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Table of Contents
Intro
Introduction
Part I: Realism
Part II: Ontology
Part III: The Wave Function
Part IV: Indeterminacy
Contents
Part I Realism
1 The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Decoherence
1.1 Introduction: Decoherence Theory
1.2 The (Lack of) Description for Subsystems
1.2.1 Decoherence Does Not Transform "Pure States into Mixtures of Well-Localized States"
1.2.2 Undesired Consequences: The Status of Classical Objects in Decoherence Theory
1.2.3 Interpreting Decoherence
1.2.3.1 Decoherence and the Realist Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
1.2.3.2 Relation with the Measurement Problem
1.3 No Dynamics for the Subsystem S
Ehrenfest Theorem
1.4 The Basis Problem: Does Decoherence Really Help?
1.4.1 Example: Quantum Brownian Motion
1.5 Conclusion
References
2 Quantum Fundamentalism vs. Scientific Realism
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Ontology and Dynamics
2.3 Is Primitive Ontology All There Is?
2.4 Primitive Ontology with Wave Function Realism
2.5 Primitive Ontology Without Wave Function Realism
2.6 Conclusion
References
3 On the Principles That Serve as Guides to the Ontology of Quantum Mechanics
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Setting Up the Debate: Meta-ontological Principles and Quantum Mechanics
3.3 The Dynamical Matching Principle
3.4 The Minimal Divergence Norm
3.5 Conclusion: Eliminative Reasoning and the Role of the DMP and the MDN in the Quantum Ontology Debate
References
4 The Quantum World as a Resource. A Case for the Cohabitation of Two Paradigms
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Information Theory as a Resource Theory and the Information-Theoretic Interpretation of QT
4.3 World Change, Conceptual Change and Kuhn Loss
4.4 Progress, Objectivity and Scientific Realism
4.4.1 Progress
4.4.2 Objectivity and Scientific Realism
Bibliography
5 Quantum Ontology: Out of This World?
5.1 A Different World?
5.1.1 A Free Particle Moving in One Dimension
5.1.2 Simple Harmonic Oscillator
5.1.3 Projectile
5.1.4 Two Particles in 1D
5.1.5 Controversy
5.2 Relation to Our World
5.3 Relation to Quantum Mechanics
5.4 Proposal
References
6 Why Might an Instrumentalist Endorse Bohmian Mechanics?
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Instrumentalism and Representations of the Unobservable
6.3 Functions of Representations of the Unobservable
6.3.1 Highlighting or Revealing Connections Between Phenomena
6.3.2 Promoting Understanding of How Phenomena Interrelate
6.3.3 As Heuristics for Theory (or Model) Construction
6.3.4 Illustrating or Revealing Connections Between Theories (or Laws or Models)
6.4 Conclusion
References
Part II Ontology
7 Beables, Primitive Ontology and Beyond: How Theories Meet the World
7.1 Introduction
7.2 David Bohm, Pluralism and Infinitism
7.3 Local and Non-local Beables
7.4 The Primitive Ontology Approach
7.5 Beyond the PO: Minimalism and Fundamental Ontology
Introduction
Part I: Realism
Part II: Ontology
Part III: The Wave Function
Part IV: Indeterminacy
Contents
Part I Realism
1 The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Decoherence
1.1 Introduction: Decoherence Theory
1.2 The (Lack of) Description for Subsystems
1.2.1 Decoherence Does Not Transform "Pure States into Mixtures of Well-Localized States"
1.2.2 Undesired Consequences: The Status of Classical Objects in Decoherence Theory
1.2.3 Interpreting Decoherence
1.2.3.1 Decoherence and the Realist Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics
1.2.3.2 Relation with the Measurement Problem
1.3 No Dynamics for the Subsystem S
Ehrenfest Theorem
1.4 The Basis Problem: Does Decoherence Really Help?
1.4.1 Example: Quantum Brownian Motion
1.5 Conclusion
References
2 Quantum Fundamentalism vs. Scientific Realism
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Ontology and Dynamics
2.3 Is Primitive Ontology All There Is?
2.4 Primitive Ontology with Wave Function Realism
2.5 Primitive Ontology Without Wave Function Realism
2.6 Conclusion
References
3 On the Principles That Serve as Guides to the Ontology of Quantum Mechanics
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Setting Up the Debate: Meta-ontological Principles and Quantum Mechanics
3.3 The Dynamical Matching Principle
3.4 The Minimal Divergence Norm
3.5 Conclusion: Eliminative Reasoning and the Role of the DMP and the MDN in the Quantum Ontology Debate
References
4 The Quantum World as a Resource. A Case for the Cohabitation of Two Paradigms
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Information Theory as a Resource Theory and the Information-Theoretic Interpretation of QT
4.3 World Change, Conceptual Change and Kuhn Loss
4.4 Progress, Objectivity and Scientific Realism
4.4.1 Progress
4.4.2 Objectivity and Scientific Realism
Bibliography
5 Quantum Ontology: Out of This World?
5.1 A Different World?
5.1.1 A Free Particle Moving in One Dimension
5.1.2 Simple Harmonic Oscillator
5.1.3 Projectile
5.1.4 Two Particles in 1D
5.1.5 Controversy
5.2 Relation to Our World
5.3 Relation to Quantum Mechanics
5.4 Proposal
References
6 Why Might an Instrumentalist Endorse Bohmian Mechanics?
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Instrumentalism and Representations of the Unobservable
6.3 Functions of Representations of the Unobservable
6.3.1 Highlighting or Revealing Connections Between Phenomena
6.3.2 Promoting Understanding of How Phenomena Interrelate
6.3.3 As Heuristics for Theory (or Model) Construction
6.3.4 Illustrating or Revealing Connections Between Theories (or Laws or Models)
6.4 Conclusion
References
Part II Ontology
7 Beables, Primitive Ontology and Beyond: How Theories Meet the World
7.1 Introduction
7.2 David Bohm, Pluralism and Infinitism
7.3 Local and Non-local Beables
7.4 The Primitive Ontology Approach
7.5 Beyond the PO: Minimalism and Fundamental Ontology