Challenges to a Quantum-Theoretic Social Theory
Badredine Arfi
Millennium Journal of International Studies July 13, 2018 DOI: 10.1177/0305829818781691 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 6 |
| Key points | Argues that Alexander Wendt's claim to offer a literally quantum-theoretic account of consciousness and social structures, rather than a metaphor or analogy, faces three challenges that originate in quantum theory and that his approach cannot ignore. |
Abstract
A key claim that Alexander Wendt makes in his book Quantum Mind and Social Science: Unifying Physical and Social Ontology is that he is not using the 'quantum' as a metaphor.Nor is he drawing analogies either.He argues that he is constructing a quantum theory of the human subject and social structures through a quantum-theoretic explanation of consciousness undergirded by a panpsychist hypothesis of primitive protoconsciousness.In this article I show how Wendt's insistence that he is developing a literally-speaking quantum-theoretic approach presents him with a number of must-notignore challenges that originate in quantum theory.I specifically discuss three challenges