dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaComplementarity and Scientific Rationality
| Authors | Simon Saunders |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0412195 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0412195 |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10701-004-1982-x |
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.
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"abstract": "Bohr\u0027s interpretation of quantum mechanics has been criticized as incoherent\nand opportunistic, and based on doubtful philosophical premises. If so Bohr\u0027s\ninfluence, in the pre-war period of 1927-1939, is the harder to explain, and\nthe acceptance of his approach to quantum mechanics over de Broglie\u0027s had no\nreasonable foundation. But Bohr\u0027s interpretation changed little from the time\nof its first appearance, and stood independent of any philosophical\npresuppositions. The principle of complementarity is itself best read as a\nconjecture of unusually wide scope, on the nature and future course of\nexplanations in the sciences (and not only the physical sciences). If it must\nbe judged a failure today, it is not because of any internal inconsistency.",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0412195",
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"doi": "10.1007/s10701-004-1982-x",
"title": "Complementarity and Scientific Rationality",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0412195"
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