A Quantum-Inspired Lens for Sovereignty: Resolving Global Conflicts with Shared Solutions

Territorial disputes—from Gibraltar to the Falklands/Malvinas, Kashmir to the South China Sea—reveal the intricate complexity of sovereignty in our interconnected world. These conflicts involve not just land but entangled claims, competing identities, and the pursuit of justice. Over the past decade, I have explored these challenges in my trilogy: Sovereignty Conflicts and International Law and Politics: A Distributive Justice Issue (2017), Territorial Disputes and State Sovereignty: International Law and Politics (2020), and Cosmopolitanism, State Sovereignty and International Law and Politics: A Theory (2023). Through these works, I have coined notions such as Quantum Sovereignty and Distributive Sovereignty, integrated via a quantum-inspired lens. In this article, I will explain these notions using five of their key hallmarks—Entangled Sovereignty, Distributive Justice in a Quantum Context, Multidimensional Sovereignty and Quantum Superposition, Cosmopolitanism as an Entangled State and Policy and Diplomacy in an Entangled World—and show their relevance to disputes like Kashmir, the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, Gibraltar and Crimea, emphasizing the pluralism of pluralisms and multidimensionality from my 2023 book. Join me in exploring how these ideas can reshape global conflicts.

The Shifting Nature of Sovereignty

Sovereignty is no longer about exclusive control. In Gibraltar, the UK’s sovereignty, Spain’s territorial claim, Gibraltarian self-determination, and EU interests overlap. In Kashmir, state, community, and individual claims intertwine across domestic, regional, and international contexts. The Falklands/Malvinas dispute pits Argentina’s historical narrative against the Islanders’ self-determination and the UK’s authority. These cases show sovereignty as fluid, plural, and entangled, demanding innovative approaches.

My trilogy addresses this complexity:

– 2017: I introduced “egalitarian shared sovereignty,” a justice-driven model to share authority equitably, challenging zero-sum outcomes.

– 2020: I analyzed disputes like the Falklands/Malvinas Islands, Gibraltar, Kashmir, Israel-Palestine and the South China Sea, using empirical data and case studies to highlight sovereignty’s fluidity.

– 2023: I proposed a “pluralism of pluralisms” and multidimensionality, where sovereignty spans agents (states, communities, individuals), roles (hosts, participants), contexts (local, global), realms (rational, empirical, axiological), and objects (ideal, natural, cultural, metaphysical), blending state sovereignty with cosmopolitan ideals.

These ideas converge in Quantum Sovereignty and Distributive Sovereignty, unified through a quantum entanglement metaphor.

Quantum Sovereignty: A Meta-Framework for Entangled Sovereignty

Quantum Sovereignty is a descriptive meta-framework that views sovereignty as a dynamic, relational system, mirroring quantum entanglement where particles are fundamentally linked. *Entangled Sovereignty* sees one actor’s claim (e.g., a state’s territorial assertion) rippling through others, affecting rights, obligations, and global norms. For example, in the South China Sea, China’s claims entangle with those of neighboring states and international law, as shown in my 2020 case studies. My 2017 shared sovereignty and 2023 multidimensionality extend these links across diverse agents, roles, and contexts.

Multidimensional Sovereignty and Quantum Superposition refers to sovereignty existing in multiple forms—exclusive, shared, territorial, cosmopolitan—until resolved. My 2023 book’s “pluralism of pluralisms” and multidimensionality, paired with 2020’s empirical fluidity, illustrate this in Gibraltar, where disputes remain unresolved until a “measurement” (e.g., a shared sovereignty agreement) collapses the possibilities.

Distributive Sovereignty: A Resolution Framework for Justice

Distributive Sovereignty is a normative framework that resolves entangled claims through ethical criteria. Distributive Justice in a Quantum Context ties fairness for one agent to others, like entangled particles. My 2017 work emphasizes equitable sharing, while my 2020 data shows that fairness in one dispute (e.g., Kashmir) influences justice elsewhere. This framework focuses on:

– Inclusion: Amplifying marginalized voices, like indigenous groups in Kashmir.

– Redress: Addressing historical injustices, such as colonial legacies in the Falklands/Malvinas Islands.

– Pragmatism: Proposing shared governance, dual sovereignty, or legal pluralism.

The conceptual architecture is:

– Diagnosis (Quantum): Recognize overlapping, multi-scalar claims.

