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Conceptual aspects of non-positive quantization

John Dougherty, James Read

Published Mar 3, 2026• 0 citations
OpenAlex

Abstract

We draw a distinction between 'positive' and 'non-positive' quantization schemes. Although the former are somewhat known to philosophers (in both canonical and path integral versions), the latter are almost entirely unstudied in the philosophy literature; moreover, physics writings on non-positive quantization often proceed in a manner which is not maximally systematic. As such, this paper aims both to introduce to philosophers the powerful tools of non-positive quantization schemes and their applications and to provide a systematic lay-of-the-land for such approaches which should be of value to philosophers and physicists alike.

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We draw a distinction between 'positive' and 'non-positive' quantization schemes. Although the former are somewhat known to philosophers (in both canonical and path integral versions), the latter are almost entirely unstudied in the philosophy literature; moreover, physics writings on non-positive quantization often proceed in a manner which is not maximally systematic. As such, this paper aims both to introduce to philosophers the powerful tools of non-positive quantization schemes and their applications and to provide a systematic lay-of-the-land for such approaches which should be of value to philosophers and physicists alike.
This Element offers an introduction to selected philosophical issues that arise in contemporary particle physics, aimed at philosophers who have limited prior exposure to quantum field theory. One the one hand, it critically surveys philosophical work on the representation of particles in quantum field theory, the formal machinery and conceptual implications of renormalization and renormalization group methods, and ontological and methodological questions raised by the use of effective field theory techniques in particle physics. On the other, it identifies topics in particle physics that have not yet received philosophical attention and sketches avenues for philosophical analysis of those topics. The primary aim of the Element is to provide philosophers of physics with an entry point into the literature on the philosophy of particle physics and identify interesting directions for future research for students and researchers alike.
This book is a critical introduction to the long-standing debate concerning the conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics and the problems it has posed for physicists and philosophers from Einstein to the present. Quantum theory has been a major infulence on postmodernism, and presents significant problems for realists. Keeping his own realist position in check, Christopher Norris subjects a wide range of key opponents and supporters of realism to a high and equal level of scrutiny. With a characteristic combination of rigour and intellectual generosity, he draws out the merits and weaknesses from opposing arguments. In a sequence of closely argued chapters, Norris examines the premises of orthodox quantum theory, as developed most influentially by Bohr and Heisenberg, and its impact on varous philosophical developments. These include the ideas developed by W.V Quine, Thomas Kuhn, Michael Dummett, Bas van Fraassen, and Hilary Puttnam. In each case, Norris argues, these thinkers have been influenced by the orthodox construal of quantum mechanics as requiring drastic revision of principles which had hitherto defined the very nature of scientific method, causal explanati and rational enquiry. Putting the case for a realist approach which adheres to well-tried scientific principles of causal reasoning and inference to the best explanation, Christopher Norris clarifies these debates to a non-specialist readership and scholars of philosophy, science studies and the philosophy of science alike. Quantum Theory and the Flight From Realism suggests that philosophical reflection can contribute to a better understanding of these crucial, current issues.
Quantum fields and quantization are concepts that come from quantum physics, the most intriguing physical theory developed in the twentieth century. In our work we would like to describe in a coherent and comprehensive way basic aspects of their mathematical structure. Most of our work is devoted to the simplest kinds of quantum fields and of quantization. We will mostly discuss mathematical aspects of free quantum fields. We will consider the quantization only on linear phase spaces. The reader will see that even within such a restricted scope the subject is rich, involves many concepts and has important applications, both to quantum theory and to pure mathematics. A distinguished role in our work will be played by representations of the canonical commutation and anti-commutation relations . Let us briefly discuss the origin and the meaning of these concepts.
This book is a critical introduction to the long-standing debate concerning the conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics and the problems it has posed for physicists and philosophers from Einstein to the present. Quantum theory has been a major infulence on postmodernism, and presents significant problems for realists. Keeping his own realist position in check, Christopher Norris subjects a wide range of key opponents and supporters of realism to a high and equal level of scrutiny. With a characteristic combination of rigour and intellectual generosity, he draws out the merits and weaknesses from opposing arguments. In a sequence of closely argued chapters, Norris examines the premises of orthodox quantum theory, as developed most influentially by Bohr and Heisenberg, and its impact on varous philosophical developments. These include the ideas developed by W.V Quine, Thomas Kuhn, Michael Dummett, Bas van Fraassen, and Hilary Puttnam. In each case, Norris argues, these thinkers have been influenced by the orthodox construal of quantum mechanics as requiring drastic revision of principles which had hitherto defined the very nature of scientific method, causal explanati and rational enquiry. Putting the case for a realist approach which adheres to well-tried scientific principles of causal reasoning and inference to the best explanation, Christopher Norris clarifies these debates to a non-specialist readership and scholars of philosophy, science studies and the philosophy of science alike. Quantum Theory and the Flight From Realism suggests that philosophical reflection can contribute to a better understanding of these crucial, current issues.