The Ontology of Bohmian Mechanics

Esfeld, Michael; Hubert, Mario; Lazarovici, Dustin; Dürr, Detlef

doi:10.1093/bjps/axt019

Cited by 92 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…As an attempt to answer this question, the second part of the paper (section 5) focuses on quantum dispositions: considering their role in the ontology presupposed by ordinary language, which is full of dispositional terms, also dispositions are an obvious candidate for the wished-for rapprochement of the two images mentioned above. However, while dispositions or powers seem a plausible basis for defending some kind of nomological realism about the wave function, Esfeld et al (2013) have recent argued that the wave function ought to be regarded as describing a power of the configuration of all particles in the universe. This claim raises the question whether the primitive ontology of quantum theory can plausibly be given in terms of matter points devoid of any intrinsic dispositions but essentially identified by metrical relations (Esfeld, et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Events and the Ontology of Quantum Mechanics

Dorato¹

2015

Topoi

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In the first part of the paper I argue that an ontology of events is precise, flexible and general enough so as to cover the three main alternative formulations of quantum mechanics as well as theories advocating an antirealistic view of the wave function. Since these formulations advocate a primitive ontology of entities living in four-dimensional spacetime, they are good candidates to connect that quantum image with the manifest image of the world. However, to the extent that some form of realism about the wave function is also necessary, one needs to endorse also the idea that the wave function refers to some kind of power. In the second part, I discuss some difficulties raised by the recent proposal that in Bohmian mechanics this power is holistically possessed by all the particles in the universe.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Events and the Ontology of Quantum Mechanics

Dorato¹

2015

Topoi

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Both Suárez's dialectics and his conclusions may well remind us of work by Esfeld et al (2014). However, there are important differences between Suárez's proposal and that of those other authors.…”

Section: The Papersmentioning

confidence: 78%

Introduction: space–time and the wave function

Solé

Hoefer

2015

Synthese

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

All the papers in this special issue deal with the questions of what the wave function represents and what the implications of quantum realism are in relation to our conception of space. These questions were the basis of the discussions that took place over two conferences which, under the title of Space-time and the wave function, were held in Barcelona in April 2013 and May 2014. The papers that are included here-or preliminary versions of them-were presented and discussed at those conferences.

show abstract

“…These particles move according to a deterministic law -the guiding equation -in which the wave function has the job to yield the particles' velocities at any time t give their positions at t. This law is linked with a probability measure -the quantum equilibrium hypothesis -from which the quantum mechanical probability calculus follows. (2000), Allori et al (2008) and Esfeld et al (2014Esfeld et al ( , 2017 for the Bohmian particles being characterized by their relative positions only.…”

Section: Minimalist Ontology and Physical Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

A proposal for a minimalist ontology

Esfeld

2017

Synthese

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper seeks to answer the following question: What is a minimal set of entities that form an ontology of the natural world, given our well-established physical theories? The proposal is that the following two axioms are sufficient to obtain such a minimalist ontology: (1) There are distance relations that individuate simple objects, namely matter points. (2) The matter points are permanent, with the distances between them changing. I sketch out how one can obtain our wellestablished physical theories on the basis of just these two axioms. The argument for minimalism in ontology then is that it yields all the explanations that one can reasonably demand in science and philosophy, while avoiding the drawbacks that come with a richer ontology.Keywords: minimalist ontology, parsimony, Humeanism, relationalism about space-time, ontic structural realism, classical mechanics, quantum physics, Bohmian mechanics Formulating a minimalist ontologyAny form of a naturalistic metaphysics uses science, notably fundamental physics, as the guide to ontology. However, one cannot read off the ontology from the mathematical structure of a physical theory. The first and foremost purpose of such a structure is to obtain a simple and informative representation of the evolution of a given domain of entities. The mathematical structure uses whatever parameters are appropriate to achieve that aim, but these parameters do not thereby automatically become part of the ontology of the theory. To mention just one prominent example, consider the wave function, which is the central mathematical innovation of quantum physics. It is without doubt a parameter that fulfils the mentioned purpose, but there is an ongoing dispute about what, if any, its ontological significance is. Thus, even if one endorses scientific realism and adopts a naturalistic stance in metaphysics, philosophical argument is called for to develop a proposal for an ontology of a given physical theory, or physics tout court. One way to approach ontology is to draw a distinction between what can be called the primitive ontology of a given physical theory and what is its dynamical structure. The primitive ontology are those entities that, according to the theory, exist simply in the world. The dynamical structure of a physical theory then is made up by all those parameters that are introduced through their function for the evolution of those entities that constitute the primitive ontology. Note that this notion of a primitive ontology is much wider than the sense in which this term is used in the debate about the foundations of quantum mechanics (see Dürr et al. 2013Dürr et al. , p. 29 (first published 1992, and Allori et al. 2008): a primitive ontology in this wide sense does not necessarily have to consist in entities that are localized in threedimensional space or four-dimensional space-time (and what about space or space-time A proposal for a minimalist ontology 2 themselves?). Nonetheless, the paradigmatic example of a primitive ontology is this one: according t...

show abstract

The Ontology of Bohmian Mechanics

Cited by 92 publications

References 29 publications

Events and the Ontology of Quantum Mechanics

Events and the Ontology of Quantum Mechanics

Introduction: space–time and the wave function

A proposal for a minimalist ontology

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About