There is no question that the theory of quantum mechanics is empirically successful. What the formalism of the theory says about the world, however, remains controversial. In this class, we will look at different theories of quantum mechanics. We will examine a range of philosophical issues that arise for the different theories, including the measurement problem, non-locality, the ontological status of the wavefunction and configuration space, the nature of probability, causation, and the compatibility of quantum mechanics with relativity.

INTRODUCTION This volume of essays is meant as a tribute to Alistair Crombie by some of those who have studied with him. The occasion of its publication is ...

(I) Aristotle of Stagira (384-322 BC) 0) A closed geocentric spherical cosmology. (Adopted from the great mathematician, Eudoxus, c. 400 to 347 BC; via Calippus; but Aristotle unifies their separate schemes for different heavenly bodies). (Aristotle cites mathematicians as estimating radius of earth: in fact 200% of correct figure. Eratosthenes ca. 250 BC estimates radius of earth as 120% of correct).

The monograph is aimed at an analysis of the reasons for theory change in science. The writer develops a model of theory change according to which the origins of scientific revolutions lie not in a clash of fundamental theories with facts, but of ‘old’ fundamental theories with each other.