Abstract
The famous debate between Einstein and Bohr began at the Solvay Council in 1927. The debate was about the interpretation of quantum mechanics, but also addressed the fundamental question of what the purpose and aim of a physical theory should be. Their conflicting positions were based on two diametrically opposed philosophical approaches to the fundamental problems of physics. The many books popularising quantum mechanics quite rightly place the emphasis on the problem of interpretation: they discuss the opposing positions of Einstein’s “realism” and the “Copenhagen interpretation” of which Bohr is seen as the leading protagonist.
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Notes
N. BOHR, Light and Life, in Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge, Science Editions, New York, 1961, p. 5.
A. EINSTEIN to M. Born, 4 December 1926, in Einstein-Born. Correspondance 1916–1955Le Seuil, Paris, 1972, p. 107.
N. BOHR Physique atomique et connaissance humaineop. cit., p. 210.
N. BOHR to A. Einstein, 13 April 1927, quoted in M. Jammer The Philosophy of Quantum mechanicsWiley, New York, 1974, p. 125.
Quoted in J. PELSENNER Historique des Instituts Internationaux de Physique et de Chimie Solvay depuis leur fondation jusqu’à la deuxième guerre Mondialeunpublished, p. 56 (SIIPC).
Discussion générale des idées nouvelles émises, in Electrons et photons (5th Solvay Council of Physics), op. cit., p. 261.
Id.,p. 263.
Id.,p. 264–265.
Id.,p. 265.
Id.,p. 254.
Id.,p. 255–256.
N. BOHR, Discussion with Einstein on epistemological problems in atomic physics, in Schilpp op. cit.p. 215–216.
N.BOHR, The Solvay Meetings and the Developments of Quantum Physics, in La théorie quantique des champs (Twelfth Solvay Council of Physics), op. cit., p. 27–28.
N. BOHR, Discussion with Einstein on epistemological problems in atomic physics, in Schilpp op. cit.p. 224–226.
L. ROSENFELD, Some concluding Remarks and Reminiscences Fundamental Problems in Elementary Particle Physics (14th Solvay Council of Physics, held in Brussels in 1967), John Wiley Interscience, New York, 1968, p. 232.
N. BOHR, Discussion with Einstein on epistemological problems in atomic physics, in Schilpp op. cit.p. 228.
Quoted in M. JAMMER, The Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics: the Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics in Historical Perspective, Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1974, p. 181.
Ibid.
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Marage, P., Wallenborn, G. (1999). The Debate between Einstein and Bohr, or How to Interpret Quantum Mechanics. In: Marage, P., Wallenborn, G. (eds) The Solvay Councils and the Birth of Modern Physics. Science Networks · Historical Studies, vol 22. Birkhäuser, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7703-9_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-0348-7703-9_10
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