Abstract
<p>Quantum mechanics is often taken to entail holism. I examine the arguments for this claim, and find that although there is no general argument from the structure of quantum mechanics to holism, there are specific arguments for holism available within the three main realist interpretations (Bohm, Ghirardi-Rimini-Weber and many-worlds). However, Evans, Price and Wharton's sideways Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bell example challenges the holistic conclusion. I show how the symmetry between the sideways and standard Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bell set-ups can be used to argue against holism. I evaluate the prospects for extending this insight to more general quantum systems, with a view to producing a genuinely time-symmetric hidden variable theory. I conclude that, although this extension undermines the analogy between the sideways and standard cases, quantum mechanics without holism remains a live possibility.</p><p>Quanta 2016; 5: 85–92.</p>
Highlights
Holism and Time SymmetryQuantum mechanics is often taken to entail tangled states, consider its defects, and construct a holism
General argument from the structure of quantum show how an analogy between entangled states and mechanics to holism, there are specific arguments ordinary preparation/measurement scenarios can be used for holism available within the three main realist to undermine even the indirect argument
While the analogy is suggesmetry between the sideways and standard Einstein- tive, it only holds for maximally entangled states, and Podolsky-Rosen-Bell set-ups can be used to argue fails when the time-symmetric approach is applied against holism
Summary
Quantum mechanics is often taken to entail tangled states, consider its defects, and construct a holism. I general argument from the structure of quantum show how an analogy between entangled states and mechanics to holism, there are specific arguments ordinary preparation/measurement scenarios can be used for holism available within the three main realist to undermine even the indirect argument. Evans, Price and Wharton’s as a time-symmetric theory, in the sense that causal insideways Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen-Bell example chal- fluences flow both from earlier in time to later and from lenges the holistic conclusion. While the analogy is suggesmetry between the sideways and standard Einstein- tive, it only holds for maximally entangled states, and Podolsky-Rosen-Bell set-ups can be used to argue fails when the time-symmetric approach is applied against holism. Extension undermines the analogy between the sideways and standard cases, quantum mechanics without holism remains a live possibility. Consider a pair of spin-1/2 particles in the singlet state
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