Quantum Theory and Novel Scientific Language: Defending a Pragmatist View
Abstract This article advocates for a pragmatist view on quantum theory, offering a response to David Wallace’s recent criticisms of Richard Healey’s quantum pragmatism. In particular, I challenge Wallace’s general claim that quantum pragmatists—and antirepresentationalists more broadly—lack the resources to make sense of the novel “quantum” language used throughout modern physics in applications of quantum theory. I conclude by posing a challenge to quantum representationalists.
Authors
- Tanner Leighton (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9103-8167)
Institutions
- University of Pittsburgh (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Philosophy of Science
- Published
- 2025-09-03
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1017/psa.2025.10128
- Primary Topic
- Philosophy and History of Science
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- University of Cambridge