On the polemic assessment of what Bell did

TL;DR

This paper critically examines Bell's argument and the controversy surrounding the interpretation of Bell's inequality, emphasizing differences from mainstream views without taking sides.

Contribution

It clarifies Bell's original reasoning and contrasts it with the prevailing orthodoxy, contributing to the philosophical debate on quantum nonlocality.

Findings

Bell's reasoning differs from the current orthodox interpretation.

The debate remains polarized between localists and nonlocalists.

The paper offers a nuanced analysis without endorsing a particular stance.

Abstract

Despite their Nobel Prize-winning empirical falsification, the interpretation of Bell's inequality remains a subject of controversy. This article discusses and attempts to clarify the reasons John S. Bell and A. Einstein claimed that quantum entanglement implies puzzling nonlocal correlations that Einstein famously termed ``spooky action at a distance.'' The issue remains notoriously controversial and has roughly divided the scientific community into localists and nonlocalists. Without taking a stance on either side in the long-standing, polarized debate, we examine Bell's actual argument and highlight how his reasoning differs from the current orthodoxy.