engleski

Experimental poiesis in quantum mechanics

While in interpreting quantum mechanics positivist philosophers dominantly focuses on formal and logical structure of quantum mechanics (QM) as related to unproblematic ‘pure’ empirical data, post-positivists on various versions of theory- ladeness of these data, and some of hermeneutically oriented interpreters on their praxis-ladenness, in this paper an emphasise is given on what is called the poiesis-ladenness of experimental text of QM. This kind of interpretative attitude toward QM is uphold along the following lines of thought. It starts with the reminder that the stage at which quantum beings play their roles is not the ordinary three- dimensional Euclidean space but the experimental set-up with instruments which are not ‘transparent’ extensions of our senses, like it is assumed in classical physical experiments. Moreover, it is further argued that one of the main characteristics of QM experiments is a contextual and situational bringing-forth (poiesis) of quantum entities from ‘nonpresence’ into ‘presence’, from potentiality to actuality. However, it is also remembered that devices responsible for bringing-forth of quantum technomena are also brought forth in and through an other, i.e. that they are man-made artefacts of a dual nature ; on the one hand they are physical objects independent of its makers, but on the other they are artificial beings (technei onta), the work of ‘art’, having principles of their motion en alloi, which is evident not only in purposes for which instruments are produced, but also in carrying some of biological, historical and cognitive characteristics of their makers. In this sense, the experimental devices of QM are argued to be a meeting point of nature (physis) and art (techne), and QM itself an affirmation of the traditional, in natural sciences almost completely forgotten, dual encounter with beings of the world (theoria/poiesis) and corresponding forms of knowledge (episteme theoretike/episteme poietike).

quantum mechanics ; interpretation ; poiesis ; bringing-forth

Forthcoming