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Minimalist ontology and dynamical structure in classical and quantum mechanics

Michaël Esfeld, Dirk-André Deckert, Dustin Lazarovici, Andréa Oldofredi, Antonio Vassallo

Published Oct 25, 2017• 0 citations

Abstract

The Super-Humean strategy is a purely philosophical one: in a nutshell, on this strategy, there is a relationalist ontology, but a non-relationalist physical theory. When it comes to quantum mechanics, a discussion of ontology makes sense only if one spells out to which version of the quantum mechanics one is committed—that is, how one solves the measurement problem. The quantum theory going back to de Broglie and D. Bohm is the most prominent of them. It is based on a primitive ontology of permanent point particles as in the classical mechanics. The dynamical structure that a physical theory introduces is in any case defined for the universe as a whole. For instance, as soon as there are dynamical parameters whose value is conserved throughout the universe—such as the total energy—there are global correlations in the motions of the matter points.

DOI: 10.4324/9781315142272-3

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