English

Quantum mechanics, ontology, and non-reflexive logics

Logic 2018-07-20 v3

Abstract

This is a general philosophical paper where I overview some ideas concerning the non-reflexive foundations of quantum mechanics (NRFQM). By NRFQM I mean formalism and an interpretation of QM that considers an involved ontology of non-individuals as explained in the text. Thus, I do not endorse a purely instrumentalist view of QM, but believe that it speaks of something, and then I try to show that one of the plausible views of this `something' is as entities devoid of identity conditions. Warning note: This is a revised version of a paper with the same name that was written by invitation to be published in a book titled \textit{The Mammoth Book on Quantum Mechanics Interpretations}, edited by Open Academic Press, Berlin, and having as editor a certain Ulf Edvinsson, who has invited me. The book was announced in the page of OAP and should appear by 2016. This never happened. Later I discovered that OAP is in a list of predatory editorial houses and that "Ulf Edvinsson" is (apparently) a fake name. Furthermore, I couldn't contact anyone responding by OAP to retire my name from the announcement of the book and for impeding them to publish the paper. I strongly apologize for such a fault, which is completely mine. Since the subject presented here has been among my preoccupations ever since I met Franscicso Antonio Doria for the first time (in 1987), it is a pleasure to dedicate the stuff to him. And of course I thank the editors for accepting this version of the paper for this book.

Cite

@article{arxiv.1802.03805,
  title  = {Quantum mechanics, ontology, and non-reflexive logics},
  author = {Decio Krause},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1802.03805},
  year   = {2018}
}

Comments

27 pages, published paper

R2 v1 2026-06-23T00:18:31.996Z