Seevinck, Michael Patrick (2004) Holism, Physical Theories and Quantum Mechanics. [Preprint]
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Abstract
Motivated by the question what it is that makes quantum mechanics a holistic theory (if so), I try to define for general physical theories what we mean by `holism'. For this purpose I propose an epistemological criterion to decide whether or not a physical theory is holistic, namely: a physical theory is holistic if and only if it is impossible in principle to infer the global properties, as assigned in the theory, by local resources available to an agent. I propose that these resources include at least all local operations and classical communication. This approach is contrasted with the well-known approaches to holism in terms of supervenience. The criterion for holism proposed here involves a shift in emphasis from ontology to epistemology. I apply this epistemological criterion to classical physics and Bohmian mechanics as represented on a phase and configuration space respectively, and for quantum mechanics (in the orthodox interpretation) using the formalism of general quantum operations as completely positive trace non-increasing maps. Furthermore, I provide an interesting example from which one can conclude that quantum mechanics is holistic in the above mentioned sense, although, perhaps surprisingly, no entanglement is needed.
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Item Type: | Preprint | ||||||
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Additional Information: | Published in Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics vol. 35B, 693 (2004). | ||||||
Keywords: | holism supervenience classical physics quantum mechanics entanglement | ||||||
Subjects: | General Issues > Structure of Theories General Issues > Reductionism/Holism Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics |
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Depositing User: | Dr. Michael Patrick Seevinck | ||||||
Date Deposited: | 11 Feb 2005 | ||||||
Last Modified: | 07 Oct 2010 15:13 | ||||||
Item ID: | 2191 | ||||||
Subjects: | General Issues > Structure of Theories General Issues > Reductionism/Holism Specific Sciences > Physics Specific Sciences > Physics > Quantum Mechanics |
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Date: | December 2004 | ||||||
URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/2191 |
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Holism, Physical Theories and Quantum Mechanics. (deposited 14 Jun 2005)
- Holism, Physical Theories and Quantum Mechanics. (deposited 11 Feb 2005) [Currently Displayed]
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