An Essay on Quantum Mechanics

G. Feild

Donald Franklin Moyer

This is the last of a three-part series. The first essay in the series described Dirac’s generalizations of quantum mechanics leading to his theory of the electron. The second essay surveyed evaluations of Dirac’s theory by other physicists, especially by Bohr who used Dirac’s speculations about negative energy electrons as evidence for the failure of quantum mechanics at nuclear dimensions. This essay shows how the material reality of positrons vindicated quantum mechanics and opened new paths for physics.

Enrico Fermi

Alyssa Ney, David Z. Albert

This is a new volume of original essays on the metaphysics of quantum mechanics. The essays address questions such as: What fundamental metaphysics is best motivated by quantum mechanics? What is the ontological status of the wave function? Does quantum mechanics support the existence of any other fundamental entities, e.g. particles? What is the nature of the fundamental space (or space-time manifold) of quantum mechanics? What is the relationship between the fundamental ontology of quantum mechanics and ordinary, macroscopic objects like tables, chairs, and persons? This collection includes a comprehensive introduction with a history of quantum mechanics and the debate over its metaphysical interpretation focusing especially on the main realist alternatives.

David Z. Albert, Alyssa Ney

This is a volume of original essays on the metaphysics of quantum mechanics. The essays address questions such as: What fundamental metaphysics is best motivated by quantum mechanics? What is the ontological status of the wave function? What is the nature of the fundamental space (or space-time manifold) of quantum mechanics?

Dietrich Marcuse