Philosophical Problems of Quantum Mechanics: Historical Reality and Development Prospects (“Round Table” Proceedings)
Борис Исаевич ПРУЖИНИН, Leonid Antipenko, Vladimir Arshinov, Vladimir Budanov, Vladimir L. Vasyukov, Yuriy G. Vladimirov, Alexander P. Yefremov, Sergey Zharov, Карпенко Иван Александрович, V. N. Knyazev, Aleksandr Pechenkin, Andrey Yu. Sevalnikov, Vladislav Terekhovich, Tatiana G. Shchedrina
In June 2025, the Voprosy filosofii journal hosted a jubilee “round table” “Philosophical Problems of Quantum Mechanics: Historical Reality and Development Prospects,” dedicated to the centenary of the emergence of the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics. The round table was organized by the Department of Philosophy of the Natural Sciences at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The discussion brought together specialists in the philosophy and methodology of science, in the philosophical problems of quantum mechanics, as well as natural scientists and historians of science. Participants focused primarily on the conceptual aspects of the mathematical framework of quantum mechanics and on the question of which event should be considered the true “birthdate” of this field of knowledge. In addition, the interdisciplinary dialogue clarified the trajectories of interaction between quantum mechanics and the social and human sciences in today’s changing world. A special topic of discussion concerned the philosophical research programs that influenced the development of quantum mechanics, and the extent to which quantum mechanics itself has significantly shaped these programs (including eco-philosophical ones). Most participants agreed that dialectics and phenomenology (particularly those of G.W.F. Hegel, M. Heidegger, G.G. Shpet, and others) are acquiring special importance today for comprehending the fundamental foundations of quantum mechanics. Another original perspective in the debate was linked to examining the philosophical meanings of logic and hermeneutics and assessing their methodological potential in research on quantum mechanics.
In June 2025, the Voprosy filosofii journal hosted a jubilee “round table” “Philosophical Problems of Quantum Mechanics: Historical Reality and Development Prospects,” dedicated to the centenary of the emergence of the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics. The round table was organized by the Department of Philosophy of the Natural Sciences at the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The discussion brought together specialists in the philosophy and methodology of science, in the philosophical problems of quantum mechanics, as well as natural scientists and historians of science. Participants focused primarily on the conceptual aspects of the mathematical framework of quantum mechanics and on the question of which event should be considered the true “birthdate” of this field of knowledge. In addition, the interdisciplinary dialogue clarified the trajectories of interaction between quantum mechanics and the social and human sciences in today’s changing world. A special topic of discussion concerned the philosophical research programs that influenced the development of quantum mechanics, and the extent to which quantum mechanics itself has significantly shaped these programs (including eco-philosophical ones). Most participants agreed that dialectics and phenomenology (particularly those of G.W.F. Hegel, M. Heidegger, G.G. Shpet, and others) are acquiring special importance today for comprehending the fundamental foundations of quantum mechanics. Another original perspective in the debate was linked to examining the philosophical meanings of logic and hermeneutics and assessing their methodological potential in research on quantum mechanics.
Many of the pioneers of quantum mechanics – notably Planck, Einstein, Bohr, de Broglie, Heisenberg, Schrodinger, Born, Jordan, Landé, Wigner, and London – were seriously concerned with philosophical problems. In each case one can ask a question of psychological and historical interest: was it a philosophical penchant which drew the investigator towards a kind of physics research which is linked to philosophy, or was it rather that the conceptual difficulties of fundamental physics pulled him willynilly into the labyrinth of philosophy? I shall not undertake to discuss this question, but shall cite an opinion of Peter Bergmann, which I find congenial: he learned from Einstein that “the theoretical physicist is … a philosopher in workingman's clothes” ([1], q. v.). The problems with which I am preoccupied concern the philosophical implications of quantum mechanics – either epistemological, bearing on the extent, validity, and character of human knowledge; or metaphysical, bearing on the character of reality. Although quantum mechanics is not a system of philosophy, one can wonder whether it is susceptible to coherent incorporation in a philosophical system. I propose to examine the thought of three masters of quantum mechanics – Bohr, Heisenberg, and Schrödinger – not with a critical or historical intention, but in hope of finding some enlightenment concerning the problems posed by contemporary physics. I can say in advance that enlightenment will continue to elude us; nevertheless, the ideas of Bohr, Heisenberg and Schrödinger are rich and evocative for new studies.
