The (Quantum) Measurement Problem in Classical Mechanics

CHRISTIAN DE RONDE

Probing the Meaning and Structure of Quantum Mechanics (vol. 4)

World Scientific

Año: 2022; p. 1 - 25

In this work we analyze the deep link between the 20th Century positivist re-foundation of physics and the famous measurement problem of Quantum Mechanics (QM). We attempt to show why this is not an “obvious” nor “self evident” problem for the theory of quanta but a direct consequence of the empirical-positivist under- standing of physical theories in terms of (binary) observations when applied to the orthodox linear formalism of QM. In contraposition, we discuss a representational realist account of both physical ‘theories’ and ‘measure- ment’ which goes back to the works of Einstein, Heisenberg and Pauli. After presenting a critical analysis of Bohr’s definitions of ‘measurement’ we continue to discuss the way in which several contemporary approaches to QM —such as decoherence, modal interpretations and QBism— remain —still today— committed to Bohr’s general methodology. Finally, in order to expose the inconsistencies present within the (empirical-positivist) presuppositions responsible for creating the quantum measurement problem we show how following these same set of presuppositions it is easy to derive a completely analogous paradox for the case of classical mechanics.