Ontology and the foundations of quantum theory

Tian Yu Cao

Quantum field theory (QFT) can be analyzed in terms of its mathematical structure, its conceptual scheme, or its basic ontology. The analysis can be done logically or historically. In this chapter, only the genesis of the conceptual foundations of QFT relevant to its basic ontology will be treated carefully; no detailed discussion of its mathematical structures or its epistemological underpinnings will be given. Some conceptual problems, such as those related to probability and measurement, will be discussed, but only because of their relevance to the basic ontology of QFT, rather than their intrinsic philosophical interest.

Hilary Putnam

Pietro Curatola

Abstract The ”Teoria della Coesistenza Relazionale” (TCR, Relational Coexistence Theory) proposes an ontological framework in which spacetime R is not the primary level of reality, but emerges from a more fundamental relational domain R′. Within this perspective, quantum and cosmological phenomena commonly treated as independent such as entanglement, decoherence, cosmic expansion, and the arrow of time are reinterpreted as different manifestations of the same underlying relational dynamics. The present work is devoted to the definition of the ontological assumptions and axiomatic structure of the TCR. In particular, it introduces the concepts of relational coexistence and emergence as the foundational elements from which physical phenomena in spacetime are derived. The aim of this study is not to provide an empirical validation of the framework, but to establish its internal coherence, conceptual consistency, and explanatory scope at the level of fundamental ontology. This work does not aim at providing a complete physical model or immediate empirical validation, but at establishing a coherent ontological and axiomatic framework within the scope of foundational physics.

Andréa Oldofredi, Hans Christian Öttinger

Many attempts have been made to provide Quantum Field Theory with conceptually clear and mathematically rigorous foundations; remarkable examples are the Bohmian and the algebraic perspectives respectively. In this essay we introduce the dissipative approach to QFT, a new alternative formulation of the theory explaining the phenomena of particle creation and annihilation starting from nonequilibrium thermodynamics. It is shown that DQFT presents a rigorous mathematical structure, and a clear particle ontology, taking the best from the mentioned perspectives. Finally, after the discussion of its principal implications and consequences, we compare it with the main Bohmian QFTs implementing a particle ontology.

Valia Allori