The Total Entropic Quantity Framework: A Conceptual Foundation for Entropy, Time, and Physical Evolution

The Total Entropic Quantity (TEQ) framework derives quantum mechanics from entropy-driven selection principles, unifying entropy, emergent time, and thermodynamic evolution. TEQ decomposes total entropy into realized entropy (macroscopic disorder), latent entangled entropy (quantum correlations), and latent classical entropy (stable classical records), clarifying how classical irreversibility arises from global quantum coherence. A central result is \textit{Universal Entropic Time} (UET), defined by the monotonic growth of realized entropy. UET aligns the thermodynamic arrow of time with cosmological expansion, linking decoherence to macroscopic irreversibility. TEQ offers a unified epistemic-ontological interpretation of measurement, reconciling the Copenhagen and Many-Worlds views as complementary facets of entropy redistribution. It also provides an entropic explanation for quantum stability---especially in Majorana qubits---and suggests that spacetime and causal structure emerge from entropy gradients.TEQ yields two testable predictions: (1) Majorana qubits should exhibit extended coherence due to suppressed entropy flow; and (2) the entropic driver \(f(\Lambda(t))\) has a unique global maximum, implying that dark energy peaked in the past---a result consistent with recent DESI observations. Future work will derive quantum dynamics from an entropy-weighted variational principle, aiming to recover the Schr\"odinger equation, the Born rule, and quantum suppression from entropic constraints.