Talk by Christian Joas at MCMP (Wed. 26. June)

[Dardashti, Radin]

Speaker: Christian Joas (LMU Munich)
Wednesday 26th June 2013
Ludwigstr.31 Room E021
Time: 4 to 6 pm

Title: Metaphysics and Theoretical Practice: Erwin Schrödinger's 
Methodology of Physics

Abstract:
Erwin Schrödinger's position in the interpretational debates 
surrounding quantum mechanics has traditionally been viewed as 
displaying a realist attitude towards theory. Wessels, Bitbol, and de 
Regt have shown that Schrödinger's position was more complex and 
ultimately grounded in a Boltzmannian tradition: Like Boltzmann, 
Schrödinger was not a naive realist, but had a sophisticated 
understanding of the role of models in physical theory which informed 
his methodology of physics. I argue that understanding Schrödinger's 
methodology is crucial to understanding not only his stance on the 
interpretation of quantum mechanics, but also more generally his 
creative work in the development of new theories. I will illustrate this 
by examining an ambitious theory of solids that Schrödinger advanced in 
one of his first theoretical papers, his development of wave mechanics, 
and his attempts at applying wave mechanics beyond the hydrogen atom 
that led him to early insights into entanglement. Schrödinger's position 
in the interpretational debate did not stem from metaphysical prejudice, 
but was deeply rooted in his theoretical practice.