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Quantum International Relations: A Human Science for World Politics James Der Derian full chapter instant download
Quantum International Relations: A Human Science for World Politics James Der Derian full chapter instant download
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Quantum International Relations
Quantum International
Relations
A Human Science for World Politics
Edited by
JA M E S D E R D E R IA N A N D A L E X A N D E R W E N D T
1
3
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers
the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education
by publishing worldwide. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University
Press in the UK and certain other countries.
DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197568200.001.0001
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Paperback printed by LSC Communications, United States of America
Hardback printed by Bridgeport National Bindery, Inc., United States of America
Contents
I N T R O D U C T IO N
PA RT 1 . H I S T O RY A N D T H E O RY
PA RT 2 . S C I E N C E A N D T E C H N O L O G Y
PA RT 3 . Q UA N T I Z I N G I R
PA RT 4 . B R I N G I N G T H E H UM A N
BAC K I N T O S C I E N C E
16. Introspection Redux: Incorporating Consciousness into
Social Research 323
Leonardo Orlando
17. To “See” Is to Break an Entanglement: Quantum Measurement,
Trauma, and Security 342
K. M. Fierke and Nicola Mackay
18. The Moral Failure of the Quest for Certainty 361
Laura Zanotti
Index 381
Foreword: Setting the Stage
Stephen J. Del Rosso
When asked in the early post–Cold War years what to make of the continued tur-
bulence that had dashed the promise of a new era of peace and stability in world
affairs, the astute diplomat, political scientist, and social philosopher Harland
Cleveland told this author that “everything is related to everything else, only
more so now than ever.”1 The first half of this seemingly unremarkable but decep-
tively insightful statement had become increasingly apparent in the international
relations (IR) field, where the acceleration of interactions across time and space
was attributed to the inexorable forces of globalization. It also held true within
certain branches of physics, but for different reasons. In quantum physics, the
microscopic world under examination was inextricably interconnected in ways
that conformed to an elegant and unerring mathematical logic that lent solidity
and structure, however “weird,” to an otherwise inscrutable level of analysis.
It is the second half of Cleveland’s sentence where basic understandings of IR
and quantum physics diverge and where perceptions of reality come further into
play. While the IR specialist of that era could point to phenomena in the macro-
scopic world—ethnic conflict, “failed states,” resource scarcity, and new forms of
nuclear danger—that appeared to overlap and connect with increased frequency,
these did not represent a step change in world affairs. Rather, the end of the bi-
polar Cold War standoff that had attracted most of the attention within the field
had made more visible developments that had long been unfolding. Similarly,
in commenting on 9/11 two decades later, German publisher and editor Josef
Joffe noted, “Cataclysmic as it was, that event was more like a bolt of lightning
that illuminated the essential contours of the international landscape than like
an earthquake that reconfigured it.”2 Observed perturbations in the world were
becoming more noticeable, even if empirically no more numerous.
For the quantum physicist, there was no disjuncture between perception and
reality within the well-ordered contours of the quantum world. Everything that
had related to everything else remained so, with no apparent intensification
or upturn in interactions. While the many interpretations of quantum physics
spurred debate and disagreement within the field, these internecine wrangles did
not detract from the true step change that occurred over the preceding century
that had upended classical, Newtonian notions of the inner workings of the uni-
verse. Instead of a rational, mechanical system governed by natural laws of cause
and effect, quantum posited a far more complicated and less intuitive notion of
viii Foreword
reality. In a quantum system, the visible world reveals only a sliver of what is
going on beyond our gaze: there is no certainty; all is potentiality. Reality is not
independent of the observer; both are intertwined and constitutive of each other,
and subjectivity is a feature, not a bug of the system.
