Quantum Theory: a Pragmatist Approach (original) (raw)
Interpretations of Quantum Theory
Dictionary of Christianity and Science, 2017
A brief survey exploring the different interpretations of quantum physics, their tenability, and their implications for the metaphysical nature of reality and the modes of divine action.
The Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
2008
The first famous t.hought experiment of Einstein gives rise to his theories of relativity. the bedrock of modern astrophysics and cosmology. His second famous thought experiment begin..c; the investigation iuto the foundations of quantum mechanics. It leads to a paradox. inspiring \'arious 'no-go' theorems pro....en by Bell, Kochen. and Spe~ker. Physi~ists and philosophers worldwide become increasingly dissatisfied with the probabilistic complemen tarity interpretation (Born-Bohr) and eventually offer their own accounts of the theory. By the end of the 20 th century. two alternative approaches stand out as the best candidates: Both the hidden \'ariables int.erpretation (de Broglie-Bohm) and the many worlds interpre tation (Everett-De\Yitt) give compelling descriptions of what the true nature of quantum reality could be. In this paper, a chronological O\'erview of all these events is given, followed by a philosophical analysis of the three aforementioned interpretations. Ultimately. it is con cluded that the many worlds interpretation should be adopted as the best understanding of the formalism of quantum mechanics and. therefore, should be used in the multiversity textbooks.
What an Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics Should Be?
Revue Roumaine de Philosophie, 2023
There are many so-called interpretations of quantum mechanics, but we presently do not have any clear-cut criteria to identify them. Usually, scientists do not distinguish the different interpretations of the standard quantum theory from its alternative or rival theories, although there is an established fact that there exist differenteven non-empirically equivalentquantum theories. In this article, I put forward some criteria to distinguish between formulations, interpretations, and alternatives to a given quantum theory. I then show that we have just some partial criteria to identify quantum theories and distinguish them from interpretations. According to such criteria, all interpretations of a given quantum theory must be empirically equivalent to it, otherwise, they are rival theories, and must not be logically equivalent to it, otherwise, they are different formulations of such theory. I conclude that interpreting a quantum theory cannot consist in providing a unique ontology for that theory because the same theory is compatible with many different ontologies.
This paper reviews some of the literature on the philosophy of quantum mechanics. The publications involved tend to follow similar patterns of first identifying the mysteries, puzzles or paradoxes of the quantum world, and then discussing the existing interpretations of these matters, before the authors produce their own interpretations, or side with one of the existing views. The paper will show that all interpretations of quantum mechanics involve elements of apparent weirdness. They suggest that the quantum world, and possibly our macro world, exists or behaves in a way quite contrary to the way we normally imagine they should. The paper will also show how many of the writers on quantum mechanics misunderstand idealism in the macro world as proposed by philosophers such as George Berkeley, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill and misunderstand the concept of the observer dependent universe. The paper concludes by examining the similarities between the idealist view of the macro world and the Copenhagen Interpretation of the quantum world and suggests that as the Copenhagen Interpretation provides a view of the quantum world that is consistent with the macro world then the Copenhagen Interpretation should be the preferred view of the quantum world.
Let's Eliminate All the Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
... With John Gribbin i) Introduction ii) What is Interpretation? Iii) Shut up and calculate! iv) Limits to John Gribbin's Pluralism v) Only Maths? vi) Waves and Particles vii) Conclusion viii) Afterthought This piece doesn’t claim to offer a conclusive case for the elimination of all the interpretations of quantum mechanics (QM). It simply raises the possibility of elimination and then offers a few arguments in that direction. The prime motive here is that, at least at present, there’s no way of establishing which interpretation is the true/correct/etc. one. Secondly, the multiplicity of interpretations both confuses the issue and leads to scepticism towards many of them. Thirdly, some interpretations are so convoluted and wacky that laypersons and even physicists themselves must have only aesthetic reasons to believe in them. This is particularly true of the Many Worlds Interpretation. I can see no reason whatsoever for the layperson to accept it other than it can be taken to “explain the phenomena” (a phrase which is being used in contrast to Bas van Fraassen’s “save the phenomena”). That is, in the way that panpsychism, idealism, Marxism, theism, etc. can all be taken to explain the phenomena. However, explaining phenomena is often very cheap and easy, even if it is neat and tidy. (Note Albert Einstein’s rejection of David Bohm’s theory.) The first section introduces John Gribbin's position as well as a potted history of positions (which features Paul Dirac, Richard Feynman, etc.) which can be taken to lead towards a possible eliminitivism This section also deals with both the shut-up-and-calculate mantra and instrumentalism and how they can be taken to lead to eliminitivism. Then the simple question “What is Interpretation?” is asked. After that, Gribbin's pluralism is tackled and seen to be not very convincing (at least not from a philosophical point of view). The section “Only Maths?” is self-explanatory. Finally, the issue of wave-or-particles is discussed in the context of the elimination of interpretations of quantum mechanics.
