Healey, Richard A. (2021) Scientific Objectivity and its Limits. [Preprint]

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Abstract

Quantum theory is a fundamental part of contemporary science. But some recent arguments have been taken to show that if this theory is universally applicable then the outcome of a quantum measurement is not an objective fact. They motivate the more general reappraisal of the notions of fact and objectivity that I offer here. I argue that if quantum theory is universally applicable the facts about the physical world include a fact about each quantum measurement outcome. The physical facts may lack an ideal kind of objectivity but their more modest objectivity is all that science needs.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Healey, Richard A. rhealey@email.arizona.edu 0000-0001-9329-2927
Additional Information:	To appear in the British Journal for the Philosophy of Science.
Keywords:	scientific objectivity, quantum theory, Wigner's friend paradoxes, truth, semantic contextuality,
Subjects:	General Issues > Data General Issues > Evidence Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Theory/Observation General Issues > Thought Experiments
Depositing User:	Richard Andrew Healey
Date Deposited:	02 Aug 2021 14:48
Last Modified:	02 Aug 2021 14:48
Item ID:	19401
DOI or Unique Handle:	https://doi.org/10.1086/716169
Subjects:	General Issues > Data General Issues > Evidence Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics General Issues > Theory/Observation General Issues > Thought Experiments
Date:	1 August 2021
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/19401

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