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Perspectival Quantum Realism

Dieks, Dennis (2022) Perspectival Quantum Realism. Foundations of Physics, 52 (95). ISSN 1572-9516

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Abstract

The theories of pre-quantum physics are standardly seen as representing physical systems and their properties. Quantum mechanics in its standard form is a more problematic case: here, interpretational problems have led to doubts about the tenability of realist views. Thus, QBists and Quantum Pragmatists maintain that quantum mechanics should not be thought of as representing physical systems, but rather
as an agent-centered tool for updating beliefs about such systems. It is part and parcel of such views that different agents may have different beliefs and may assign different quantum states. What results is a collection of agent-centered perspectives rather than a unique representation of the physical world. In this paper we argue that the problems identified by QBism and Quantum Pragmatism do not necessitate abandoning the ideal of representing the physical world. We can avail ourselves of the same puzzle-solving strategies as employed by QBists and pragmatists by adopting a perspectival quantum realism. According to this perspectivalism (close to the relational interpretation of quantum mechanics) objects may possess different, but
equally objective properties with respect to different physically defined perspectives.
We discuss two options for such a perspectivalism, a local and a nonlocal one, and apply them to Wigner’s friend and EPR scenarios. Finally, we connect quantum perspectivalism
to the recently proposed philosophical position of fragmentalism.


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Item Type: Published Article or Volume
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Dieks, Dennisd.dieks@uu.nl0000-0003-4755-3430
Keywords: Perspectivalism, Fragmentalism, QBism, Quantum Pragmatism, Wigner’s friend, Locality
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Depositing User: Dennis Dieks
Date Deposited: 11 Nov 2022 14:48
Last Modified: 11 Nov 2022 14:48
Item ID: 21392
Journal or Publication Title: Foundations of Physics
Publisher: Springer
DOI or Unique Handle: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10701-022-00611-8
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics
Date: July 2022
Volume: 52
Number: 95
ISSN: 1572-9516
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/21392

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