PRN: Metaphysics of Mind (Topic), 2021
This paper reviews some of the literature on the philosophy of quantum mechanics. The publications involved tend to follow similar patterns of first identifying the mysteries, puzzles or paradoxes of the quantum world, and then discussing the existing interpretations of these matters, before the authors produce their own interpretations, or side with one of the existing views. The paper will show that all interpretations of quantum mechanics involve elements of apparent weirdness. They suggest that the quantum world, and possibly our macro world, exists or behaves in a way quite contrary to the way we normally imagine they should. The paper will also show how many of the writers on quantum mechanics misunderstand idealism in the macro world as proposed by philosophers such as George Berkeley, David Hume, Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill and misunderstand the concept of the observer dependent universe. The paper concludes by examining the similarities between the idealist view of t...
Philosophical Foundations Of Interpretations Of Quantum Mechanics
It is demonstrated that the reason for the diversity of interpretations of quantum mechanics is that they are not connected by continuity relations with classical physics, and also the reason is the impossibility of operationalist definition of the " vector of state ". The problem lies in the incompatibility of the philosophical foundations of interpretations, which results in the difficulty of building a unified picture of the world. To solve the problem, we identify general philosophical foundation of interpretations of quantum mechanics and built their classification. We also show that in more general theories, the part of which is quantum mechanics, it is possible to integrate (reconcile) the philosophical foundations of interpretations.
POSSIBLE TASKS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF QUANTUM MECHANICS
This essay is written by a true believer in the Possibilist Transactional Interpretation (PTI) of quantum mechanics, certain that it is right (although criticism and coherent disagreement is encouraged). There are scientifically more relevant publications out there, but hopefully this text provides a different perspective on PTI as something that makes much more " sense " than for instance determinism.
Map of Interpretations of Quantum Theory
2013
Published in Martins, R.A.; Boido, G. & Rodríguez, V. (eds.), History and Philosophy of Physics in the South Cone. Texts in Philosophy 19. College Publications, London, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-84890-105-6. Original: “Mapa das Interpretações da Teoria Quântica”, in Martins, R.A.; Boido, G. & Rodríguez, V. (orgs.), Física: Estudios Filosóficos e Históricos, AFHIC, Campinas, 2006, pp. 119-52. ISBN: 85-90419-82-7. Relançado em 2013 pela College Publications, Londres. ISBN: 978-1-84890-089-9.
Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics: a critical survey
2008
This brief survey analyzes the epistemological implications about the role of observer in the interpretations of Quantum Mechanics. As we know, the goal of most interpretations of quantum mechanics is to avoid the apparent intrusion of the observer into the measurement process. In the same time, there are implicit and hidden assumptions about his role. In fact, most interpretations taking as ontic level one of these fundamental concepts as information, physical law and matter bring us to new problematical questions. We think, that no interpretation of the quantum theory can avoid this intrusion until we do not clarify the nature of observer.
On the Relationship Between Modelling Practices and Interpretive Stances in Quantum Mechanics
Foundation of Science, 2021
The purpose of this article is to establish a connection between modelling practices and interpretive approaches in quantum mechanics, taking as a starting point the literature on scientific representation. Different types of modalities (epistemic, practical, conceptual and natural) play different roles in scientific representation. I postulate that the way theoretical structures are interpreted in this respect affects the way models are constructed. In quantum mechanics, this would be the case in particular of initial conditions and observables. I examine two formulations of quantum mechanics, the standard wave-function formulation and the consistent histories formulation, and show that they correspond to opposite stances, which confirms my approach. Finally, I examine possible strategies for deciding between these stances.
