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The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science Advance Access originally published online on May 16, 2005
The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 2005 56(2):199-220; doi:10.1093/bjps/axi114
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© The Author (2005). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of British Society for the Philosophy of Science. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oupjournals.org

Articles

The Preferred-Basis Problem and the Quantum Mechanics of Everything

Jeffrey A. Barrett

Logic and Philosophy of Science School of Social Sciences, UC Irvine, Irvine CA 92697-5100, USA, jabarrett{at}uci.edu, Tel: 001 (949) 856-1894

Jereon Vink ([1993]) argued that there are two options for what he called a realistic solution to the quantum measurement problem: (1) select a preferred set of observables for which definite values are assumed to exist, or (2) attempt to assign definite values to all observables simultaneously (1810–1). While conventional wisdom has it that the second option is ruled out by the Kochen-Specker theorem, Vink nevertheless advocated it. Making every physical quantity determinate in quantum mechanics carries with it significant conceptual costs, but it also provides a way of addressing the preferred basis problem that arises if one chooses to pursue the first option. The potential costs and benefits of a formulation of quantum mechanics where every physical quantity is determinate are herein examined.

  1. The preferred-basis problem
  2. How to solve the preferred-basis problem
  3. Relativistic constraints
  4. Conclusion


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Determinate Values for Quantum Observables
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