Unravelling Wendt's Ontological Confusions and Justifying the Alternative of Autopoietic Theory

ABSTRACT This paper critiques Wendt's ‘Quantum Mind and Social Science’ framework, highlighting ontological confusion in his treatment of the relationship between classical and quantum states and theories. This paper argues that this confusion arises from an inadequate literature review and a failure to consider the connections between quantum theory and other related theories. These theories, after persistent interactions, form an ecosystem‐like coherent system. By adhering to the Causal Closure of Physics, the constraints of physics are better understood as emerging from this comprehensive system rather than from individual theories. In this system, each theory addresses a specific aspect of reality, and misapplying any theory leads to ontological mismatches. Quantum theory, when applied directly to life and society, cannot sustain them in non‐quantum far‐from‐equilibrium states, causing ontological confusion between quantum and classical states and disrupting the established system of coherence. The rationality of Wendt's theory is therefore questioned according to the criterion of Coherence Theory of Truth. To unravel such an ontological confusion, this paper suggests that self‐organization theory, particularly autopoiesis, can serve as a superior alternative by offering a more plausible framework for unifying physical and social ontology. Rooted in the rational extension of classical mechanics into dissipative structures, autopoietic theory provides a better explanation for life and society and addresses the ‘mind–body’ problem by reconciling classical and quantum theories within a coherent narrative.