Beyond method: The diatribe between Feyerabend and Popper over the foundations of quantum mechanics

Abstract

Karl Popper and Paul Feyerabend have been among the most influential philosophers of science of the twentieth century. Extensive studies have been dedicated to the development of their controversial relationship, which saw Feyerabend turning from a student and supporter of Popper to one of his harshest critics. Yet, it is not as well known that the rift between Popper and Feyerabend generated mainly in the context of their studies on the foundation of quantum mechanics, which has been the main subject of their discussions for about two decades. This paper reconstructs in detail their diatribe over the foundations of quantum mechanics, emphasizing also the major role that their personal relationship played in their distancing.

arXiv commentInvited contribution to "Feyerabend and the Philosophy of Physics", Special Issue of International Studies in the Philosophy of Science. Comments are welcome

References in corpus (4)

• Karl Popper's Forgotten Role in the Quantum Debate at the Edge between Philosophy and Physics in 1950s and 1960s
• Genesis of Karl Popper's EPR-Like Experiment and its Resonance amongst the Physics Community in the 1980s
• An Unpublished Debate Brought to Light: Karl Popper's Enterprise against the Logic of Quantum Mechanics
• Striving for Realism, not for Determinism: Historical Misconceptions on Einstein and Bohm