The conception of reality in Quantum Mechanics

TL;DR

This paper reviews various conceptions of reality in classical physics, philosophy, and quantum mechanics, proposing structural realism, especially QBism, as a promising framework to resolve foundational disputes.

Contribution

It analyzes different interpretations of quantum mechanics through the lens of structural realism and introduces QBism-supported structural realism as a novel perspective.

Findings

Structural realism offers a promising way to interpret quantum reality.

QBism supports a new class of structural realism in quantum foundations.

The analysis clarifies differences among quantum interpretations and their relation to reality.

Abstract

Disputes on the foundations of Quantum Mechanics often involve the conception of reality, without a clear definition on which aspect of this broad concept of reality one refers. We provide an overview of conceptions of reality in classical physics, in philosophy of science and in Quantum Mechanics and its interpretations and analyse their differences and subtleties. Structural realism as conception in philosophy of science will turn out to be a promising candidate to settle old problems regarding the conception of reality in Quantum Mechanics. We amend the analysis of three main interpretations and their relation to structural realism by three well-known informational approaches in the interpretations of Quantum Mechanics. Last we propose an additional class of structural realism supported by QBism.