Philosophy and Logic of Quantum Physics: An Investigation of the Metaphysical and Logical Implications of Quantum Physics

Description

The book investigates the ontology and logic of quantum physics. The first part discusses the relationship of theory and observation and different views on the ontological status of scientific theories. It introduces the fundamentals of quantum mechanics and some of its interpretations and their compatibility with various ontological positions. In the second part, implications of quantum mechanics on classical logic, especially on the distributive law and bivalence, as discussed by Garrett Birkhoff & John von Neumann (1936) and Hilary Putnam (1968), and their counterarguments are reconstructed and discussed. It is concluded that classical logic is sufficient for dealing with quantum mechanical propositions Content: Cover Acknowledgements Contents Joint Foreword Part 1: Theory and Observation in Quantum Physics 1."Introduction Part I."Theory and Observation 2."The Relationship between Theory and Observation 3."Classification of Terms and Sentences 3.1"Empirical Terms 3.1.1"Observational Terms and Ostensive Learnability 3.1.2"Empirical Disposition Terms 3.2"Theoretical Terms 3.2.1"Theoretical Terms in the Broad Sense 3.2.2"Theoretical Terms in the Narrow Sense 3.3"Classification of Statements 4."Theory (In-)dependence 4.1"Theory (In-)dependence of Observational Language. 4.2"Theory (In-)dependence of Observation4.3"Linguistic Relativism 5."Ontological Status of Scientific Theories 5.1"Realism and Antirealism 5.2"Kinds of (Anti-)Realism 5.2.1"Fundamental Positions 5.2.2"Advanced Positions 5.3"The Case against Solipsism 5.4"The Case against Metaphysical Realism 5.5"The Case against Radical Constructivism 5.6"The Case for and against Constructive Realism 5.6.1"Inference of the Best Explanation 5.6.2"Pessimistic Meta-Induction 5.6.3"Intertheoretical Correspondence 5.6.4"Justification of Abduction according to Schurz. 5.6.5"The Logical Positivist Objection5.7"Towards a Modern Radical Empiricism 5.7.1"The Independence of Theory 5.7.2"Observational Language as Ostensively Learnable Language 5.7.3"The Limited Theory-Ladeness of Observational Language 5.7.4"Literalness of Theories Part II."Basics of Quantum Physics 6."The Classical Picture of the World 7."Experimental Basis of Quantum Physics 8."The Quantum Explanation 8.1"Wave-Particle Duality 8.2"Schrödinger Equation and Born Rule 8.3"Observables 8.4"Einstein-Podolski-Rosen Paradox and Quantum Entanglement 9."No-go Theorems 9.1"Bell's Theorem. 9.2"Kochen-Specker Theorem10."Interpretations 10.1"Schrödinger's cat 10.2"Subjectivist Interpretations 10.3"Objective-Collapse Interpretations 10.4"Modal Interpretations 10.5"Many-Worlds Interpretation 10.6"Hidden-Variable Interpretations 10.7"Operational Approach Part III."Reflections on Quantum Physics 11."Theory and Observation in Quantum Physics 11.1"Observables and Observation 11.2"Theory or Interpretation? 11.3"Theory and Ontology 11.4"Structural Correspondences of Interpretations 12."Is Quantum Physics Acceptable? 12.1"Indeterminism 12.2"Value Definiteness. 12.3"Measurement Problem13."Ontology of Quantum Physics 13.1"Value Definiteness and Ontology 13.2"Interpretations and Ontology 13.2.1"Subjectivist Interpretations 13.2.2"Objective-Collapse Interpretations 13.2.3"Modal Interpretations 13.2.4"Many-Worlds Interpretation 13.2.5"Hidden-Variable Interpretations 13.2.6"Operational Approach 13.2.7"Interpretations and Ontological Parsimony 13.3"Literalness and the Challenge of Quantum Gravity 14."Conclusion References Part 2: Quantum Logic Introduction 1."Fundamentals of Classical Logic and Quantum Mechanics.