Building on new trends in neuroscience and philosophy of mind, this article provides a roadmap for incorporating consciousness into social research. Drawing upon Alexander Wendt’s Quantum Mind and Social Science, it is argued that one of the greatest obstacles encountered by social research when approaching social reality is that it provides neither an epistemological nor an ontological place for consciousness. The present article intends to address that problem by introducing a sophisticated method of guided introspection that has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of agency. This method, whose epistemological situation is isomorphic to that of quantum physics, enables researchers to gain insight into the structures of decisionmaking processes. Such an endeavor is extremely relevant for security studies: the consideration of consciousness could lead to a radical new understanding of the dynamics of conflict, cooperation, strategic defense, political polarization, radicalization, violent extremism, and terrorism, as well as of the processes of social transformation required to cope with climate change. Moreover, bringing consciousness into social research could foster ongoing biological, evolutionary, and neuroscientific approaches to international relations. Thus, through the introduction of the ‘phenomenal consciousness’ of actors, it is shown how we can dive into the fountainhead of human agency and map mental processes.

中文翻译：

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能动性的结构：通过内省探索人类的潜力

本文以神经科学和心灵哲学的新趋势为基础，提供了将意识融入社会研究的路线图。借鉴亚历山大温特的量子思维与社会科学，有人认为社会研究在接近社会现实时遇到的最大障碍之一是它既没有为意识提供认识论的位置，也没有提供本体论的位置。本文旨在通过引入一种复杂的引导内省方法来解决这个问题，该方法有可能彻底改变我们对代理的理解。这种方法的认识论情况与量子物理学的认识论情况同构，使研究人员能够深入了解决策过程的结构。这种努力与安全研究极为相关：对意识的考虑可能导致对冲突、合作、战略防御、政治两极分化、激进化、暴力极端主义和恐怖主义的动态以及应对气候变化所需的社会转型过程产生全新的理解。此外，将意识带入社会研究可以促进国际关系的持续生物学、进化和神经科学方法。因此，通过引入演员的“现象意识”，展示了我们如何深入人类能动性的源头并绘制心理过程。以及应对气候变化所需的社会转型过程。此外，将意识带入社会研究可以促进国际关系的持续生物学、进化和神经科学方法。因此，通过引入演员的“现象意识”，展示了我们如何深入人类能动性的源头并绘制心理过程。以及应对气候变化所需的社会转型过程。此外，将意识带入社会研究可以促进国际关系的持续生物学、进化和神经科学方法。因此，通过引入演员的“现象意识”，展示了我们如何深入人类能动性的源头并绘制心理过程。