dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaAgainst "knowledge"
| Authors | Ulrich Mohrhoff |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | quant-ph/0109150 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0109150 |
Abstract
Quantum "states" are objective probability measures. Because their dependence on a time is not the time dependence of an evolving state, they are neither states of Nature nor "states of knowledge." There is no such thing as an evolving state. This disposes of the problem posed by the apparent existence of two modes of evolution. What essentially stands in the way of a consistent ontological interpretation of the quantum theory is our habit of projecting into the quantum world the detached, intrinsically differentiated spatiotemporal background of classical physics, for this is what entails the existence of an evolving state. An objective probability measure is the formal expression of an objective indefiniteness, such as the positional indefiniteness that contributes to "fluff out" matter. An objective indefiniteness entails that the values of certain observables are extrinsic (possessed because they are indicated) rather than intrinsic (indicated because they are possessed). This dependence on value-indicating facts is not a dependence on anything external to the quantum world. The latter constitutes a free-standing reality that owes nothing to observers, "information," or our interventions into "the course of Nature."
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"abstract": "Quantum \"states\" are objective probability measures. Because their dependence\non a time is not the time dependence of an evolving state, they are neither\nstates of Nature nor \"states of knowledge.\" There is no such thing as an\nevolving state. This disposes of the problem posed by the apparent existence of\ntwo modes of evolution. What essentially stands in the way of a consistent\nontological interpretation of the quantum theory is our habit of projecting\ninto the quantum world the detached, intrinsically differentiated\nspatiotemporal background of classical physics, for this is what entails the\nexistence of an evolving state. An objective probability measure is the formal\nexpression of an objective indefiniteness, such as the positional\nindefiniteness that contributes to \"fluff out\" matter. An objective\nindefiniteness entails that the values of certain observables are extrinsic\n(possessed because they are indicated) rather than intrinsic (indicated because\nthey are possessed). This dependence on value-indicating facts is not a\ndependence on anything external to the quantum world. The latter constitutes a\nfree-standing reality that owes nothing to observers, \"information,\" or our\ninterventions into \"the course of Nature.\"",
"arxiv_id": "quant-ph/0109150",
"authors": [
"Ulrich Mohrhoff"
],
"categories": [
"quant-ph"
],
"title": "Against \"knowledge\"",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0109150"
},
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