La introducción de la Física cuántica en España: libros de texto, panorama general y relación con la Filosofía (1930-1960)

Abstract

In this article, we have addressed the early stages of quantum physics in Spain, specifically, between the years 1930 and 1960. We have relied on David Kaiser’s thesis on the weight of philosophy in quantum physics textbooks in the United States (Quantum legacies, chap. 8, 2020) and we have made a first approximation for the Spanish case. To have a better understanding of the editorial, intellectual and cultural context, we have created and analysed a database from the REBIUN university catalogue, which has offered us a panoramic view of the works published at the time, as well as their places of origin, languages, publishers, and evolutions. Then, we have analysed the treatment of philosophical aspects in some relevant Spanish textbooks. We have concluded a particular evolution in the Spanish case, conditioned by its economic, social, and political context, with a tendency to interpret quantum physics from a national-catholic dogma and to escape from mathematical complexity. We have also seen a great influence from the English-speaking sphere and an enormous importance from the Latin American publishing system in the dissemination of works in Spanish. The results call for us to carry out studies in greater depth.