Powers ontology and the quantum revolution

An Aristotelian philosophy of nature rejects the modern prejudice in favor of the microscopic, a rejection that is crucial if we are to penetrate the mysteries of the quantum world. I defend an Aristotelian model by drawing on both quantum chemistry and recent work on the measurement problem. By building on the work of Hans Primas, using the distinction between quantum and classical properties that emerges in quantum chemistry at the thermodynamic or continuum limit, I develop a new version of the Copenhagen interpretation, a version that is realist, holistic, and hylomorphic in character, allowing for the attribution of fundamental causal powers to human observers and their instruments. I conclude with a critique of non-hylomorphic theories of primitive ontology, including Bohmian mechanics, Everettianism, and GRW mass-density.

Automated summary

The Aristotelian philosophy of nature rejects the modern bias towards the microscopic in order to delve into the mysteries of the quantum world. The author defends an Aristotelian model by incorporating quantum chemistry and recent research on the measurement problem, ultimately developing a realist, holistic, and hylomorphic version of the Copenhagen interpretation. The critique of non-hylomorphic theories, such as Bohmian mechanics, Everettianism, and GRW mass-density, highlights the attribution of fundamental causal powers to human observers and their instruments.