Complementarity and Scientific Rationality

Patrick A. Heelan

Jeongmin Lee

Simon W. Saunders

Abstract: Bohr’s interpretation of quantum mechanics has been criticized as incoherent and opportunistic, and based on doubtful philosophical premises. If so Bohr’s influence, in the pre-war period of 1927-1939, is the harder to explain, and the acceptance of his approach to quantum mechanics over de Broglie’s had no reasonable foundation. But Bohr’s interpretation changed little from the time of its first appearance, and stood independent of any philosophical presuppositions. The principle of complementarity is itself best read as a conjecture of unusually wide scope, on the nature and future course of explanations in the sciences (and not only the physical sciences). If it must be judged a failure today, it is not because of any internal inconsistency. Despite the expenditure of much effort, I have been unable to obtain a clear understanding of Bohr’s principle of complementarity (Einstein). Bohr’s point- and the central point of quantum mechanics- is that no elemen-

David Favrholdt

Natalia K. Kisel

The paper is devoted to the research of the role of the anthropal cosmological principle (ACP) in the formation of the post-non-classical scientific rationality. The comparative analysis of ACP and the principles of complementarity and observability in non-classical science has been made, the methodological significance of ACP in the formation of the communicative strategy of post-non-classical science has been found.

Pascal Lederer

The Quantum Hall Effects offer a rich variety of theoretical and experimental advances. They provide interesting insights on such topics as complementarity, gauge invariance, strong interactions, emergence of new theoretical concepts. This paper focuses on some related philosophical questions. Hacking's views on Scientific Realism, Chalmers' on Non Figurative Realism are discussed. It is argued that the difficulties with those versions of realism may be resolved within a dialectical materialist approach. The latter is shown to provide a rational approach to the phenomena, the theory and the ontology of the Quantum Hall Effects.