Quantum Mechanics on Spacetime I: Spacetime State Realism

Journal article

What ontology does realism about the quantum state suggest? The main extant view in contemporary philosophy of physics is wave-function realism. We elaborate the sense in which wave-function realism does provide an ontological picture, and defend it from certain objections that have been raised against it. However, there are good reasons to be dissatisfied with wave-function realism, as we go on to elaborate. This motivates the development of an opposing picture: what we call spacetime state realism, a view which takes the states associated to spacetime regions as fundamental. This approach enjoys a number of beneficial features, although, unlike wave-function realism, it involves non-separability at the level of fundamental ontology. We investigate the pros and cons of this non-separability, arguing that it is a quite acceptable feature, even one which proves fruitful in the context of relativistic covariance. A companion paper discusses the prospects for combining a spacetime-based ontology with separability, along lines suggested by Deutsch and Hayden. © The Author 2010. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Society for the Philosophy of Science. All rights reserved.

Authors: Wallace, D; Timpson, C

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
• Volume: 61
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 697-727
• Publication date: 2010-12-01
• DOI: 10.1093/bjps/axq010
• EISSN: 1464-3537
• ISSN: 0007-0882
• Language: English