– Engagement (Entanglement): Design inclusive processes without domination.

– Resolution (Distributive): Apply justice principles for shared outcomes.

In Israel-Palestine, Quantum Sovereignty maps entangled claims, while Distributive Sovereignty proposes a plural legal framework, balancing self-determination with territorial integrity, informed by my 2017 and 2020 works.

Cosmopolitanism as an Entangled State

Cosmopolitanism as an Entangled State integrates state sovereignty with global citizenship. My 2023 framework, with its pluralism of pluralisms and multidimensionality, casts sovereignty as an entangled system of state claims, community interests, and international law, enriched by 2020’s empirical grounding. Territorial shifts in Crimea, for example, impact global justice, as shown in my 2020 data. My 2017 shared sovereignty model fosters mutual responsibilities, balancing local and global needs.

Shared Sovereignty and the Falklands/Malvinas Islands: A Practical Echo

The Falklands/Malvinas dispute illustrates these frameworks. Entangled Sovereignty reveals Argentina’s historical claims, the Islanders’ self-determination, and the UK’s authority as interconnected. Multidimensional Sovereignty and Quantum Superposition highlight the dispute’s unresolved forms, as per my 2023 multidimensionality. Distributive Justice in a Quantum Context suggests a fair resolution, such as shared resource management or autonomous governance, as proposed in my 2017 egalitarian shared sovereignty.

Notably, my 2017 shared sovereignty model resonates with a 2018 proposal by Professor Marcelo Kohen, which includes autonomous governance, dual nationality and shared resources for the Falklands/Malvinas. This alignment underscores the practical potential of my frameworks, grounded in 2020’s case studies and elevated by 2023’s multidimensional, pluralistic vision.

Policy and Diplomacy in an Entangled World

Policy and Diplomacy in an Entangled World calls for a quantum-inspired approach to diplomacy. My 2020 case studies show how territorial moves resonate across global systems. My 2017 justice-driven sharing and 2023’s pluralism of pluralisms urge diplomats to anticipate these ripples, designing inclusive solutions. For Taiwan, Quantum Sovereignty maps competing claims, while Distributive Sovereignty proposes shared governance. In Kashmir, shared sovereignty could balance state and community interests, fostering global justice.

A Unified Theory for a Plural World

Quantum Sovereignty and Distributive Sovereignty form a full-spectrum model: from ontology (how sovereignty exists) to ethics (how it should be shared) to practice (how to structure agreements). My trilogy—distributive justice (2017), empirical disputes (2020), and the pluralism of pluralisms and multidimensionality (2023)—grounds this in real-world data and interdisciplinary insights, unified by Entangled Sovereignty, Distributive Justice in a Quantum Context, Multidimensional Sovereignty and Quantum Superposition, Cosmopolitanism as an Entangled State, and Policy and Diplomacy in an Entangled World.

Join the Conversation

This quantum-inspired lens offers a new way to tackle sovereignty disputes. What do you think of these frameworks? How might they apply to conflicts like Kashmir, Crimea, Gaza or the Falklands/Malvinas? Share your thoughts in the comments—I am eager to engage with scholars, policymakers, and readers to build a more just, peaceful world.

Invitation to “The Borders We Share”

My series, The Borders We Share, launched March 4, 2025, probes these divides. A sample post (https://drjorge.world/2025/03/11/the-borders-we-share-khemeds-oil-crimeas-shadow-post-2/) ties Crimea’s 2014 shadow—2 million under Russia—to Ukraine’s fight, blending fiction (Khemed’s oil) and reality. I advocate co-sovereignty to heal—readers are invited to explore these shared edges, from Black Sea to Arctic, where 2025’s fate unfolds. Next week, Post #3: Sherlock’s Docks, Ireland’s Edge: Clues to Equal Ground (i.e. Imagine Sherlock Holmes untangling a dockside brawl over fish and fog—then picture Northern Ireland’s border after Brexit, a real-life riddle of fences and feelings).

AUTHOR’S SAMPLE PEER-REVIEWED ACADEMIC RESEARCH (FREE OPEN ACCESS):

State Sovereignty: Concept and Conceptions (OPEN ACCESS) (IJSL 2024)

AUTHOR’S PUBLISHED WORK AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE VIA:

AMAZON

ROUTLEDGE, TAYLOR & FRANCIS

Wednesday 16th July 2025

Dr Jorge Emilio Núñez

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