Can we consider Quantum Mechanics to be a Description of Reality?

Hervé Zwirn (1)

1 IHPST - Institut d'Histoire et de Philosophie des Sciences et des Techniques

The paper deals with the status of Quantum Mechanics as a description of reality when quantum formalism is supplemented with the decoherence mechanism. The reasons why it is often argued that Quantum Mechanics provides nothing more than a description of the appearance of reality are examined. Then, through a comparison with Relativistic Mechanics, it is showed that, were the very notion of reality not questionable, it would be possible to support the idea that it provides a description of this reality and not only of its appearance.

Mots clés: philosophy of science

Domaines: Histoire, Philosophie et Sociologie des sciences

Hervé Zwirn. Can we consider Quantum Mechanics to be a Description of Reality?. Soler, Léna Hoyningen-Huene, Paul Sankey, Howard. Rethinking Scientific Change and Theory Comparison: Stabilities, Ruptures, Incommensurabilities?, Springer, pp.209-217, 2008, Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, 255, ⟨10.1007/978-1-4020-6279-7_14⟩. ⟨halshs-00791907⟩