Control at the heart of life: a philosophical review of perceptual control theory

Perceptual-control theory offers a physically reductive way to account for teleology or goal-directedness, ranging from the initial emergence of life to creatures capable of regulating their own consciousness. This broad framework motivates key aspects of the perceptual-control model including the flexibility of behaviour, the hierarchy of aims or values, and the links between control and affective states. In this way, perceptual control theory integrates the psychological constants of representation, evaluation, and action.