Berkelian Idealism Regarding Properties in Orthodox Quantum Mechanics, and Implications for Quantum Gravity

TL;DR

This paper argues that orthodox quantum mechanics implies a form of Berkeleyan idealism about properties, which conflicts with the classical notion of space-time curvature in quantum gravity theories.

Contribution

It demonstrates that orthodox quantum mechanics entails a Berkeleyan idealism regarding properties, challenging the development of quantum gravity theories that incorporate space-time curvature as fundamental.

Findings

Orthodox quantum mechanics entails BIRP.

Quantum cannot curve space-time without definite energy.

Quantum theories of gravity cannot incorporate GR's curvature principle if BIRP holds.

Abstract

Referring to the 18th century idealism of George Berkeley in which an object exists if and only if it is observed, this note shows that orthodox quantum mechanics (OQM) entails a Berkelian idealism regarding properties (BIRP): a quantum `has' a property X with quantitative value x if and only if the property X has just been measured with outcome x. It is then impossible to recontextualize GR's principle of curvature in any quantum framework that implies this BIRP, for a quantum cannot curve space-time if it doesn't have a definite energy - which is supposed to be the cause of curvature - in absence of observation to begin with. Concluding, it is ruled out that a quantum theory of gravity, in which GR's principle of curvature is built in as a fundamental physical principle, can be developed in any framework implying this BIRP.