Healey, Richard A. (2011) Quantum Theory: a Pragmatist Approach. [Preprint]
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Abstract
While its applications have made quantum theory arguably the most successful theory in physics, its interpretation continues to be the subject of lively debate within the community of physicists and philosophers concerned with conceptual foundations. This situation poses a problem for a pragmatist for whom meaning derives from use. While disputes about how to use quantum theory have arisen from time to time, they have typically been quickly resolved, and consensus reached, within the relevant scientific sub-community. Yet rival accounts of the meaning of quantum theory continue to proliferate1. In this article I offer a diagnosis of this situation and outline a pragmatist solution to the problem it poses, leaving further details for subsequent articles.
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| Item Type: | Preprint |
|---|---|
| Additional Information: | Forthcoming in the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science |
| Keywords: | quantum theory, pragmatism, quantum probabilities, quantum measurement, non-locality, Wigner's friend |
| Subjects: | Specific Sciences > Probability/Statistics Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics |
| Depositing User: | Richard Andrew Healey |
| Date Deposited: | 23 May 2011 05:23 |
| Last Modified: | 23 May 2011 05:23 |
| Item ID: | 8620 |
| URI: | http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8620 |
Available Versions of this Item
- Quantum Theory: a Pragmatist Approach. (deposited 23 Aug 2010)
- Quantum Theory: a Pragmatist Approach. (deposited 23 May 2011 05:23)[Currently Displayed]
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