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.