Initiative for Philosophy and Foundations of Physics and Chemistry

Initiative PFPC

Grupo de Filosofía de la Ciencias

GFC

FFyL - FCEyN - UBA

Research Group of the Project

Foundations of Quantum Mechanics:

Interpretation, Ontology, and Intertheoretical Relations

The working group is composed of an interdisciplinary team dedicated to the study of ontology in physics and chemistry, and to the intertheoretical relationships between the theories of these disciplines.

Project Summary:
The quantum formalism has been developed over the course of a century and has been successfully applied to a wide range of domains. Nevertheless, there are several conceptual issues concerning which no consensus has yet been reached. The most important of these concerns how the theory should be interpreted, particularly with regard to its ontological implications. At the same time, debate continues over how quantum theory relates to other theoretical domains. The theory plays a central role in one of the most heated debates in the philosophy of science: the reduction—or non-reduction—of chemistry to physics. Although various proposals have been put forward to address the problems of quantum mechanics, these are generally targeted at specific issues, addressing one or two problems at a time, rather than providing a unified treatment of all of them. This raises the challenge of developing a theoretical framework incorporating an ontology capable of clarifying the conceptual aspects of quantum mechanics from an integrative perspective. In other words, such a framework should encompass a range of different problems while also elucidating the connections between quantum mechanics and other theoretical domains. To this end, the project will take as its starting point a set of theoretical developments previously undertaken: the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation (MHI), a properties ontology, the TPS approach (Tensor Product Structure), and a pluralist perspective on the relationship between physics and chemistry. On this basis, the proposed research will continue the line of investigation that the members of the group have successfully pursued for more than a decade, both concerning the interpretation of quantum mechanics and its relationship with chemistry. The project will be organized into two modules, each with its own general objectives:

1. Ontology of Quantum Mechanics: The general objective is to develop a conceptual framework, based on the MHI, the TPS approach, and a properties ontology, capable of providing a unified response to the traditional problems of quantum mechanics. To this end, a modal mereology will be developed to describe the relation between wholes and parts within an ontology of properties without individuals. This will extend the scope of application of the interpretation and allow it to be employed to investigate different physical scenarios in which interpretive problems arise.

2. Relations between Quantum Mechanics and Chemistry: The general objective is to characterize the relationship between chemistry and quantum mechanics from a non-reductive perspective, advancing toward the development of an independent ontology for quantum chemistry. To this end, the reductionist account will be critically examined on the basis of the incompatibility between theories that arises from the use of approximations, while also questioning the role played by the Hohenberg–Kohn theorems. From a pluralist perspective, the project will further advance toward establishing the ontological status of chemical entities.

The fundamental hypothesis of the project is that, building on the conceptual developments already achieved in the modal properties ontology associated with the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation, it is possible to provide a formal elucidation of the ontology of quantum mechanics without collapse, in line with the family of modal interpretations. The means to this end is the development of a possibilist logic and a mereology adaptable to the Tensor Product Structure approach. In turn, the compatibility between TPSs and a pluralist conception of ontology would make it possible to provide an account of the theoretical relations between quantum mechanics and other domains, such as chemistry.

Team members

Dr. Sebastian Fortin: Bachelor’s and PhD in Physical Sciences, PhD in History and Philosophy of Science. Independent Researcher at CONICET. He contributes to the research with his expertise in the philosophy of physics and chemistry, and coordinates the work across all three modules. In particular, he is the co-author, together with Olimpia Lombardi and Mario Castagnino, of the General Framework for Decoherence and has formulated the initial steps toward reconciling this framework with the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation.

Dr. Matías Pasqualini holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Buenos Aires, a Licentiate degree in Philosophy, and a University Master’s degree in Teacher Education for Compulsory Secondary Education and Upper Secondary Education. He is currently conducting postdoctoral research in Philosophy under the supervision of Sebastián Fortin, supported by a CONICET postdoctoral fellowship. His research focuses on logical–formal aspects of the Modal-Hamiltonian Interpretation and quantum mereology..

Dr. Juan Pablo Jorge holds a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Buenos Aires, a Master’s degree in Philosophy, with a specialization in the Foundations of the Natural and Cognitive Sciences, and a Licentiate degree in Physics. He is currently conducting postdoctoral research in Philosophy under the supervision of Sebastián Fortin. His doctoral research focuses on logical–formal aspects of physical theories and on the application of q-set theory to quantum technologies.

Initiative for Philosophy and Foundations of Physics and Chemistry, Argentina