of intentional control corresponds directly to thermodynamic work performed.

• Agency thus manifests physically as a continuous local struggle against the global increase of entropy.

From this perspective, each act of intentionality is fundamentally an energetic investment against disorder.

Why This Framework Matters

In a universe dominated by entropic drift, agency is not merely a subjective experience—it is a physical process of selectively reinforcing certain realities at the expense of others.

Absent agency, the future unfolds passively, branching randomly. However, when agents actively intervene, they intentionally amplify selected futures, altering the branching measure across possible outcomes.

Thus, agency represents a physically grounded mechanism by which certain futures become systematically privileged.

Reflective Question

How might recognizing intentional agency as a physical resistance against entropy alter our understanding of responsibility and decision-making in fields such as ethics, economics, or systems theory?

(Please share your insights in the comments.)

Next post: "The Kybit: A New Unit of Control"