Saatsi, J orcid.org/0000-0002-8440-8761 (2019) Scientific Realism Meets Metaphysics of Quantum Mechanics. In: Cordero, A, (ed.) Philosophers Look at Quantum Mechanics. Synthese Library, 406 . Springer , pp. 141-162. ISBN 978-3-030-15658-9
Abstract
I examine the epistemological debate on scientific realism in the context of quantum mechanics (QM), focusing on the empirical underdetermination of different formulations (and interpretations) of QM. This underdetermination is unsurprising in the light of the realism debate, since much of the interpretational, metaphysical work on QM transcends those epistemic commitments of realism that cohere well with the history of science. I sketch a way of demarcating empirically idle metaphysics of QM from the empirically well-confirmed aspects of the theory in a way that withholds realist commitment to what quantum state |Ψ> represents. I argue that such commitment is not required for fulfilling the ultimate realist motivation: accounting for the empirical success of QM in a way that is in tune with a broader understanding of how theoretical science progresses and latches onto reality.
Metadata
Item Type: | Book Section |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Editors: |
|
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Philosophy, Religion and History of Science (Leeds) > School of Philosophy (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Arts & Humanities Research Council AHRC AH/L008955/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 11 Jun 2018 13:38 |
Last Modified: | 28 Feb 2024 16:36 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Springer |
Series Name: | Synthese Library |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/978-3-030-15659-6_10 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:131835 |