QUANTUM METAPHYSICS - E-thesis

concepts as being too bizarre and romantic. The conclusion to be drawn from the discussion of
interpretation and its direction are that the classical frame of reference, the familiar "horizon of
understanding", has had a powerful influence on shaping physicists’ ways of thinking when they
are interpreting quantum theory. They have wanted to believe that humans are capable of
portraying the world in an absolute, objective and preferably deterministic manner, and
essentially exclude their presence from the investigation of reality.
Preservation of the classical assumptions for as long as possible has been sought after, even
though it leads to empirically unfounded assumptions concerning quantum potential or multiple
worlds. Also, many of those who have not wanted to postulate additional structures in the world
often cling almost unconsciously to many of the presumptions of classical metaphysics. It
appears that they would rather relinquish the whole interpretation of quantum-mechanics and
deny the need for a better understanding of reality than give up the ideals of classical objectivity.
Researchers taking a critical attitude to speculation can, in the name of Positivism, dismiss the
whole idea and conception of reality. To Positivists, it is enough that theory predicts the correct
result. The question ”Why?” is unnecessary. Instrumentalist oriented supporters of statistical
interpretation can avoid the apparent paradoxes of the new physics by being content with
statistical laws and prohibiting the handling of individual events. 676
The need for a fundamental change of paradigm is sometimes also disputed by denying that there
are any real problems concerning quantum theory. Metaphysics or any further interpretations are
not required as the theory works well and predicts the correct results. 677 Another typical method
of approach is a resort to mathematics. Specific interpretations are not believed to be necessary
since reality effectively reveals itself in mathematical form. The nature of reality becomes, via
mathematics, as understandable as it actually can be. An adequately tested mathematical theory
and reality essentially become one and the same thing. It is considered unnecessary to ponder
what complex values or multi-dimensional spaces actually manifest, or whether the new
relationships and dependencies in reality addressed by mathematical theory could perhaps be
portrayed in some other way. It is believed that the deeper nature of the universe cannot be
understood by anyone unable to use mathematical language and that it will never therefore be
675 K.V. Laurikainen believed that the strong tendency since the 1950s to seek a more-realistic interpretation was a
result of the materialistic conception of reality among the generation educated during the war or immediately after it.
Laurikainen 1997, 38.
676 For a concise presentation of different interpretations, see Kallio-Tamminen 1990, 1993.
677 For example Weisskopf in his article “Foolish Questions”.
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