ABSTRACT The paper aims to bridge the history of quantum theory with its philosophical implications. The focus is not only on the scientific underpinnings of quantum mechanics (these theories emerged as ‘ad hoc’ responses to experimental anomalies) but also on the philosophical ramifications of its probabilistic nature and indeterminacy, which differ from classical realism. The paper examines Dirac's, Bell's, and modern views, focusing on how quantum mechanics (QM) challenges traditional notions of causality, objectivity, and truth while embracing epistemological and metaphysical perspectives. Debates over collapse theories and hidden variables are discussed, as well as Putnam's philosophical outlook, which includes his trenchant involvement with realism, logic, and the measurement problem. Finally, the paper proposes that QM represents a philosophical revolution that renews our understanding of reality, knowledge, and scientific explanation, rather than simply serving as a physical theory for assessing the prospects of quantum philosophy by connecting it to broader aspects such as relativity, causality, and scientific realism.
This chapter, along with the next two chapters, sets the basic context for the readers to go into the topic of this book. Physicists, mathematicians, and philosophers struggle to clarify the foundations of quantum mechanics and debate on the interpretations of quantum mechanics. What is the foundation of quantum mechanics and how to interpret the formalism of quantum mechanics are the core issues of concern in the philosophy of physics. These two questions also involve fundamental issues in the general philosophy of science and even metaphysics and epistemology. This chapter introduces the original thoughts, historical developments, and current status of the interpretation of quantum mechanics, as well as its connection with the philosophy of science and metaphysics; it also analyzes the classifications by Bell, Leifer, and Cabello on the spectrum of interpretations of quantum mechanics, which can be regarded as a sort of “navigation map”. On this basis, the main object of discussion in this book is introduced – the quantum histories interpretation.
Quantum theory underpins much of modern physics and its implications draw the attention of industry, academia and public funding agencies. However there are many unsettled conceptual and philosophical problems in the interpretation of quantum mechanics which are a matter of extensive debate. These hotly debated topics include the meaning of the wave function, the nature of the quantum objects, the role of the observer, the non-locality of the quantum world, and the emergence of classicality from the quantum domain. Containing chapters written by eminent researchers from the fields of physics and philosophy, this book provides interdisciplinary, comprehensive and up-to-date perspectives of the problems related to the interpretation of quantum theory. It is ideal for academic researchers in physics and philosophy working on the ontology of quantum mechanics.
Philosophical reflections on physics and its theories have been shaping the agenda of general philosophy of science, including issues such as the nature of scientific theories, the meaning of scientific terms, and scientific modeling. But physics is also well worth being considered a special science of its own, whose methods and tools raised specific questions for philosophers of science: this is the approach followed in this chapter, which has as its main thread the role of mathematics in physical theories. It tackles classical issues concerning measurement and determinism and long-standing controversies in the philosophy of statistical mechanics (how may the reversible laws of mechanics account for the irreversible principles of thermodynamics?) and in the philosophy of quantum physics (does quantum mechanics provide us a with a complete description of quantum phenomena?). It also addresses emerging issues in the field, such as computer simulations and their role between theory and observation.
This paper examines the deep and enduring relationship between physics and philosophy, a connection that has shaped the trajectory of human inquiry from antiquity to the present. By tracing their shared historical roots, the paper emphasizes how early philosophical speculations laid the groundwork for scientific reasoning. Despite the modern institutional separation of these two disciplines, physics continues to grapple with questions that are fundamentally philosophical in nature, questions concerning the essence of time, space, causality, determinism, and the very nature of reality. The paper explores the epistemological structures that underpin scientific knowledge, such as the criteria for theory confirmation and falsifiability, and investigates the ontological assumptions embedded in classical and modern physics. Special attention is devoted to paradigm shifts in the history of science, including the contributions of figures such as Aristotle, Newton, Popper, and Kuhn, as well as the radical implications of quantum mechanics and general relativity. Through an analysis of contemporary debates, such as those surrounding interpretations of quantum mechanics, the multiverse, and the conceptual validity of string theory, the paper argues that philosophy remains indispensable for critically examining and contextualizing scientific thought. Far from being obsolete, philosophical reflection serves as a compass for navigating the conceptual challenges of physics. Ultimately, the dialogue between philosophy and physics is presented as a dynamic and reciprocal exchange, one that not only enriches both fields but is also necessary for advancing our understanding of the universe.