The Quantum Hall Effects: Philosophical Approach

Abstract

The Quantum Hall Effects offer a rich variety of theoretical and experimental advances. They provide interesting insights on such topics as complementarity, gauge invariance, strong interactions, emergence of new theoretical concepts. This paper focuses on some related philosophical questions. Hacking's views on Scientific Realism, Chalmers' on Non Figurative Realism are discussed. It is argued that the difficulties with those versions of realism may be resolved within a dialectical materialist approach. The latter is shown to provide a rational approach to the phenomena, the theory and the ontology of the Quantum Hall Effects.

43 pages, 3 figures, revised version, accepted for publication in Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics