Abstract
This chapter explores the relation between logical positivism and the early development and interpretation of quantum mechanics. Despite frequent claims to the contrary, we find that logical positivism did not influence physicists’ view of quantum mechanics until well into the 1930s, if at all. Special emphasis is given to Niels Bohr due to his central role in the understanding of the new physics. While Bohr was in contact with several central figures of logical positivism and on several occasions expressed his agreement with them, we find that Bohr developed his main ideas concerning quantum mechanics well before this contact was made. Instead, this chapter speculates that it was Bohr who tried to influence logical positivism: Bohr believed that understanding quantum mechanics provided us with a general philosophical lesson to which the logical positivist would be responsive. Because of similarities in viewpoints, Bohr apparently had hoped that this might compel the logical positivists to join him in the attempt to extend his ideas of complementarity and contextualism beyond quantum mechanics.
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