Interpreting the Quantum World
American Journal of Physics, 1998
The object of this book is the physical interpretation of the abstract formalism of quantum theory. This issue has been controversial from the early days of quantum mechanics, more than 70 years ago. Many of the best minds struggled with this problem, only to reach conicting conclusions. Obviously, there is no similar interpretation problem for classical mechanics, because the mathematical symbols that appear in the latter simply coincide with experimentally observable quantities. On the other hand, the quantum formalism is based on a complex vector space in which the dynamical evolution is generated by unitary operators. Everyone agrees on how to manipulate the mathematical symbols; the thorny problem is to relate them to the observable physical reality. The traditional answer is to introduce`observers' who sense the quantum world by interacting with it. While they are engaged in that interaction, the observers must obey quantum dynamics|this is needed for consistency of the formalism. Yet, after completion of the measuring process, the same observers must begiven a mundane, classical, objective description, so that the`quantum measurement' ends with a denite result, as we experience in everyday's life. Quantum mechanics itself does not predict, in general, that result. It predicts only probabilities for the various possible outcomes of a measurement, once we specify the procedure used for the preparation of the physical system. This ad hoc approach is sucient for the purposes of experimental physics, and it can even be rationalized by some theoretical physicists (including the author of this review). However, it is considered as unacceptable by philosophers of science. Bub's bookgave me an opportunity to understand why. Bub's goal is to liberate the quantum world from its dependence on observers. Various possibilities are carefully examined. The book contains an amazing wealth of information, including numerous excerpts of correspondence between Einstein, Schr odinger, Pauli, Born, and others. I h a v e particularly been impressed by the two long chapters (75 pages) which analyze in exhaustive detail the celebrated`no go' theorems of Bell and of Kochen and Specker, namely the contradictions that would arise in any attempt to supplement the
Many worlds and modality in the interpretation of quantum mechanics: An algebraic approach
Journal of Mathematical Physics, 2009
Many worlds interpretations (MWI) of quantum mechanics avoid the measurement problem by considering every term in the quantum superposition as actual. A seemingly opposed solution is proposed by modal interpretations (MI) which state that quantum mechanics does not provide an account of what 'actually is the case', but rather deals with what 'might be the case', i.e. with possibilities. In this paper we provide an algebraic framework which allows us to analyze in depth the modal aspects of MWI. Within our general formal scheme we also provide a formal comparison between MWI and MI, in particular, we provide a formal understanding of why -even though both interpretations share the same formal structure-MI fall pray of Kochen-Specker (KS) type contradictions while MWI escape them.
A SEMANTIC INTERPRETATION OF QUANTUM THEORY
This paper illustrates, through examples 1 , how quantum theory can be seen as a theory of symbols. Ordinary signs have classical properties but not meaning; we interpret their physical properties as meanings. This is because the signs are described physically. If, however, space-time is interpreted as a domain of types rather than quantities, the same sign can be seen to denote meanings. The description in terms of symbols subsumes the physical description, but goes beyond it. For example, in a semantic space-time, positions, directions , durations, and tenses have meanings. In classical physics these are described as quantities, and the same properties can be described in terms of types. In the typed description, the fact that a vector points upward instead of downward will indicate a meaning. Such meanings are already employed in computers where the up and down spins represent the bits 1 and 0. I will argue that quantum theory should view space-time semantically rather than physically. Problems of uncertainty , probability and non-locality in quantum theory are shown to be solved by adopting a semantic view. The semantic view makes some new empirical predictions , which are described here. The paper concludes by outlining the mathematical advancements needed to think of quantum phenomena semantically.
The Quantum Revolution in Philosophy
The Philosophical Review, 2020
In this thought-provoking book, Richard Healey proposes a new interpretation of quantum theory inspired by pragmatist philosophy. Healey puts forward the interpretation as an alternative to realist quantum theories on the one hand such as Bohmian mechanics, spontaneous collapse theories, and many-worlds interpretations, which are different proposals for describing what the quantum world is like and what the basic laws of physics are, and non-realist interpretations on the other hand such as quantum Bayesianism, which proposes to understand quantum theory as describing agents' subjective epistemic states. The central idea of Healey's proposal is to understand quantum theory as providing not a description of the physical world but a set of authoritative and objectively correct prescriptions about how agents should act. The book provides a detailed development and defense of that idea, and it contains interesting discussions about a wide range of philosophical issues such as representation, probability, explanation, causation, objectivity, meaning, and fundamentality. Healey's project is at the intersection of physics and philosophy. The book is divided into two parts. Part I of the book discusses the foundational questions in quantum theory from the perspective of the prescriptive interpretation. In Part II, Healey discusses the philosophical implications of the view. Both parts are written in a way that is largely accessible to non-specialists. In this brief book review, I will focus on two questions: (1) How does Healey's idea work? (2) What reasons are there to believe in it?
The Meaning of Quantum - Theory Reinterpreting the Copenhagen Interpretation
The quantum of action was found more then a century ago, but until now the meaning of quantum theory is often claimed to be "unclear" or even "not truly understandable." Another prejudice is that quantum theory is only relevant for the range of atomic and sub-atomic phenomena. After a century of successful applications without any evidence at odds with the predictions of quantum theory, and in view of the fact that at present quantum theory is at the economic bottom of about one third of the Gross National Product, the need for a comprehensive and even popular understanding of the principles of quantum theory, preferably dispensing with the burden of the full mathematical apparatus, is more urgent than ever. Interestingly, there is a connection between quantum theory and your daily-life experience, suggesting to extend and generalize the Copenhagen interpretation in such a way that the observer and his consciousness is no longer excluded from scientific description. Moreover, Quantum theory is easier to understood, if one realizes that its range of applicability surpasses widely that of quantum mechanics, comparable to the way classical physics surpasses classical mechanics. The essential new aspect is the role of abstract quantum information, referred to as Protyposis. The idea that quantum information can have an ontological status equivalent to matter or energy was developed more than half a century ago, but it is only rather recently that, in view of the success of experimental work, the relevance of quantum information has been widely acknowledged. The concept of abstract quantum information is especially helpful in the understanding of the measuring process.