Identity in Physics
A Historical, Philosophical, and Formal Analysis
French, Steven University of Leeds
Krause, Décio Federal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil
Print publication date: 2006 (this edition)
Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: September 2006
Print ISBN-13: 978-0-19-927824-4







doi:10.1093/0199278245.003.0008

Steven French
Décio Krause
Abstract: Traditionally by ‘quantum logic’, one understands the study of the lattice of the subspace of Hilbert space. Here, ‘quantum logic’ is taken to be the underlying logic of quantum physics. Following Schrödinger’s idea that the standard concept of identity cannot be applied to quantum objects, a kind of ‘non-reflexive’ logic called Schrödinger logic is presented, in which the reflexive law of identity is taken not to apply. First order Schrödinger logics are presented, and extended to higher order logics and also to an intensional logic. Classical semantics is presented, and a weak completeness theorem is sketched. The last part of the chapter covers a logic of sortal predicates for which a quasi-set semantics is delineated. This completes the formal framework capable of accommodating quantum non-individuality and thus the initial understanding of Born, Heisenberg, and Schrödinger, as well as the second horn of the above metaphysical underdetermination, can be formally represented.

Keywords: Schrödinger logics, quantum logic, sortal predication, non-classical semantics,

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