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arXiv:2601.03310

Duality and measurement: the Copenhagen reconciliation

Vincenzo Chilla

quant-phSubmitted Jan 6, 2026• Announced Jan 7, 2026• 0 citations• Revised Jan 14, 2026 (v2)
v1 · Jan 6, 2026v2 · Jan 14, 2026v3 · Jan 21, 2026v4 · Feb 2, 2026
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Abstract

Duality, not monism, constitutes the hermeneutic lens that characterizes the original Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. Therefore, evoking the principles of correspondence and complementarity, in this work we re-assert a dual-aspect reading of quantum theory, structured through a multi-perspective schema encompassing its ontological, analytical, epistemological, causal, and information dimensions. We then show how this schema dissolves the so-called 'measurement problem', along with the associated 'knowledge-information' and 'macro-micro' dichotomies, issues historically raised within later monistic or universalist philosophical settings that ultimately depart from the traditional Copenhagen spirit.

Comments
28 pages, appendix and references added, some section titles changed, minor corrections or changes in the text

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Duality, not monism, constitutes the hermeneutic lens that characterizes the original Copenhagen interpretation of Quantum Mechanics. Therefore, evoking the principles of correspondence and complementarity, in this work we re-assert a dual-aspect reading of quantum theory, structured through a multi-perspective schema encompassing its ontological, analytical, epistemological, causal, and information dimensions. We then show how this schema dissolves the so-called 'measurement problem', along with the associated 'knowledge-information' and 'macro-micro' dichotomies, issues historically raised within later monistic or universalist philosophical settings that ultimately depart from the traditional Copenhagen spirit.
The Copenhagen interpretation of quantum theory is investigated from a philosophical point of view. It is justified the opinion that the philosophical attitude the Copenhagen interpretation is based on is in principle inevitable for a real comprehension of quantum theory. This attitude is mainly related to epistemological arguments. However, the measurement problem often seems not to be treated clearly enough within the interpretation. By referring to the property of the necessity to use macroscopic measurement instruments obeying classical concepts it is made the attempt to solve the measurement problem. According to this consideration the indeterministic character of quantum theory seems to have its origin in a lack of knowledge and thus it appears in a similar but more principle way than in statistical mechanics. It is emphasized the ontological character of the uncertainty relation and the related non locality of quantum theory suggesting that the existence of a position space is not as fundamental as the assumptions of general quantum theory.
We present a historical-epistemological analysis of the foundations of quantum mechanics, highlighting the relationships between quantum mechanics and scientific realism, as well as the influence of the neo-positivist philosophy of the first decades of the 20th century. The great significance of the measurement process in the context of quantum mechanics is underlined as an essential element in providing a coherent description of reality, moving from micro to macrocosm, as well as the role that the measurement apparatus and the consciousness of the observer assume during the act of measurement, the related ontological problems, the question of the objectification of the wave function, and that of the definition of discernibility. We consider also an overview of the most important alternative proposals to the standard interpretation of quantum mechanics (Copenhagen interpretation), with particular reference to hidden variable theories and other alternatives to standard quantum mechanics philosophical approach, that are modifying the vision of reality, such as the Everett’s many-worlds theory, the QBism and unified holistic approaches, such as the Primordial Dynamic Space.
This work presents a historical-epistemological analysis of the foundations of quantum mechanics. From a philosophical point of view, the relationships between quantum mechanics and scientific realism are highlighted, as well as the influence of the neo-positivist philosophy of the first decades of the 20th century. The great significance of measurement in the context of quantum mechanics is underlined, as an essential element in providing a coherent description of reality moving from the microcosm to the macrocosm, as well as the role that the measurement apparatus and the consciousness of the observer assume during the act of measurement, the ontological problem, the problem of the objectification of the wave function and the problem of the definition of discernibility. This is followed by an overview of the most important alternative proposals to the standard interpretation (Copenhagen interpretation), with particular reference to hidden variable theories, and other alternatives to standard quantum mechanics that profoundly modify the vision of reality, such as the Everett’s many-worlds theory, the QBism, the unified holistic approach.
In the late 1920s, Niels Bohr’s "Principle of Complementarity" became a cornerstone of the Copenhagen interpretation, asserting that the wave and particle aspects of micro-entities are mutually exclusive yet complementary properties manifested under distinct experimental arrangements. However, this classical-bound formulation inadvertently entangled quantum physics in a century-long ontological debate over what a microscopic system "really is." This paper presents a counterfactual historical and philosophical critique: had Bohr bypassed the binary framing of wave-particle duality and instead posited the Law of Coexisting Mutually Exclusive Descriptions—which dictates that a single physical system fundamentally possesses multiple, irreducible, and mutually exclusive descriptions simultaneously—the foundational paradigm of quantum mechanics would have undergone a decisive transformation. Under this proposed paradigm, the focus of quantum physics shifts from seeking a singular underlying "substance" to mapping how non-commutative, coexisting descriptions collectively construct physical reality. We demonstrate how this law redefines the quantum measurement problem, dissolves the misconception of "uncertainty" as an inherent ontological vagueness, and provides a unified conceptual framework for quantum entanglement and emergent spacetime in modern field theory. Ultimately, this work establishes a non-reductionist "Multitudinous Description Realism" that offers a clearer conceptual tool for contemporary quantum foundations and quantum information science.
For over a century, scientists have been fascinated by the strange behaviour of matter at the quantum level, where particles can exist in many states at once and affect each other instantly across distances. This paper explores this realm of quantum mechanics by focusing on wave–particle duality, superposition, entanglement and the measurement problem. It shows how these concepts defy the foundations of clas-sical physics to challenge assumptions about determinism, locality, interconnection and objectivity. The paper maintains that although quantum theory works remarkably well, we lack a clear account of what kind of reality it describes, as major interpretations such as Copenhagen, Many-Worlds and objective collapse still struggle to match quantum theory’s success with a clear picture of reality. yet as its major interpretations offer com-peting and unresolved pictures of the world. Schrödinger’s cat illustrates this tension to showcase how macroscopic systems can expose the limits of observation and the line be-tween classical and quantum worlds. The paper concludes that these quantum principles are underpinned by both technical and philosophical challenges and they force us to re-think causality and the role of the observer in explaining reality.
This thesis is an examination of the measurement problem from within the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics where I take issue with von Neumann’s theory of measurement which argues for the subjective collapse of the wave function by a conscious observer. I argue that von Neumann’s postulate of collapse has led to several intractable philosophical and conceptual problems in its account of quantum measurement. I argue that these problems arise from von Neumann’s misreading of Bohr’s complementarity regarding the relationship between subject and object as distinct metaphysical entities. Instead, I offer a new way of defining the subject-object relation based on Don Howard’s reading of Bohr’s complementarity as subject-object nonseparability (SON). I argue that the SON principle has the potential of placing Copenhagen on more solid philosophical footing by viewing the subject-object relationship not as a causal relation, but as a relation of ontological dependence to avoid the idea of collapse altogether.