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What are Quanta, and Why Does it Matter?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2022

Nick Huggett
Nick Huggett*
Affiliation:
University of Kentucky
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Extract

There is an emerging story about many particle quantum mechanics (MPQM) and quantum field theory (QFT) based partly on views inherited from physics, and partly on new work, especially that of Paul Teller and Michael Redhead. Three important steps in the tale go like this—(a) The transition from classical mechanics (CM) to quantum mechanics (QM) involves a significant change in particle metaphysics, (b) QFT cannot be viewed as particulate even in a MPQM sense, although (c) an ontologically enlightening understanding of QFT can be obtained from the occupation representation. Though there is some truth to all of these claims, I wish to argue that, as usually understood, they are in fact false.

The ever present danger in metaphysical debates such as these is that participants will be running around on the same pitch but playing different games; some waving cricket bats at the ball, some aiming for a netball hoop and others trying for a touch-down.

Type
Part III. Fields, Particles and Quantum Theories
Information
PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association , Volume 1994 , Issue 2: Volume Two: Symposia and Invited Papers 1994 , 1994 , pp. 69 - 76
Copyright
Copyright © 1995 by the Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

1

I have talked over the ideas in this paper with many people at Rutgers, Princeton, Cambridge and Columbia, and I'd like to thank everyone. I am especially grateful to Paul Teller for his comments on the draft of this paper that I read at the PSA in New Orleans. I did not receive them in time to do them the justice they deserve, but I hope that some of my revisions go some way to address his concerns.

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