Federico Faggin and John Onimisi Obidi on the Theory of Consciousness: Federico Faggin's Theory of Irreducible Consciousness and Obidi's Entropic Reality in Theory of Entropicity (ToE)
Federico Faggin’s work, primarily his Quantum Information Panpsychism (QIP), posits that consciousness is a fundamental, irreducible, and active quantum field rather than an emergent property of the brain. When interpreted within the context of the "Theory of Entropicity" (ToE)—which defines entropy as a dynamical, foundational field rather than mere statistical disorder—Faggin's philosophy is extended to mean that consciousness and its interaction with matter are fundamentally driven by entropy flows.
- Fundamental Information: Faggin argues that quantum information is not just binary data, but qualitative and experiential (qualia). In the Theory of Entropicity, this information is carried by entropy, where the "SRE (Self-Referential Entropy) Index" quantifies the internal feedback of a system, representing its capacity to experience.
- Active Consciousness: Rather than a passive observer, consciousness in this model acts as a "part-whole" unit that uses entropy to shape physical reality.
- Irreversibility and Choice: The "No-Rush Theorem" in ToE establishes a lower bound on interaction durations, which aligns with Faggin’s view that the collapse of the wavefunction (an act of choice or free will) is not instantaneous but a deliberate, irreversible process.
- Entropy-Driven Decoherence: The Theory of Entropicity suggests that the "collapse" of quantum potentiality into actual, classical reality is driven by a flow of entropy.
- Matter as "Frozen" Consciousness: Faggin proposes that matter is the "structured unfolding of consciousness into form". Within this framework, matter can be viewed as highly organized, low-entropy states (or "frozen" information) generated by conscious entities.
- Beyond Materialism: Faggin argues that the universe is not a machine (which follows deterministic, high-entropy, or purely entropic paths) but a living, conscious, and evolving system.
- Quantum Information Panpsychism (QIP): This is Faggin's core theory, which suggests that every conscious unit ("monad") has free will and uses quantum information to communicate meaning.
- Internal vs. External Reality: Faggin distinguishes between the internal reality of experience (meaning) and the external reality of observation (data). The Theory of Entropicity suggests that the bridge between these is the process of measurement (irreversible entropy flow).
- "One" Consciousness: Faggin suggests a "One," which is the source of all conscious units.
Appendix: Extra Matter
- Fundamental Reality: Faggin argues that consciousness is not an emergent byproduct of brain complexity (materialism) but the fundamental essence from which the material universe emerges.
- The "One" and Quantum Information: Faggin introduces the concept of the "One"—a unified, conscious field that creates the physical world as information. This correlates with the idea that information itself is an "entropy carrier" subject to context-dependent thresholds that govern measurement.
- Intentionality vs. Randomness: In this view, entropy is not just random decay but a purposeful, dynamic process (Entropicity) that supports the evolution of the universe. It is guided by the "desire" of conscious entities (monads) to know themselves.
- Quantum Units: Faggin posits that every conscious unit ("monad" or self-aware quantum system) is a "part-whole"—a piece of the universe that contains the essence of the whole.
- Entropic Feedback: The "Self-Referential Entropy" (SRE) index within the Theory of Entropicity quantifies a system's internal entropic feedback. Faggin’s model suggests these systems (human, biological) use this feedback for purposeful, non-deterministic action (free will).
- Subjective Action: In the Theory of Entropicity, wave-function collapse is an irreversible process driven by entropy. Faggin interprets this collapse not as a passive, objective measurement (as in the Copenhagen interpretation), but as an active, creative act of a conscious observer.
- Quantum Information: Faggin argues that quantum information is qualitative and experiential, not just quantitative data.
- Free Will: Free will is viewed as an intrinsic property of these quantum-conscious units, explaining why quantum probabilities are not merely due to a lack of knowledge, but rather the result of active, agent-driven choices.
- Matter as "Frozen" Consciousness: The material, "inanimate" universe is seen as a symbolic, low-entropy manifestation (a lower state of awareness) created by deeper quantum processes.
- No-Rush Theorem: Faggin's framework aligns with the "No-Rush Theorem" in ToE, which establishes that fundamental physical processes cannot occur instantaneously, allowing for the gradual unfolding of conscious experience.
- Fundamental Reality: Faggin argues that consciousness is the primary, fundamental essence of existence, and the material universe is its expression.
- Quantum Information as Experience: Under this view, quantum information is not merely quantitative data but qualitative and experiential, representing "inner experience".
- The "One" Consciousness: Faggin introduces the concept of the "One," a holistic source of consciousness and free will, where individual entities ("seities" or "monads") are part of a unified, living field.
- Irreversibility and Free Will: Faggin connects the collapse of the wave function (the transition from quantum possibilities to a single reality) to an act of free will by a conscious agent.
- The "No-Rush" Theorem: ToE links this to a "No-Rush" principle, suggesting that quantum measurements and acts of consciousness are not instantaneous but have a required duration, which helps explain the persistence and stability of the physical world.
- Meaning-Based Information: In this interpretation, the "entropy" in question is not just disorder, but the mechanism by which conscious agents extract meaning from their environment, enforcing the irreversibility of time and experience.
- Part-Whole Relationship: Faggin suggests that every conscious unit (cell, person, atom) is a "part-whole," containing the knowledge of the entire universe, allowing for a deep interconnection between individual and cosmic consciousness.
- Internal vs. External Reality: The theory separates "Internal Reality" (consciousness, meaning, feeling) from "External Reality" (the physical world, which is a symbolic, information-based representation of internal states).
- Computers vs. Consciousness: A major implication is that artificial intelligence, which operates on classical, deterministic algorithms, can never be conscious because it lacks the intrinsic ability to experience the "qualia" of a quantum field.
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