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Quantum Mechanics and Ontology

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Analysis and Interpretation in the Exact Sciences

Part of the book series: The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science ((WONS,volume 78))

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Abstract

This chapter considers the prospects, in the present state of research in quantum mechanics, for an ontological foundation for the theory that is compatible with the minimal constraints of scientific realism, that is, compatible with the attribution of physical states to particles. No single interpretation is defended, but it is argued that no-collapse theories such as the various “many-worlds” interpretations cannot coherently satisfy such constraints, while objective collapse theories such as the Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber (GRW) theory offer the possibility, at least, of satisfying both these conceptual constraints and the empirical constraints of quantum phenomena.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    See (Putnam 2004), especially the last two chapters, for a discussion.

  2. 2.

    Something I learned from reading Sheldon Goldstein .

  3. 3.

    For a list of related difficulties with the decoherent histories approach, see Ghirardi (2007).

  4. 4.

    See http://www.mathematik.uni-muenchen.de/~bohmmech/BohmHome/weingold.htm.

  5. 5.

    Also see the discussion in (Maudlin 2007, p. 3166) or Maudlin 2002.

References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Philosophy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Hilary Putnam

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  1. Hilary Putnam
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Correspondence to Hilary Putnam .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , History of Science and Technology Progra, University of King's College, Coburg Rd. 6350, Halifax, B3H 2A1, Canada

    Melanie Frappier

  2. , Philosophy, Brandon University, 18th St 270, Brandon, R7A 6A9, Canada

    Derek Brown

  3. , Philosophy, University of Western Ontario, London, N6A 5B8, Canada

    Robert DiSalle

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Putnam, H. (2012). Quantum Mechanics and Ontology. In: Frappier, M., Brown, D., DiSalle, R. (eds) Analysis and Interpretation in the Exact Sciences. The Western Ontario Series in Philosophy of Science, vol 78. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2582-9_10

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