Supervisors info:
Βασίλειος Καρακώστας, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ι.Φ.Ε., ΕΚΠΑ
Θεόδωρος Αραμπατζής, Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ι.Φ.Ε., ΕΚΠΑ
Γιάννης Στεφάνου, Αναπληρωτής Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Ι.Φ.Ε., ΕΚΠΑ
Summary:
Can knowledge claims be perspective-dependent while still describing the world, as a realist view of science does? This is a crucial issue raised in Massimi’s (\citeyear{Massimi2018}) perspectivism. In this thesis, we take up the challenge by investigating the implications of quantum contextuality (Bell, 1966; Kochen, Specker, 1967) on perspectival truth and reference. We employ Karakostas’ analysis of the Kochen-Specker theorem (Karakostas, 2014; Karakostas, 2017) which demonstrates that in quantum mechanics the truth-conditions of experimental propositions describing quantum properties are context-dependent, as well as Massimi’s account of perspectival truth which contends that perspectives provide the truth-conditions for knowledge claims. Our aim is to show that quantum mechanics furnishes an epistemic basis for perspectivism and provides additional insights into the methodological role of the notion of perspective in scientific inquiry. We hope that this thesis will pave the way for the application of perspectives in forward-thinking movements both in physics and philosophy.
Keywords:
Kochen, Specker, theorem, epistemic base, scientific perspectivism, perspectival realism, physics, philosophy, science, quantum theory, quantum mechanics, quantum contextuality, properties, physical system, truth-conditions, methodological role, context, methodological naturalism, pluralism, scientific realism, anti-realism, contingency thesis, scientific practice, Kuhn, paradigm, exemplar, philosophy of science, perspectivist methodology, Karakostas, Zafiris, Massimi, scientific change