Pub Date : 2020-02-27DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0010
A. Bokulich
Traditionally 1 is used to stand for both the mathematical wavefunction (the representation) and the quantum state (thing in the world). This elision has been elevated to a metaphysical thesis by advocates of wavefunction realism. The aim of Chapter 10 is to challenge the hegemony of the wavefunction by calling attention to a littleknown formulation of quantum theory that does not make use of the wavefunction in representing the quantum state. This approach, called Lagrangian quantum hydrodynamics (LQH), is a full alternative formulation, not an approximation scheme. A consideration of alternative formalisms is essential for any realist project that attempts to read the ontology of a theory off the mathematical formalism. The chapter shows that LQH falsifies the claim that one must represent the many-body quantum state as living in 3n-dimensional configuration space. When exploring quantum realism, regaining sight of the proverbial forest of quantum representations beyond the 1 is just the beginning.
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Pub Date : 2020-02-27DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0015
Laura Ruetsche
Effective Realism marshals ideologies and technologies of our best current physics— the interacting quantum field theories making up the Standard Model—to articulate a selective realism resistant to skeptical affronts such as the Pessimistic Metainduction. Chapter 15 attempts an empiricist re-appropriation of the putatively realist commitments Effective Realists stake out. It also argues that resisting empiricist reappropriation entangles selective realists in something alarmingly similar to the very project of ‘Standard Interpretation’ they regard as misguided.
{"title":"Perturbing Realism","authors":"Laura Ruetsche","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0015","url":null,"abstract":"Effective Realism marshals ideologies and technologies of our best current physics— the interacting quantum field theories making up the Standard Model—to articulate a selective realism resistant to skeptical affronts such as the Pessimistic Metainduction. Chapter 15 attempts an empiricist re-appropriation of the putatively realist commitments Effective Realists stake out. It also argues that resisting empiricist reappropriation entangles selective realists in something alarmingly similar to the very project of ‘Standard Interpretation’ they regard as misguided.","PeriodicalId":446105,"journal":{"name":"Scientific Realism and the Quantum","volume":"51 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131733661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2019-11-25DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0012
W. Myrvold
Chapter 12 argues that there is good reason for being realist about quantum states. Though a research programme of attempting to construct a plausible theory that accounts for quantum phenomena without ontic quantum states is well motivated, that research programme is confronted by considerable obstacles. Two theorems are considered that place restrictions on a theory of that sort: a theorem due to Barrett, Cavalcanti, Lal, and Maroney, and an extension, by the author, of the Pusey-BarrettRudolph theorem, that employs an assumption weaker than their Cartesian Product Assumption. These theorems have assumptions, of course. If there were powerful evidence against the conclusion that quantum states correspond to something in physical reality, it might be reasonable to reject these assumptions. But the current situation is the opposite: there is no evidence at all supporting irrealism about quantum states.
{"title":"On the Status of Quantum State Realism","authors":"W. Myrvold","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0012","url":null,"abstract":"Chapter 12 argues that there is good reason for being realist about quantum states. Though a research programme of attempting to construct a plausible theory that accounts for quantum phenomena without ontic quantum states is well motivated, that research programme is confronted by considerable obstacles. Two theorems are considered that place restrictions on a theory of that sort: a theorem due to Barrett, Cavalcanti, Lal, and Maroney, and an extension, by the author, of the Pusey-BarrettRudolph theorem, that employs an assumption weaker than their Cartesian Product Assumption. These theorems have assumptions, of course. If there were powerful evidence against the conclusion that quantum states correspond to something in physical reality, it might be reasonable to reject these assumptions. But the current situation is the opposite: there is no evidence at all supporting irrealism about quantum states.","PeriodicalId":446105,"journal":{"name":"Scientific Realism and the Quantum","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2019-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131020302","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-01-26DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0007
R. Healey
Realism comes in many varieties, in science and elsewhere. Van Fraassen’s influential formulation took scientific realism to include the view that science aims to give us, in its theories, a literally true story of what the world is like. So understood, a quantum realist takes quantum theory to aim at correctly representing the world: many would add that its success justifies believing this representation is more or less correct. But quantum realism has been understood both more narrowly and more broadly. A pragmatist considers use prior to representation and this has prompted some to dub pragmatist views anti-realist, including the view of quantum theory that the author has been developing recently. But whether a pragmatist view of quantum theory should be labeled anti-realist depends not only on its ingredients but also on how that label should be applied. Pragmatism offers a healthy diet of quantum realism.
{"title":"Pragmatist Quantum Realism","authors":"R. Healey","doi":"10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198814979.003.0007","url":null,"abstract":"Realism comes in many varieties, in science and elsewhere. Van Fraassen’s influential formulation took scientific realism to include the view that science aims to give us, in its theories, a literally true story of what the world is like. So understood, a quantum realist takes quantum theory to aim at correctly representing the world: many would add that its success justifies believing this representation is more or less correct. But quantum realism has been understood both more narrowly and more broadly. A pragmatist considers use prior to representation and this has prompted some to dub pragmatist views anti-realist, including the view of quantum theory that the author has been developing recently. But whether a pragmatist view of quantum theory should be labeled anti-realist depends not only on its ingredients but also on how that label should be applied. Pragmatism offers a healthy diet of quantum realism.","PeriodicalId":446105,"journal":{"name":"Scientific Realism and the Quantum","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2018-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131663183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}