Philosophy of Physics Seminar (Thursday - Week 2, TT24)
Thursday 2 May, 3pm
Lecture Room, Radcliffe Humanities
Natasha Oughton (National Quantum Computing Centre): 'Why quantum theory? Understanding and explanation through reconstruction'
Abstract: It is sometimes claimed that information-theoretic reconstructions of quantum theory provide interpretational insight. I’ll argue that such claims misrepresent the contribution of information-theoretic reconstructions: we should not expect reconstructions to shed light on the inner workings of quantum theory by locating its boundaries in the context of more general theories, nor to reveal what quantum theory is about, since the features and principles privileged through each reconstruction are, at least to some extent, dependent on what one chooses to focus on. Despite this though, I maintain that information-theoretic reconstructions genuinely can play an epistemic role. By adopting a pragmatic, pluralist account of explanation inspired by Van Fraassen and proposing an extension of it to an account of understanding, I'll argue that reconstructions can be seen to provide both explanation and understanding through providing answers, distinct from those about interpretation, to the question “why quantum theory” in the salient contexts.
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