Contemporary Physics and Free Will: An Application of Quantum Existentialism

Henry Pierce Stapp

Jayson Chen

This paper develops a theoretical framework in which existential experience emerges continuously from global quantum dynamics through the mediation of local observation. Within this framework, existentialism is reinterpreted as an effective experiential theory describing global determinism under conditions of local observation, rather than as an independent theoretical framework in competition with determinism. Consequently, once a continuous theoretical connection between determinism and existentialism has been established, the existence of free will is no longer a necessary precondition for evaluating their relationship. Free will remains open as an independent metaphysical problem, but its theoretical status is reconfigured from a foundational explanatory prerequisite to an independent object of philosophical inquiry.

Andrew S. Horton

Abstract This paper introduces Existential Relativity (ER) as a context-indexed mathematical framework for physical existence and change. ER asserts that existence is not a context-free property of objects, fields, or excitations within an external container, but a locally defined in/out distinction generated by an internally specified basis-set, ruler, constraint system, complement, admissible transformation class, and boundary structure. Static existence is defined as a distinction that is a nontrivial partition of a context. Dynamic change is formalized as a lawful, interaction-conditioned transition from one context-indexed distinction to another. Transitions are generally not isolated, as they may be conditioned by static distinctions, boundaries, fields, apparatus settings, background structures, or simultaneous transitions of other contexts. Derivation, recovery, and reinterpretation constraints for the major models of physics are presented. Classical Hamiltonian mechanics and quantum field theory are recovered as special context structures. Born-rule probability, continuous Schrödinger evolution, Lorentzian signature, and gauge connection result from conditional derivations under stated auxiliary assumptions. General relativity is developed in greater depth through the Proposition of Metric-Stress-Energy Co-Admissibility, in which diffeomorphism covariance, shared variational closure, boundary consistency, covariant balance, and local second-order metric dynamics constrain the admissible coupling between a metric-ruler context and a matter context to the Einstein form within the declared regime. The paper also specifies admissibility conditions for contexts and transitions and proposes micro-to-macro emergence as the primary empirical application.

Andrew S. Horton

Abstract This paper introduces Existential Relativity (ER) as a context-indexed mathematical framework for physical existence and change. ER asserts that existence is not a context-free property of objects, fields, or excitations within an external container, but a locally defined in/out distinction generated by an internally specified basis-set, ruler, constraint system, and complement. Static existence is defined as a distinction that is a nontrivial partition of a context. Dynamic change is formalized as a lawful, interaction-conditioned transition from one context-indexed distinction to another. Transitions are generally not isolated, as they may be conditioned by many factors, such as static distinctions, boundaries, fields, apparatus settings, background structures, or simultaneous transitions of other contexts. Cause and effect are not considered primitive assumptions in ER, but as derived features of lawful transition when one distinction directionally conditions another relative to a selected ordering basis. Derivation and recovery constraints for the major models of physics are presented in this paper. Classical Hamiltonian mechanics is recovered through symplectic, interaction-conditioned transitions. Born-rule probability is motivated through normalization, additivity over exclusive distinctions, and context-consistency in Hilbert-space event structures. Schrödinger evolution follows from reversible transitions preserving quantum distinguishability, while entanglement corresponds to nonfactorizable joint transition. Quantum field theory is incorporated by treating fields as context-indexed operator structures and particles as excitation distinctions. Lorentzian signature, general relativity, gauge connections, the Standard Model gauge group, and conservation laws are treated as context-specific recoveries. The paper proposes empirical programs to test whether context-boundary residuals associated with ER can improve existing physical explanations.

Henry Margenau