The Ontology of Bohmian Mechanics

The article points out that the modern formulation of Bohm’s quantum theory, known as Bohmian mechanics, is committed only to particles’ positions and a law of motion. We explain how this view can avoid the open questions that the traditional view faces, according to which Bohm’s theory is committed to a wave-function that is a physical entity over and above the particles, although it is defined on configuration space instead of three-dimensional space. We then enquire into the status of the law of motion, elaborating on how the main philosophical options to ground a law of motion, namely Humeanism and dispositionalism, can be applied to Bohmian mechanics. In conclusion, we sketch out how these options apply to primitive ontology approaches to quantum mechanics in general. 1 Introduction 2 What is the Ontological Status of the Wave-Function? 3 Humeanism about Laws 4 Laws Grounded in Dispositions 5 Advantages of Dispositionalism 6 Conclusion 1 Introduction 2 What is the Ontological Status of the Wave-Function? 3 Humeanism about Laws 4 Laws Grounded in Dispositions 5 Advantages of Dispositionalism 6 Conclusion

[1]  Alexander J Bird,et al.  Nature's metaphysics : laws and properties , 2007 .

[2]  James E. Tomberlin,et al.  On the Plurality of Worlds. , 1989 .

[3]  B. Hiley,et al.  The Undivided Universe: An Ontological Interpretation of Quantum Theory , 1994 .

[4]  J. Bennett,et al.  Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding , 2010 .

[5]  Tim Maudlin,et al.  The Metaphysics Within Physics , 2007 .

[6]  G. Ghirardi,et al.  Describing the macroscopic world: Closing the circle within the dynamical reduction program , 1994 .

[7]  D. Bohm.  A SUGGESTED INTERPRETATION OF THE QUANTUM THEORY IN TERMS OF "HIDDEN" VARIABLES. II , 1952 .

[8]  P. Holland,et al.  The Quantum Theory of Motion: An Account of the de Broglie-Bohm Causal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics , 1993 .

[9]  Stephen Mumford,et al.  Laws in nature , 2004 .

[10]  A. Sandu.  Quantum Metaphysics , 2021, Cryptoreality.

[11]  Stefan Teufel,et al.  Bohmian Mechanics: The Physics and Mathematics of Quantum Theory , 2009 .

[12]  Sheldon Goldstein,et al.  Bohmian Mechanics and the Meaning of the Wave Function , 1995 .

[13]  S. Goldstein,et al.  On the Common Structure of Bohmian Mechanics and the Ghirardi–Rimini–Weber Theory , 2006, The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science.

[14]  G. Oppy.  Humean Supervenience? , 2000 .

[15]  Mauro Dorato,et al.  GRW as an ontology of dispositions , 2010 .

[16]  The many Metaphysics within Physics. Essay review of ‘The Metaphysics within Physics’ by Tim Maudlin☆ , 2009 .

[17]  Quantum Spacetime without Observers: Ontological Clarity and the Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Gravity ∗ , 1999, quant-ph/9902018.

[18]  D. Albert.  Elementary Quantum Metaphysics , 1996 .

[19]  R. Tumulka.  A Relativistic Version of the Ghirardi–Rimini–Weber Model , 2004, quant-ph/0406094.

[20]  Paul Teller,et al.  Relational Holism and Quantum Mechanics1 , 1986, The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science.

[21]  Sheldon Goldstein,et al.  Quantum Theory without Observers—Part One , 1998 .

[22]  D. Lewis.  Philosophical Papers: Volume II , 1987 .

[23]  Sheldon Goldstein,et al.  Quantum Theory Without Observers , 2007 .

[24]  Sheldon Goldstein,et al.  Reality and the Role of the Wavefunction in Quantum Theory , 2011, 1101.4575.

[25]  C. Callender,et al.  Trouble in Paradise? Problems for Bohm's Theory , 1997 .

[26]  J. Bell,et al.  Speakable and Unspeakable in Quatum Mechanics , 1988 .

[27]  Henry P. Stapp,et al.  The Undivided Universe: An ontological interpretation of Quantum Theory , 1994 .

[28]  Bradley Monton,et al.  Wave Function Ontology , 2002, Synthese.

[29]  David Jennings,et al.  The quantum state can be interpreted statistically , 2012 .

[30]  Helen Beebee,et al.  Does Anything Hold the Universe Together? , 2006, Synthese.

[31]  A. Zeilinger,et al.  Speakable and Unspeakable in Quantum Mechanics , 1989 .

[32]  D. Dürr,et al.  Quantum equilibrium and the origin of absolute uncertainty , 1992, quant-ph/0308039.

[33]  T. Norsen.  The Theory of (Exclusively) Local Beables , 2009, 0909.4553.

[34]  Quantum Physics Without Quantum Philosophy , 2013 .

[35]  Bradley Monton,et al.  Quantum Mechanics and 3N‐Dimensional Space , 2006, Philosophy of Science.

[36]  Matthew F Pusey,et al.  On the reality of the quantum state , 2011, Nature Physics.

[37]  Craig Callender,et al.  Physics Meets Philosophy at the Planck Scale , 2001 .

[38]  Harold I. Brown.  The Undivided Universe: An Ontological Interpretation of Quantum Theory , 1999 .