The Possibility of a New Metaphysics for Quantum Mechanics from Meinong's Theory of Objects

In Diederik Aerts, Christian de Ronde, Hector Freytes & Roberto Giuntini (eds.), Probing the Meaning and Structure of Quantum Mechanics: Semantics, Dynamics and Identity. World Scientific (2016)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

According to de Ronde it was Bohr's interpretation of Quantum Mechanics which closed the possibility of understanding physical reality beyond the realm of the actual, so establishing the Orthodox Line of Research. In this sense, it is not the task of any physical theory to look beyond the language and metaphysics supposed by classical physics, in order to account for what QM describes. If one wishes to maintain a realist position regarding physical theories, one seems then to be trapped by an array of concepts that do not allow to understand the main principles involved in the most successful physical theory thus far, mainly: the quantum postulate, the principle of indetermination and the superposition principle. If de Ronde is right in proposing QM can only be completed as a physical theory by the introduction of `new concepts' that admit as real a domain beyond actuality, then a new ontology that goes beyond Aristotelian and Newtonian actualism is needed. It was already in the early 20th century that misunderstood philosopher Alexius von Meinong proposed a Theory of Objects that admits a domain of being beyond existence-actuality. Member of the so called `School of Brentano', Meinong's concerns were oriented to provide an ontology of everything that can be thought of, and at the same time an intentionality theory of how objects are thought of. I wish to argue that in Meinong's theory of objects we find the rudiments of the ontology and the intentionality theory we need to account for QM's basic principles: mainly the possibility of predicating properties of non-entities, or in other words, the possibility of objectively describing a domain of what is, that is different from the domain of actual existence.

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,386

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Realism and Objectivism in Quantum Mechanics.Vassilios Karakostas - 2012 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 43 (1):45-65.
Meinong, Alexius; I: Meinongian Semantics.William J. Rapaport - 1991 - In Hans Burkhardt & Barry Smith (eds.), Handbook of metaphysics and ontology. Munich: Philosophia Verlag. pp. 516-519.
Outlines for a Phenomenological Foundation For de Ronde's Theory of Powers and Potentia.Matías Graffigna - 2019 - In Christian de Ronde, Diederik Aerts, M. L. Dalla Chiara & Décio Krause (eds.), Probing the Meaning of Quantum Mechanics. Singapore: World Scientific. pp. 159-183.
Quantum Logic and Possibility Structures.David Joseph Maccallum - 1992 - Dissertation, University of Maryland, College Park
Meinong's Concept of Implexive Being and Nonbeing.Dale Jacquette - 1995 - Grazer Philosophische Studien 50 (1):233-271.
Meinong's Theory of Defective Objects.Dale Jacquette - 1982 - Grazer Philosophische Studien 15 (1):1-19.
Meinong's Concept of Implexive Being and Nonbeing.Dale Jacquette - 1995 - Grazer Philosophische Studien 50 (1):233-271.
Meinong's Theory of Defective Objects.Dale Jacquette - 1982 - Grazer Philosophische Studien 15 (1):1-19.
Russell's Critique of Meinong's Theory of Objects.Nicholas Griffin - 1985 - Grazer Philosophische Studien 25 (1):375-401.

Analytics

Added to PP
2018-07-18

Downloads
19 (#778,470)

6 months
4 (#790,687)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Matías Graffigna
Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (PhD)

Citations of this work

No citations found.

Add more citations