Structural Indeterminacy

Torza, Alessandro

doi:10.1111/phpr.12588

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…On the contrary, MI affirms that the world per se inherently hosts indeterminacy (cf. Torza (2023) for an overview). 1 Remarkably, philosophical discussions about MI have been substantiated with the idea that Quantum Mechanics (QM), one of the most successful physical theories in the history of science, provides explicit examples of worldly indeterminacy.…”

Section: Accepted For Publication In the European Journal For Philoso...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the sake of clarity, it is worth noting that in what follows I will neither defend any specific account of QI, nor I will discuss the various perspectives on QI-for a detailed summary on this topic the reader may refer to Calosi and Mariani (2021) and Torza (2023).…”

Section: Accepted For Publication In the European Journal For Philoso...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For the sake of simplicity, in this paper I will use "indeterminacy" and "indefiniteness" as synonyms.Although not technically precise, this will not cause issues for the proposed arguments. For details cf Torza (2023). p. 1.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Unexpected quantum indeterminacy

Oldofredi

2024

Euro Jnl Phil Sci

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Recent philosophical discussions about metaphysical indeterminacy have been substantiated with the idea that quantum mechanics, one of the most successful physical theories in the history of science, provides explicit instances of worldly indefiniteness. Against this background, several philosophers underline that there are alternative formulations of quantum theory in which such indeterminacy has no room and plays no role. A typical example is Bohmian mechanics in virtue of its clear particle ontology. Contrary to these latter claims, this paper aims at showing that different pilot-wave theories do in fact instantiate diverse forms of metaphysical indeterminacy. Namely, I argue that there are various questions about worldly states of affairs that cannot be determined by looking exclusively at their ontologies and dynamical laws. Moreover, it will be claimed that Bohmian mechanics generates a new form of modal indeterminacy. Finally, it will be concluded that ontological clarity and indeterminacy are not mutually exclusive, i.e., the two can coexist in the same theory.

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Section: Accepted For Publication In the European Journal For Philoso...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Accepted For Publication In the European Journal For Philoso...mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Unexpected quantum indeterminacy

Oldofredi

2024

Euro Jnl Phil Sci

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“…Another conceivable alternative is to claim that one of the family is the one that exists and is fundamental; it is just indeterminate which. However, under an influential view (Sider, 2011), the fundamental is never indeterminate (see for discussion Torza, 2020), 12 Regardless, we would like a modal ontology that does not require ontic indeterminacy, if we can have one.…”

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confidence: 99%

Against relationalism about modality

Romero

2023

Philos Stud

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On a highly influential way to think of modality, that I call 'relationalism', the modality of a state is explained by its being composed of properties, and these properties being related by a higher-order and primitively modal relation. Examples of relationalism are the Dretske-Tooley-Armstrong account of natural necessity, many dispositional essentialist views, and Wang's incompatibility primitivism. I argue that relationalism faces four difficulties: that the selection between modal relations is arbitrary, that the modal relation cannot belong to any logical order, that to explain how the modal relation can relate properties of different adicities additional ideological complexity has to be introduced, and that not all modal constraints are relational. From the discussion, I will extract desiderata for a successor theory of modality.

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“…For an alternative way of implementing I and II in a definition of verbal disagreement, see Torza[41].…”

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confidence: 99%

Quantum metametaphysics

Torza

2021

Synthese

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Say that metaphysical indeterminacy occurs just when there is a fact such that neither it nor its negation obtains. The aim of this work is to shed light on the issue of whether orthodox quantum mechanics provides any evidence of metaphysical indeterminacy by discussing the logical, semantic, and broadly methodological presuppositions of the debate. I argue that the dispute amounts to a verbal disagreement between classical and quantum logicians, given Eli Hirsch's account of substantivity; but that it need not be so if Ted Sider's naturalnessbased account of substantivity is adopted instead. Given the latter approach, can anything be said in order to tip the balance of the dispute either way? Some prima facie reasonable constraints on naturalness entail that the classicist is right, and the quantum world is therefore determinate. Nevertheless, there are reasons for weakening those constraints, to the effect that the dispute remains very much open. Finally, I discuss alternative accounts of metaphysical indeterminacy, and argue that they are unsuitable for framing the quantum indeterminacy debate.

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Structural Indeterminacy

Cited by 6 publications

References 36 publications

Unexpected quantum indeterminacy

Unexpected quantum indeterminacy

Against relationalism about modality

Quantum metametaphysics

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