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Philosophical Investigations

The concept of relation and the explanation of the phenomenon of Entanglement

Aldo Stella, Tiziano Cantalupi, Giancarlo Ianulardo

Published Feb 12, 2022• 1 citation
Publisher

Abstract

Abstract We investigate from a philosophical point of view the concept of relation that is used to explain the physical phenomenon of Entanglement. If the concept of relation is understood in the ordinary sense of the mono‐dyadic construct, which requires a middle term between the two extremes, it is aporetic and, thus, incapable of explaining the phenomenon. To the contrary, we propose to think the relation as the act of self‐referring of related terms, which is unique and identical for both terms. In the unity of this act, the duality of terms disappears, so that the authentic unity is obtained. Moving from this concept of unity, the phenomenon of Entanglement becomes intelligible, since the two particles emerge as the two abstract sections of a unique reality.

DOI
10.1111/phin.12344

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Abstract We investigate from a philosophical point of view the concept of relation that is used to explain the physical phenomenon of Entanglement. If the concept of relation is understood in the ordinary sense of the mono‐dyadic construct, which requires a middle term between the two extremes, it is aporetic and, thus, incapable of explaining the phenomenon. To the contrary, we propose to think the relation as the act of self‐referring of related terms, which is unique and identical for both terms. In the unity of this act, the duality of terms disappears, so that the authentic unity is obtained. Moving from this concept of unity, the phenomenon of Entanglement becomes intelligible, since the two particles emerge as the two abstract sections of a unique reality.
Concept of quantum entanglement, its role in physics, philosophy, and in updating general worldview are studied in this article. It is pointed out that Schrodinger introduced this concept and some derivatives from it into description of physical reality in the 1935 article in the context of discussion around the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen thought experiment, but in the related 1936 publication he did not use them. Taking into account the concepts of a mixture and statistical operator, which were introduced by von Neumann and borrowed by Schrödinger, it is shown that the concept of entanglement is not necessary in quantum mechanics unconditionally. At a certain moment of development of the complex quantum systems theory, this concept and its derivatives served as not very successful substitutes for the concepts of a mixture, situation of a mixture. Comparative analysis of some Schrödinger’s, von Neumann’s, and Landau’s theoretical works concludes that imagination of a complex quantum system as a quasi-mechanical aggregate was gradually being overcome; its objective wholeness was being substantiated instead. Therefore, wholeness is inherent not only to quantum phenomena, but also to quantum systems by itself, objectively. By the essence, just the attempt to think this circumstance had brought into life the concept of quantum entanglement. The concept of a mixture and its substitutes – the concepts of entangled state, entanglement, etc. – have not only the scientific but some metaphysical meaning as well: they prove the possibility of rational thinking of wholeness, the reasonableness and effectiveness of rational holism. Therefore, the metaphysics of quantum entanglement in its correct understanding is a manifestation of the rational holism metaphysics. Complete explanation of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen thought experiment requires consideration of both these appearances of the quantum wholeness. One can say the essential result of long-term discussion of the EPR experiment is the exhaustive recognition of the quantum reality wholeness. A row of generalizations achieved by A. Alexandrov, I. Tsekhmistro, and D.Bohm are considered. Together with the completed study of the concept of quantum entanglement or Bohr's substantiation of the concept of undivided quantum phenomenon, they support irreducibility of physical reality, the Universe in general to any set of Democritian atoms and their countless combinations, aggregates. All this enriches and improves the understanding of the Universe as a real wholeness. Perhaps, this understanding will be newest substitution for the hitherto popular worldview in the spirit of Democritus.
Abstract: Bell’s theorem shows that predictions of quantum mechanics are incompatible with the concept of locality. Quantum mechanics is therefore a substantially non-local theory and entangled particles (even if placed at a great distance) must in fact be considered not separated from each other. In this article we intend to show that understanding this inseparability requires that it is not thought of as unification, that is, as an ordinary relationship, which is a mono-dyadic construct, but as the act of referring of each particle to the other. In this act, which is unique and equal for both terms, the difference is neutralized and disappears, so that only unity emerges. Keywords: Act, Bell’s Theorem, Non-locality, Relation, Unity. Riassunto: Il teorema di Bell mostra che le previsioni della meccanica quantistica sono incompatibili con il concetto di località. La meccanica quantistica è quindi una teoria sostanzialmente non locale e le particelle entangled (anche se poste a grande distanza) devono essere considerate non separate le une dalle altre. In questo articolo intendiamo mostrare che per comprendere questa inseparabilità è necessario che essa non venga pensata come una unificazione, cioè come una relazione ordinaria, che è un costrutto mono-diadico, ma come l’atto del riferirsi di ciascuna particella all’altra. In questo atto, che è unico e medesimo per entrambi i termini, la differenza si neutralizza e scompare, per far emergere solo l’unità. Parole chiave: Atto, Non-località, Relazione, Teorema di Bell, Unità.
How can we explain the strange behavior of quantum and relativistic entities? Why do they behave in ways that defy our intuition about how physical entities should behave, considering our ordinary experience of the world around us? In this article, we address these questions by showing that the comportment of quantum and relativistic entities is not that strange after all, if we only consider what their nature might possibly be: not an objectual one, but a conceptual one. This not in the sense that quantum and relativistic entities would be human concepts, but in the sense that they would share with the latter a same conceptual nature, similarly to how electromagnetic and sound waves, although very different entities, can share a same undulatory nature. When this hypothesis is adopted, i.e., when a conceptuality interpretation about the deep nature of physical entities is taken seriously, many of the interpretational difficulties disappear and our physical world is back making sense, though our view of it becomes radically different from what our classical prejudice made us believe in the first place.