Relational quantum mechanics, causal composition, and molecular structure

Abstract

Franklin and Seifert (2021) argue that solving the measurement problem of quantum mechanics (QM) also answers a question central to the philosophy of chemistry: that of how to reconcile QM with the existence of definite molecular structures. This conclusion may appear premature, however, because interactions play a crucial role in shaping molecules, but we generally lack detailed models of how this is accomplished. Given this explanatory gap, simply choosing an interpretation of QM is insufficient, unless the interpretation also has relevant conceptual resources that address how spatially organized molecules are composed. This article seeks to close the gap, using the interpretation provided by relational quantum mechanics (RQM), along with a posited causal ontology. This framework, which entails the co-existence of multiple perspectives on systems within a single world, offers a path toward reconciling the quantum mechanical view of molecules with another conception more congenial to chemistry: that of molecules shaped by patterns of localizing interactions.