2004 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary
Investigations of Realism through Reconsiderations of Conceptual Foundations of Modem Physics
| Project/Area Number |
15500656
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Sociology/History of science and technology
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| Research Institution | HOKKAIDO UNIVERSITY |
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Principal Investigator |
ISHIGAKI Toshio Hokkaido Univ., Grad.School of Science, Prof., 大学院・理学研究科, 教授 (40089363)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2003 – 2004
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| Keywords | Scientific Realism / Probabilistic World / Probabilistic Knowledge / Propensity Interpretation of Probability / Quantum Mechanics / Quantum Field Theory |
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| Research Abstract |
I have considered the possibility of the realism through investigations of the interpretation problem of quantum mechanics, supported by Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research. Scientific realism is the position that accepts as objectively real the picture given by scientific theories confirmed enough. In the history of science, each scientific theory has been presented with its proper image of the world. However, in quantum mechanics that appeared at the beginning of the twentieth century, its mathematical formalism was presented as an algorithm connecting observational results, without any consistent picture of the world. Physicists accept the particle image of the world in some cases, and the undulation image in other cases. Thus they cannot give the consistent picture to the world. This means that they could not adopt scientific realism. Because the world picture itself is not given to hold scientific realism. I have formulated the theory of relativity so that its components directly correspond to elements of the reality, examined the modal interpretation of quantum field theory under my formulation, and announced in the meeting of Philosophy of Science Society Japan the conclusion that the so-called field of operators cannot be regarded as real. And I have considered the conditions to be posed to our knowledge of the world in case that the world should be essentially probabilistic, and examined whether the propensity interpretation of probability hold or not in that case. The positive conclusion I reached to was announced in the symposium of the Japan Association for Philosophy of Science and in the seminar of Nagoya Philosophy Society. Part of that conclusion was published in Journal of the Japan Association for Philosophy of Science 32(2).
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