It is not surprising, then, that quantum mechanical terminology and concepts,
however rudimentarily understood, if at all, would become analogized to de-
scribe the seeming new world disorder that no longer conformed to Newtonian
conceptions of separable, billiard ball states and rational actors bumping up
against one another in ways that “classical” IR theory presumed to explain and
sometimes predict. Key quantum concepts—however abstruse in their scientific
meaning—such as “entanglement,” “superposition,” and, perhaps above all, “the
uncertainty principle” appeared to offer an apt vocabulary for trying to make
sense of a world that increasingly defied ready explanation. On an even more su-
perficial level, references to quantum that had spiked in popular culture during
the first quantum revolution of the early twentieth century made a comeback in
the later decades of the century and the beginning of the next as Madison Avenue
affixed the term to all manner of products, from dishwasher detergent to motor-
cycle parts, for connoting something exceptional and powerful.
Long mired in the paradigm wars that rehashed stale debates between
contending theories, dominated by the twin poles of neorealism and liberal
internationalism, and sporadically challenged by upstart critical theorists and
other thinkers who rejected both their ontology and epistemology, the IR field
was ripe for change. So too was the world of foreign policy practice. Echoing
the late US secretary of state George Shultz’s earlier invocation of “quantum di-
plomacy” to describe an international system in which “true reality is hard to
record,”3 Armenian president (and theoretical physicist) Armen Sarkissian more
recently called for “a reassessment of modern politics guided by the principles
of quantum physics [to] make sense out of trends that baffle and undermine the
establishment.”4
Paralleling the ideational ferment in diplomacy and a major branch of the so-
cial sciences, and building on the cumulative insights of earlier eras, quantum
advances in the natural sciences presented tantalizing possibilities for ushering
in a new revolution in the practical application of theory to practice. While
the cognoscenti within the physics field had long understood that quantum
theory provided the insights leading to the development of a host of technolo-
gies, including transistors, lasers, LEDs, GPS, mobile phones, and, more conse-
quentially, predating these innovations, the atomic bomb, for most, quantum’s
connection to everyday life remained largely unknown or too distant and ab-
stract to matter. But beginning in the second decade of the twenty-first century,
popularized by a receptive media, corporate marketing, and growing national
security concerns that America was losing a quantum race to a newly formidable
Foreword ix
Social Science,6 which followed by a decade and a half his award-winning book
pioneering the constructivist school in political science,7 challenged the basic
ontological, epistemological, and normative tenets undergirding traditional IR
theory.
Whether grounded in analytical hubris, reflexive defensiveness, or lack of
understanding or creativity, Wendt’s apostacy predictably provoked objections
within the cloistered guild of the field from left, right, and center. His audacious
but methodically reasoned supposition that human consciousness—a phenom-
enon whose explanation remains a lacuna in classical social science—is itself
a quantum process, entangling all beings and the universe across distance and
time, smacked for some of intellectual overreach. By speculating that human
beings are “walking wave functions,” Wendt created a ready foil for the naysayers
zealously guarding IR’s dominant disciplinary parapets. Perhaps still chafing
from the missteps of the science envy that animated the behavioral turn that
first riled political science in the 1950s and 1960s and still reverberates today,
the sentinels of the status quo can be forgiven (somewhat) for casting a skeptical
eye toward this new paradigm-shifting aspirant and refusing to take the leap,
quantum or otherwise, that it entails. While even quantum technologists may be
dismissive of the notion of quantum minds, and quantum social scientists may,
in turn, reject the more fanciful claims of the technologists, their two literatures
are currently so distinct and lacking in references to each other that the potential
benefits of a united front against the doubters in each camp remain an alluring
but distant goal.
