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23This paper argues that there is no conflict between quantum theory and relativity, and that quantum theory itself helps us explain puzzling “non-local” correlations in a way that contradicts neither Bell’s intuitive locality principle nor his local causality condition. The argument depends on understanding quantum theory along pragmatist lines I have outlined elsewhere, and on a more general view of how that theory helps us explain. The key counterfactuals that hold in such cases manifest episte…Read more
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22Physicalist imperialismProceedings of the Aristotelian Society 79 191-211. 1979.Richard Healey; XII*—Physicalist Imperialism, Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Volume 79, Issue 1, 1 June 1979, Pages 191–212, https://doi.org/10.1093/a.
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22Reply to a Comment on “Quantum Theory and the Limits of Objectivity”Foundations of Physics 49 (8): 816-819. 2019.In this short note I reply to criticisms of an argument in my paper that appear in comment. Baumann et al. raise one “main criticism” then go on to claim that the argument of Healey contains a series of problems. But their “main criticism” is not an objection to the argument and the problems are of their own making.
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19Holism in philosophy of mind and philosophy of physics - Michael Esfeld, dordrecht, 2001, pp. XIV+366, US $113, ISBN 0-7923-7003- (review)Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 34 (2): 334-337. 2003.
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19The Quantum Revolution in PhilosophyOxford University Press. 2017.Quantum theory launched a revolution in physics. But we have yet to understand the revolution's significance for philosophy. Richard Healey opens a path to such understanding. The first part of this book offers a self-contained but opinionated introduction to quantum theory. The second part assesses the theory's philosophical significance.
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18Reduction, Time and Reality: Studies in the Philosophy of the Natural SciencesCambridge University Press. 1981.The contributors to this 1981 volume are all concerned with scientific realism, but each author questions or rejects aspects of the way it has traditionally been discussed. There are three main foci of attention - reduction, time and modality - and the analyses bring out complexities and difficulties obscured in the standard accounts of scientific realism. The papers are powerful and original, representing some of the best in modern philosophy of science, and each were specifically commissioned …Read more
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17The quantum theory of decoherence plays an important role in a pragmatist interpretation of quantum theory. It governs the descriptive content of claims about values of physical magnitudes and offers advice on when to use quantum probabilities as a guide to their truth. The content of a claim is to be understood in terms of its role in inferences. This promises a better treatment of meaning than that of Bohr. Quantum theory models physical systems with no mention of measurement: it is decoherenc…Read more
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15Search for a Naturalistic World View: Volumes I and II by Abner Shimony (review)Journal of Philosophy 93 (2): 92-100. 1996.
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12Holism in philosophy of mind and philosophy of physicsStudies in History and Philosophy of Science Part B: Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 34 (2): 334-337. 2003.
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11Objectivity, Invariance, and Convention: Symmetry in Physical Science (review)Isis 98 884-885. 2007.
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11A Pragmatist Perspective on Causation, Laws and ExplanationIn Jan Voosholz & Markus Gabriel (eds.), Top-Down Causation and Emergence, Springer Verlag. pp. 253-268. 2021.I offer a pragmatist understanding of causation, laws and explanation that traces the features of these notions to their functions in our practical as well as theoretical projects. Laws derive their importance from their epistemic and methodological functions, while the primary role of causal concepts is in guiding action. Contemporary interventionist accounts of causation and causal modeling appeal to and clarify this practical role while downplaying the causal significance of laws. They also e…Read more
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10Quantum Measurement: Beyond Paradox (edited book)University of Minnesota Press. 1998.Together with relativity theory, quantum mechanics stands as the conceptual foundation of modern physics. It forms the basis by which we understand the minute workings of the subatomic world. But at its core lies a paradox--it is unmeasurable. This book presents a powerful and energetic new approach to the measurement dilemma.
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9The Image of Eternity: Roots of Time in the Physical WorldPhilosophical Review 91 (4): 607. 1982.
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8Laura Ruetsche, Interpreting Quantum Theories. Oxford: Oxford University Press , xvii+379 pp., $75.00 (review)Philosophy of Science 80 (4): 606-609. 2013.
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4Quantum MechanicsIn W. H. Newton‐Smith (ed.), A Companion to the Philosophy of Science, Blackwell. 2017.The early twentieth century saw the development of two revolutionary physical theories: relativity (see space, time and relativity) and quantum mechanics. Relativity theory had an immediate impact on the rise of logical positivism, as philosophers like Carnap, Reichenbach, and Schlick struggled to come to terms with its content and implications (see logical positivism). By contrast, discussion of philosophical issues raised by quantum mechanics began among physicists who created the theory befor…Read more
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3XII*—Physicalist ImperialismProceedings of the Aristotelian Society 79 (1): 191-212. 1979.Richard Healey; XII*—Physicalist Imperialism, Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society, Volume 79, Issue 1, 1 June 1979, Pages 191–212, https://doi.org/10.1093/a.
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3Causation in Quantum MechanicsIn Helen Beebee, Christopher Hitchcock & Peter Menzies (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Causation, Oxford University Press. 2009.
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3Search for a Naturalistic World View: Volumes I and II by Abner Shimony (review)Journal of Philosophy 93 (2): 92-100. 1996.
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1Quantum Measurement, Decoherence and Modal InterpretationsMinnesota Studies in the Philosophy of Science 17. 1998.
Tucson, Arizona, United States of America
Areas of Specialization
Philosophy of Physical Science |
Areas of Interest
Philosophy of Physical Science |
General Philosophy of Science |
Metaphysics |