Holism, physical theories and quantum mechanics

DOI10.1016/J.SHPSB.2004.08.001zbMATH Open1222.81083arXivquant-ph/0402047OpenAlexW3100488253MaRDI QIDQ640096FDOQ640096

Authors: M. P. Seevinck 

Publication date: 17 October 2011

Published in: Studies in History and Philosophy of Science. Part B. Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Motivated by the question what it is that makes quantum mechanics a holistic theory (if so), I try to define for general physical theories what we mean by `holism'. For this purpose I propose an epistemological criterion to decide whether or not a physical theory is holistic, namely: a physical theory is holistic if and only if it is impossible in principle to infer the global properties, as assigned in the theory, by local resources available to an agent. I propose that these resources include at least all local operations and classical communication. This approach is contrasted with the well-known approaches to holism in terms of supervenience. The criterion for holism proposed here involves a shift in emphasis from ontology to epistemology. I apply this epistemological criterion to classical physics and Bohmian mechanics as represented on a phase and configuration space respectively, and for quantum mechanics (in the orthodox interpretation) using the formalism of general quantum operations as completely positive trace non-increasing maps. Furthermore, I provide an interesting example from which one can conclude that quantum mechanics is holistic in the above mentioned sense, although, perhaps surprisingly, no entanglement is needed.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/quant-ph/0402047

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zbMATH Keywords

entanglementquantum mechanicsholismsupervenienceclassical physics

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Physics (00A79) History of mathematics in the 20th century (01A60) General and philosophical questions in quantum theory (81P05) History of quantum theory (81-03)

Cites Work

• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Nonlocality, asymmetry, and distinguishing bipartite states
• Lectures on Quantum Theory

Cited In (14)

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