For IR, the difficulty in introducing quantum concepts into the established
canon relates to a puzzle inherent in the nature of the subject matter. Although
quantum theory has been applied to solve problems for about a century, be-
yond the logic of mathematical formalism, even quantum physicists do not
know how it works. Unlike classical physics, for those who reject Wendt’s con-
jecture about quantum human beings, there is nothing in the observable world
that appears to duplicate quantum behavior. This presents a daunting com-
munication challenge when making the case for greater adoption of quantum
perspectives within IR and, indeed, throughout social science. IR theorists can
readily visualize how opposing armies can fight each other, and, irrespective
of any deep knowledge of nuclear fission, the catastrophic consequences of a
breakdown in nuclear deterrence as vividly captured in the iconic image of the
mushroom cloud. Even more esoteric threats to international peace and secu-
rity from emergent technologies such as artificial intelligence and cyber—which
are increasingly linked to, even reliant upon, quantum developments—can at
least be imagined in the form of thinking robots or villainous computer hackers.
Quantum’s potential disruptive impact is much harder to envision; it lacks a
mushroom cloud equivalent.
Foreword xi
events, in the hopes that this will shed light on future ones. That might make
sense in a deterministic and linear world, but the kinds of social effects that
quantum is likely to have will be hard, if not impossible, to understand in this
way. Thus, in this case, it is absolutely essential for social scientists [and others]
to get out of their usual reactive mode into a pro-active one, even if that entails a
good deal of speculation.”10
At this event and subsequent Q project symposia supported by the Carnegie
Corporation, Der Derian and his diverse invitees explored some of the most
probing speculative questions posed by the latest quantum revolution, how-
ever protracted and tentative may be its unfolding: What inspiration, ideas,
and concepts can we draw from quantum physics? How can we prepare for the
emergent quantum revolution when its trajectory and implications are not yet
known? How might quantum advances interact with other technologies? Will
quantum developments ultimately lead to sentient computer programs and feral
algorithms? To what extent will quantum applications be weaponized? Are so-
cial media and data mining already producing quantum effects in world politics?
What new kinds of scientific inquiries will make it possible? And what are the
philosophical and ethical implications?
The chapters that follow in this volume are a fitting coda to these expansive and
thought-provoking discussions and a tangible deliverable in philanthropic terms.
The authors delve into some of the most penetrating and beguiling aspects of what
might be described as an incipient but promising quantum turn in social science,
especially within IR. With contributions that examine the comparisons between
quantum and systems theorizing, the philosophical roots of quantum thinking,
the contextualization of the hype surrounding quantum, the potential of quantum
pedagogy, and a quantum ontology for validating ethical choices, among others,
the authors collectively stake their claim for breaking new intellectual ground
and paving the way for further analysis and discourse. The cumulative insights
reflected in these chapters represent just the kind of forward-looking, exploratory
thinking that, as noted, foundations are ideally positioned to support.
But however well intended and diligently pursued, the broader and lasting
effects of a grant-funded project such as this cannot be conclusively determined
or predicted. Philanthropic efforts to promote positive social change are inher-
ently complicated given the multifaceted causal chains involved, the difficulty
in discerning macro developments from micro interventions, and the often-ex-
tended time required before any shoots appear from seeds once planted. Despite
the many thoughtful attempts to overcome these challenges, evaluative metrics in
the field remain a work in progress. As even the bumptious New Philanthropists
have discovered, measuring grantmaking impact is not as clear-cut as calcu-
lating price-earnings ratios. The great industrialist and philanthropist Andrew
Carnegie had earlier come to the same realization. He established his namesake
Foreword xiii
Notes
1. Harland Cleveland, quoted in Stephen Del Rosso, “The Insecure State: Reflections on
‘the State’ and ‘Security’ in a Changing World,” Daedalus, What Future for the State,
Spring 1995, p. 175.
xiv Foreword
2. Josef Joffe, “Of Hubs, Spokes, and Public Goods,” National Interest, October 30, 2002,
https://nationalinterest.org/article/hubs-spokes-and-public-goods-2159.
3. George Shultz, quoting Sydney Drell, “Diplomacy, Wired,” Hoover Digest, January
30, 1998.
4. Armen Sarkissian, “We Need an Era of Quantum Politics,” Financial Times, August
28, 2020, https://www.ft.com/content/be19ce7e-bb88-4127-9496-6c9e492d52aa.
