Despite the importance of the variational principles of physics, there have been relatively few attempts to consider them for a realistic framework. In addition to the old teleological question, this paper continues the recent discussion regarding the modal involvement of the principle of least action and its relations with the Humean view of the laws of nature. The reality of possible paths in the principle of least action is examined from the perspectives of the contemporary metaphysics of modality and Leibniz's concept of essences or possibles striving for existence. I elaborate a modal interpretation of the principle of least action that replaces a classical representation of a system's motion along a single history in the actual modality by simultaneous motions along an infinite set of all possible histories in the possible modality. This model is based on an intuition that deep ontological connections exist between the possible paths in the principle of least action and possible quantum histories in the Feynman path integral. I interpret the action as a physical measure of the essence of every possible history. Therefore only one actual history has the highest degree of the essence and minimal action. To address the issue of necessity, I assume that the principle of least action has a general physical necessity and lies between the laws of motion with a limited physical necessity and certain laws with a metaphysical necessity.
В публикации отражены материалы дискуссии, состоявшейся в формате «круглого стола» в рамках конференции «Квантовая механика и философский дискурс», которая прошла в Институте философии РАН 14-15 апреля 2016 г. В публикуемых материалах приводится обсуждение того, как результаты квантовых экспериментов могут изменить метафизические представления о реальности. Экспериментальная проверка неравенств Белла, Леггета, Леггета-Гарга, а также эксперименты с отложенным выбором и квантовым «ластиком» подтверждают, что для квантовых объектов требуется существенный пересмотр представлений классического реализма. Обсуждаются различные подходы к трактовке наблюдаемых явлений. В рамках подхода модальной метафизики показано, как возможно разрешение ряда традиционных парадоксов квантовой теории, в частности, впервые удается показать, с чем связана «тайна квантовой механики», сформулированная Фейнманом.
This paper continues the analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of ontic structural realism, which begun in the first part of the paper. Non-eliminative versions of this approach are considered, which try to find a compromise between the ontology of structures and the ontology of objects. It is shown that the semirealism of A. Chakravartti and the constructive structural realism of T. Cao have a number of limitations caused by the authors’ desire to strictly distinguish between the nature of the existence of objects and structures. Then the version of the relationship between structures and entities is presented. Firstly, two concepts are divided according to their content: “object” and “entity”. Second, to solve the problem of causality, I suggest that the nature of entities and structures lie in their ability to act. It is this ability that I propose to use instead of the popular concepts of “causal powers”, “causal properties” or “dispositions”. Third, instead of a rigid alternative to ontological primitives – either essence, or causal relations, or structures – the concept of ontological pluralism and inherited existence is proposed. There each entity is represented as a derivative of another structure and, in turn, creates other entities and structures. Thus, both structures and entities at each level of the complexity hierarchy partially inherit the ability to act and a certain degree of existence from the structures and entities of the previous levels. Finally, I am trying to clarify the modal aspects of the ontic structural realism. Following the popular interpretations of quantum theory, the ability to act, and hence the existence of structures and entities, are considered separately in two worlds – potential and actual ones. The potential world is associated with a set of possible objects and structures of quantum theory, and the actual world is associated with a set of real (observable) objects and structures of classical physical theories. The transition from the potential to the actual world is proposed to be considered as a primitive metaphysical event. The proposed concept partially overcomes the objections to ontic structural realism, thereby strengthening its position in the discussion about the reality of quantum objects.
Статья посвящена анализу истоков второй квантовой технологической революции, связанной с передачей и обработкой квантовой информации. Цель исследования: описать, как кардинальная перестройка оснований квантовой физики в первой четверти XX века привела к созданию технологических инноваций в начале XXI века. В первой части работы уточняются понятия научных инноваций и революционных трансформаций в науке, а также дается характеристика основных отличий квантовой механики от классической физики. Во второй части аргументируется утверждение, что вторая квантовая революция была подготовлена в процессе экспериментальной проверки разных взглядов на реальность объектов квантовой теории и способов их познания.
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