Miller, Ryan (2022) Mereological Atomism's Quantum Problems. In: UNSPECIFIED.

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Abstract

The popular metaphysical view that concrete objects are grounded in their ultimate parts is often motivated by appeals to realist interpretations of contemporary physics. This paper argues that an examination of mainstream interpretations of quantum mechanics undercuts such atomist claims. First, mereological atomism is only plausible in conjunction with Bohmian mechanics. Second, on either an endurantist or perdurantist theory of time, atomism exacerbates Bohmianism’s existing tensions with serious Lorentz invariance in a way that undermines the realist appeal of both views. Bohmians should therefore resist atomism, leaving atomists somewhat physically homeless.

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Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (UNSPECIFIED)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Miller, Ryan ryan.miller@unige.ch 0000-0003-0268-2570
Keywords:	atomism, Bohmianism, special relativity, Lorentz invariance, endurantism, perdurantism, scientific realism
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Depositing User:	Ryan Miller
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2022 16:43
Last Modified:	20 Nov 2022 16:43
Item ID:	21452
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Physics > Fields and Particles Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism Specific Sciences > Physics > Relativity Theory
Date:	November 2022
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/21452

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