Are Virtual Quanta Nothing but Formal Tools?

International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 25 (1):39 - 53 (2011)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

The received view in philosophical studies of quantum field theory is that Feynman diagrams are simply calculational devices. Alongside this view we have the one that takes virtual quanta to be also simply formal tools. This received view was developed and consolidated in philosophy of physics by Mario Bunge, Paul Teller, Michael Redhead, Robert Weingard, Brigitte Falkenburg, and others. In this article I present an alternative to the received view

Categories

Keywords

Reprint years

DOI

10.1080/02698595.2011.552417

Links

PhilArchive



    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 91,853

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

My notes

Similar books and articles

The dirac equation as a path to the concept of quanta, and its role in quantum electrodynamics.Mario Bacelar Valente - unknown
What Are Quanta, and Why Does It Matter?Nick Huggett - 1994 - PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1994:69 - 76.
Quips, Quotes, and Quanta: An Anecdotal History of Physics.Anton Z. Capri - 2011 - World Scientific.
TOWARDS ONTOLOGY FOR A UNIFIED KNOWLEDGE: THE HYPOTHESIS OF LOGICAL QUANTA.Meskos George - 2007.08.23 - Metanexus.Net.
The Relation between Classical and Quantum Electrodynamics.Mario Bacelar Valente - 2011 - Theoria: Revista de Teoría, Historia y Fundamentos de la Ciencia 26 (1):51-68.
A Case for an Empirically Demonstrable Notion of the Vacuum in Quantum Electrodynamics Independent of Dynamical Fluctuations.Mario Bacelar Valente - 2011 - Journal for General Philosophy of Science / Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 42 (2):241-261.
Objects or events?: Towards an ontology for quantum field theory.Andreas Bartels - 1999 - Philosophy of Science 66 (3):184.
Minding quanta and cosmology.Karl H. Pribram - 2009 - Zygon 44 (2):451-466.
Identity.Simon Saunders - unknown
Separability and Non-Individuality: Is It Possible to Conciliate (At Least A Form Of) Einstein’s Realism with Quantum Mechanics?Décio Krause & Jonas R. B. Arenhart - 2005 - Foundations of Physics 44 (12):1269-1288.
Photons and temporality in quantum electrodynamics.Mario Bacelar Valente - unknown
Only If Quanta Had Logic.James H. McGrath - 1978 - PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1978:268 - 275.

Analytics

Added to PP
2011-03-24

Downloads
75 (#220,422)

6 months
16 (#156,807)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Mario Bacelar Valente
Pablo de Olavide University

Citations of this work

Metaphysics of the principle of least action.Vladislav Terekhovich - 2017 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 62:189-201.
I ain’t afraid of no ghost.John Dougherty - 2021 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 88 (C):70-84.
Acerca del estatuto ontológico de los fonones.Hernan Lucas Accorinti & Sebastian Fortin - 2020 - Principia: An International Journal of Epistemology 24 (2).

Add more citations

References found in this work

An Interpretative Introduction to Quantum Field Theory.Paul Teller - 1996 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 47 (1):152-153.
QED and the Men Who Made It: Dyson, Feynman, Schwinger, and Tomonaga.Silvan S. Schweber - 1995 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 46 (4):624-627.
Philosophical foundations of quantum field theory.Harvey R. Brown & Rom Harré (eds.) - 1988 - New York: Oxford University Press.

View all 13 references / Add more references