Marco Delmastro

This essay critically examines the implicit ontological assumptions underpinning modern scientific and cultural paradigms, particularly the Cartesian view of the human being as a rational, self-contained individual. Drawing from philosophy, cognitive science, and network theory, the author challenges this reductionist model, highlighting its influence on decision theory, the scientific method, and social institutions. Through historical analysis and contemporary examples, the article illustrates how this ontological framework has shaped not only analytical tools but also normative expectations of human behavior, often at odds with empirical evidence from psychology and neuroscience. The essay proposes an alternative ontology that conceives the human being as a fundamentally relational and psychic entity—embedded in shared contexts, shaped by symbolic and affective spaces, and irreducible to purely rational mechanics. It advocates for the integration of this new ontology with network science, providing an analytical framework more consistent with the complex, context-dependent nature of human existence. Ultimately, the work calls for a re-foundation of the human and social sciences on more accurate ontological grounds, arguing that doing so is essential to understanding and addressing the pathologies of modernity.