5. https://twitter.com/BullshitQuantum
6. Alexander Wendt, Quantum Mind and Social Science, Cambridge University
Press, 2015.
7. Alexander Wendt, Social Theory of International Politics, Cambridge University
Press, 1999.
8. Stephen Del Rosso, “The Quantum Age Beckons: Philanthropy Should Help Us
Understand It,” Chronicle of Philanthropy, February 7, 2017; and Stephen Del Rosso,
“The Quantum Revolution Rolls On and Philanthropy Is Falling Behind,” Chronicle
of Philanthropy, October 2, 2018.
9. David Callahan, “You Never Give Me Your Money: Big Funders Neglect Peace and
Security in a Dangerous Era,” Inside Philanthropy, June 12, 2018, https://www.insidep
hilanthropy.com/home/2018/6/12/you-never-give-me-your-money-big-funders-
neglect-peace-and-security-in-a-dangerous-era.
10. Stephen Del Rosso, Carnegie Corporation of New York, private e- mail with
anonymized reviewer, November 10, 2014.
11. Albert Einstein, quoted in “Atomic Education Urged by Einstein,” New York Times,
May 25, 1946, p. 13.
12. Carlos Fuentes, quoted in Vartan Gregorian, “Colleges Must Reconstruct the Unity
of Knowledge,” Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 4, 2004, https://www.chronicle.com/
article/colleges-must-reconstruct-the-unity-of-knowledge/. A former career dip-
lomat, Stephen Del Rosso directs the International Peace and Security program at the
Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Contributors
Stephen J. Del Rosso directs the International Peace and Security Program at the Carnegie
Corporation of New York. A former US career diplomat, he also served as Director of
Programs at the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations and managed The Pew Charitable
Trusts’ Global Security Program. Earlier, he was a Presidential Management Fellow at
NASA, news producer at the Voice of America, and staff assistant to a British Member of
Parliament. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and
an MA in Law and Diplomacy from Tufts University’s Fletcher School.
James Der Derian is the Michael Hintze Chair of International Security at the University
of Sydney, where he directs the Centre for International Security Studies and Project
Q: Peace and Security in a Quantum Age (funded by the Carnegie Corporation of
xvi Contributors
New York). He was born quantum in the United States, was classically trained in the
United Kingdom, and now decoheres in Australia. He is currently working on a new doc-
umentary film and book, Project Q: War, Peace and Quantum Mechanics.
Shohini Ghose wanted to be an explorer like Rakesh Sharma, the first Indian to go to
space. She hasn’t made it to space yet, but she did become an explorer of the quantum
world as a Physics Professor and the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering
at Wilfrid Laurier University, Canada. She examines how quantum physics can transform
computing and communication. She and her colleagues were the first to observe a con-
nection between quantum entanglement and chaos theory. She aims to create an inclusive
physics community as the Director of the Laurier Centre for Women in Science.
Jairus Victor Grove is Chair of the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa Department of Political
Science where he also directs the Hawai'i Research Center for Futures Studies. He is the
author of Savage Ecology: War and Geopolitics at the End of the World (Duke, 2019). He is
currently working with Antoine Bousquet on a book tentatively titled Between Oblivion
and Forever: A Critique of Nuclear Reason.
Nicola Mackay is a clinical physicist turned systemic constellation therapist and re-
searcher. She has been in private practice for twenty years and has a busy therapy practice
and teaching school based in Western Europe and the United States. She is the author of
several books on systemic therapy. She, in collaboration with K. M. Fierke, is currently
Contributors xvii
David Orrell is an applied mathematician and writer. He obtained his DPhil in math-
ematics from Oxford University and has worked in diverse areas including weather
forecasting, cancer biology, and quantum economics. He is the author of many books
on science and economics including Quantum Economics and Finance: An Applied
Mathematics Introduction, and Money, Magic, and How to Dismantle a Financial
Bomb: Quantum Economics for the Real World. He lives in Toronto.
