Philosophers of science have not paid much attention to recent
developments in quantum cosmology. This fact is surprising, since quantum
cosmology is replete with conceptual issues involving (e.g.) the fundamental
nature of time and space, the interpretation of quantum mechanics, and the
ultimate meaning of probability. One notable exception, Quentin Smith, has
recently examined the Hartle-Hawking (1983) proposal. Trying to make sense
of the view, he resorts to an instrumentalist picture, which treats the
proposal as merely a heuristic device for the algorithm responsible for
predictions. While we do not examine Smith's account here, we would like to
contrast it with the model presented in this note, in which a fully
realistic interpretation of quantum cosmology is developed.
Recently there has been a resurgence of interest in the de Broglie-Bohm
causal interpretation of quantum mechanics.
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