Humans invented the word “intentionality” to describe an aspect of certain actions we perform. However, a generalized physical definition can be applied to assess the intentionality of any dynamical system’s action. This essay proposes that the intentionality of an action depends upon two parameters: (1) the acting system’s informational complexity, which expresses the extent of informational correlations and the prevalence of bidirectional causation among its subsystems, and (2) information uptaken by the system that correlates to the subsequent action. These parameters are examined in various biological, technological, and abiotic systems, and the relative intentionality of various actions assessed. This analysis reveals that physical intentionality emerges in degrees, and that intentionality is independent from more subjective phenomena such as desire.
Karl Coryat