Mark B. Salter is a Professor of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa and Editor-in-
Chief of Security Dialogue. He is the editor of Making Things International 1 (Minnesota,
2015), Making Things International 2 (Minnesota, 2016), Research Methods in Critical
Security Studies (Routledge 2nd edition forthcoming), and Politics at the Airport
(Minnesota, 2008), among others.
xviii Contributors
Frank L. Smith III is a Professor and Director of the Cyber and Innovation Policy
Institute at the US Naval War College. He is also Non-Resident Fellow with the United
States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. His interdisciplinary research examines
how ideas about technology—especially bad ideas—influence national security and inter-
national relations. He has a PhD in political science and a BS in biological chemistry, both
from the University of Chicago.
Jayson Waters is a Doctoral candidate with the Centre for International Security Studies
at the University of Sydney. He became entangled with Project Q: Peace and Security in
a Quantum Age in 2014 and has been a passionate advocate for quantum approaches to
international relations ever since. His thesis interrogates the historical, theoretical, and
technological linkages between international relations and quantum mechanics, with the
auxiliary purpose of identifying new avenues for inquiry and theoretical development.
Laura Zanotti is a Professor of Political Science at Virginia Tech. After spending ten years
as a peacekeeper at the United Nations, and subsequently writing about it in her 2011 book
Governing Disorder, she realized it was necessary to explore the ontological assumptions
of policy practices. Her quantum-inspired ontological critique appears in Ontological
Entanglements, Agency and Ethics in International Relations (Routledge, 2019), in several
journal articles, as well as in a recent Millennium forum on her book.
IN T RODU C TION
Another random document with
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Fruitful women, 60.
Fruit tree, a simile, 15.
Fruitless suckling, 283.
Fumigations, 129.
Labor, 199.
the easy and the hard, 94.
rapid, directions concerning, 228.
symptoms of, 199–215.
treatment of, 216–254.
Lavements in pregnancy, 144.
Leather cheaper than physic, 24.
Legs, the swollen, of pregnancy, 152.
Length of time of first labor, 210.
of an after labor, 210.
Life is to be well, 18.
Light, effects of, 79.
is life, 79.
Little ablution—much clothing, 84.
Lively women and easy labors, 127.
Luxurious idle wife, 77.
Luxury, an age of, 28.
ill effects of, 38.
Lying-in room, 237.
temperature of, 237.
“Quickening,” 120.
flatulence mistaken for, 121.
Quiet after confinement, 246.
BY
“Lo, children and the fruit of the womb are an heritage and cometh of the Lord.”
SEVENTEENTH EDITION.
PHILADELPHIA
J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO.
1881.
TO
Your kind and flattering approval of this little Book, and your
valuable suggestions for its improvement, demand my warmest
gratitude and acknowledgments, and have stimulated me to renewed
exertions to make it still more complete and useful, and thus more
worthy of your approbation.
You have greatly added to my obligation, by allowing me to
indicate those passages of the work that you considered required
correction, addition, and improvement. On reference to these pages,
it will be at once perceived how greatly I am indebted to you, and
how much I have profited by your valuable advice.
P. H. C.
CONTENTS.
PART I.—INFANCY.
PAGE
Preliminary Conversation 1013
Ablution 1016
Management of the Navel 1024
Clothing 1028
Diet 1032
Vaccination 1056
Dentition 1062
Exercise 1075
Sleep 1077
The Bladder and the Bowels 1084
Ailments, Disease, etc. 1085
Concluding Remarks on Infancy 1119
PART II.—CHILDHOOD.
Ablution 1120
Clothing 1123
Diet 1132
The Nursery 1150
Exercise 1172
Amusements 1177
Education 1183
Sleep 1188
Second Dentition 1194
Disease, etc. 1195
Warm Baths 1294
Warm External Applications 1295
Accidents 1297
Index 1403