Overview

Quantum theory is widely regarded as one of the most successful theories in the history of science. It explains a hugely diverse array of phenomena and is a natural candidate for our best representation of the world at the level of 'fundamental' physics. But how can the world be the way quantum theory says it is? It is famously unclear what the world is like according to quantum physics, which presents a serious problem for the scientific realist who is committed to regarding our best theories as more or less true. The present volume canvasses a variety of responses to this problem, from restricting or revising realism in different ways to exploring entirely new directions in the lively debate surrounding realist interpretations of quantum physics. Some urge us to focus on new formulations of the theory itself, while others examine the status of scientific realism in the further context of quantum field theory. Each chapter is written by a renowned specialist in the field and is aimed at graduate students and researchers in both physics and the philosophy of science. Together they offer a range of illuminating new perspectives on this fundamental debate and exemplify the fruitful interaction between physics and philosophy.

Full Product Details

Author:   Steven French (Professor of Philosophy of Science, University of Leeds) ,  Juha Saatsi (Associate Professor of Philosophy, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Leeds)
Publisher:   Oxford University Press
Imprint:   Oxford University Press
Dimensions:   Width: 16.00cm , Height: 2.00cm , Length: 24.10cm
Weight:   0.636kg
ISBN:  

9780198814979

ISBN 10:   0198814976
Pages:   336
Publication Date:   27 February 2020
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   To order  
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Table of Contents

1: Steven French and Juha Saatsi: Introduction Part I: Rethinking Scientific Realism 2: Carl Hoefer: Scientific Realism Without the Quantum 3: Juha Saatsi: Truth vs. Progress Realism about Spin Part II: Underdetermination and Interpretation 4: Craig Callender: Can We Quarantine the Quantum Blight? 5: David Wallace: On the Plurality of Quantum Theories: Quantum theory as a framework and its implications for the quantum measurement problem 6: J. E. Wolff: Naturalism and the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics Part III: Pragmatism about Quantum Theory 7: Richard Healey: Pragmatist Quantum Realism 8: Lina Jansson: Can Pragmatism About Quantum Theory Handle Objectivity About Explanations? 9: Peter J. Lewis: Quantum Mechanics and its (Dis)Contents Part IV: Wavefunction and Quantum State Realism 10: Alisa Bokulich: Losing Sight of the Forest for the Psi: Beyond the Wavefunction Hegemony 11: Valia Allori: Scientific Realism without the Wave Function 12: Wayne C. Myrvold: On the Status of Quantum State Realism Part V: Scientific Realism and Quantum Field Theory 13: Doreen Fraser: The Non-Miraculous Success of Formal Analogies in Quantum Theories 14: James D. Fraser: Towards a Realist View of Quantum Field Theory 15: Laura Ruetsche: Perturbing Realism

Reviews

... it is an important collection of new thinking regarding the quantum mechanics dilemma. This text is therefore a must-have for any library serving a university offering serious physics and philosophy programs. * A. Spero, CHOICE *

Author Information

Steven French gained his PhD at the University of London under the supervision of Michael Redhead. After working in Brazil and the USA he moved to Leeds in 1993, where he is Professor of Philosophy of Science. He has published numerous articles and books in the philosophy of physics and the philosophy of science more generally, covering issues from the metaphysics of quantum theory to scientific modelling and structural realism. He is Co-Editor-in-Chief of The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science. Juha Saatsi is Associate Professor of Philosophy at University of Leeds. He works on various topics in philosophy of science, and he has particular interests in the philosophy explanation and the scientific realism debate. He is co-editor of The Bloomsbury Companion to the Philosophy of Science (2014), The Structural Foundations of Quantum Gravity (Oxford 2006), and Explanation Beyond Causation (Oxford 2018).

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