Grice on quantum mechanics

Excerpts from S. French, Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy entry on 'quantum physics'.

French writes:

"What are the metaphysical implications of quantum physics?"

"One way of approaching this question is to consider the impact of the theory on our understanding of objects as individuals with well defined identity conditions."

"One view is that quantum theory implies that the fundamental particles of physics cannot be regarded as individual objects in this sense."

"Such a view has motivated the development of non-standard formal systems which are appropriate for representing such non-individual objects."

"However, it has also been argued that quantum physics is in fact compatible with a metaphysics of individual objects."

"Nevertheless, such objects are indistinguishable in a sense which leads to the violation of Leibniz's famous Principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles."

"Finally, this underdetermination of the metaphysics of individuality by the physics has important implications for the realism-antirealism debate."


------ EDDINGTON'S TWO TABLES:

French:

"It is typically held that chairs, trees, rocks, people and many of the so-called ‘everyday’ objects we encounter can be regarded as individuals."

"The issue, then, is how this individuality is to be understood, or what constitutes the ‘principle’ of individuality."


References provided by French:


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"Primitive Thisness and Primitive Identity",

Journal of Philosophy 76 (1979): 5-26.

•Auyang, S. Y., 1995, How is Quantum Field Theory Possible? Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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•Born, M., 1943,
Experiment and Theory in Physics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

•Brown, H., Salqvist, E. and Bacciagaluppi, G., 1999, "Remarks on identical particles in de Broglie-Bohm theory", Physics LettersA 251 (1999): 229-235.

•Butterfield, J., 1993, "Interpretation and Identity in Quantum Theory", Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 24 (1993): 443-476.

•Cao, T.L. (ed.), 1999,
Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Field Theory, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

•Cassirer, E., 1937, Determinism and Indeterminism in Modern Physics, New Haven: Yale University, 1956; translation of Determinismus und Indeterminismus in der modern Physik, Goteborg: Elanders Boktryckeri Aktiebolag, 1937.

•Cantor, G., 1955, Contributions to the Founding of the Theory of Transfinite Numbers, New York: Dover.

•Castellani, E., 1998a,
"Galilean Particles: An Example of Constitution of Objects", in Castellani, E.
(ed.), Interpreting Bodies: Classical and Quantum Objects in Modern Physics, Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp. 181-194.

•Castellani, E., 1998b, "Introduction", in Castellani, E. (ed.), Interpreting Bodies: Classical and Quantum Objects in Modern Physics, Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp. 3-17.

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"Individuals, Kinds and Names in Physics",

in Corsi, G., et al. (eds), Bridging the Gap: Philosophy, Mathematics, Physics, Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 261-283.

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•Dalla Chiara, M. L., Giuntini, R. and Krause, D., 1998, "Quasiset Theories for Microobjects: A Comparision", in Castellani, E. (ed.), Interpreting Bodies: Classical and Quantum Objects in Modern Physics, Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp. 142-152.

•Dieks, D. and Vermaas, P. (eds.), 1998, The Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers.

•Earman, J., 1989, World Enough and Space-Time, Cambridge: MIT Press.

•French, S., 1989, "Identity and Individuality in Classical and Quantum Physics", Australasian Journal of Philosophy 67 (1989): 432-446.

•French, S., 1998, "On the Withering Away of Physical Objects", in Castellani, E. (ed.), Interpreting Bodies: Classical and Quantum Objects in Modern Physics, Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp. 93-113.

•French, S. and Krause, D., 1999, "The Logic of Quanta", in T. Cao (ed.), Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Field Theory Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 324-342.

•French, S. and Krause, D., Identity in Physics: A Formal, Historical and Philosophical Approach, Oxford: Oxford University Press forthcoming.

•French, S. and Ladyman, J., 2003, "Remodelling Structural Realism: Quantum Physics and the Metaphysics of Structure", Synthese, 136, (2003): 31-56.

•French, S. and Redhead, M., 1988, "Quantum Physics and the Identity of Indiscernibles", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 39 (1988): 233-246.

•Hesse, M., 1963, Models and Analogies in Science, London: Sheed and Ward; reprinted Notre Dame: University of Notre Dame Press, 1966.

•Huggett, N., 1995,

"What are Quanta, and Why Does it Matter?",
PSA 1994 (Proceedings of the 1994 Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association) Vol. 2, East Lansing: Philosophy of Science Association (1995): 69-76.

•Huggett, N., 1997, "Identity, Quantum Mechanics and Common Sense", The Monist 80 (1997): 118-130.

•Huggett, N., 1999,

"Atomic Metaphysics", The Journal of Philosophy 96 (1999): 5-24.


•Krause, D., 1992, "On a Quasi-set Theory", Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic 33 (1992): 402-411.

•Ladyman, J., 1998, "What is Structural Realism?", Studies in History and Philosophy of Science 29 (1998): 409-424.

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•Post, H., 1963, "Individuality and Physics", The Listener 70 (1963): 534-537; reprinted in Vedanta for East and West 32: 14-22.

•Quine, W.V.O., 1969,

"Speaking of Objects",

Ontological Relativity and Other Essays, New York: Columbia University Press.

•Redhead, M., 1983, "Quantum Field Theory for Philosophers", in Asquith, P.D. and Nickles, T. (eds), PSA 1982 (Proceedings of the 1982 Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association) Vol. 2, East Lansing: Philosophy of Science Association (1983): 57-99.

•Redhead, M. and Teller, P., 1991,

"Particles, Particle Labels, and Quanta: the Toll of Unacknowledged Metaphysics",

Foundations of Physics 21 (1991): 43-62.


•Redhead, M. and Teller, P., 1992,

"Particle Labels and the Theory of Indistinguishable Particles in Quantum Mechanics", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 43 (1992): 201-218.


•Rickles, D., French, S. and Saatsi, J., forthcoming, Structural Foundations of Quantum Gravity, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

•Rovelli, C., 1999, "Localization in Quantum Field Theory: How Much of Quantum Field Theory is Compatible With What We Know about Space-Time?", in Cao, T. (ed.), Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Field Theory Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 207-229.

•Saunders, S., 2003, "Physics and Leibniz's Principles", in Brading, K. and Castellani, E., eds.Symmetries in Physics: Philosophical Reflections, , Cambridge University Press (2003).

•Schrödinger, E., 1952, Science and Humanism, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
•Simons, P., 1998, "Farewell to Substance: A Differentiated Leave-taking", Ratio 11 (1998): 235-252.

•Stachel, J., 1999, "Comments", in Cao, T. (ed.), Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Field Theory Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 233-240.

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•Teller, P., 1995, An Interpretative Introduction to Quantum Field Theory, Princeton: Princeton University Press.

•Teller, P., 1998, "Quantum Mechanics and Haecceities", in Castellani, E. (ed.), Interpreting Bodies: Classical and Quantum Objects in Modern Physics, Princeton: Princeton University Press, pp. 114-141.

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•van Fraassen, B., 1985, "Statistical Behaviour of Indistinguishable Particles: Problems of Interpretation", in Mittelstaedt, P., and Stachow, E. W. (eds), Recent Developments in Quantum Logic Mannheim, pp. 161-187.

•van Fraassen, B., 1991, Quantum Mechanics: An Empiricist View, Oxford: Oxford University Press.

•Weyl, H., 1931, The Theory of Groups and Quantum Mechanics, London: Methuen and Co.; English trans. 2nd ed.

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Related Entries
identity: of indiscernibles | identity: relative | physics: holism and nonseparability | quantum mechanics