Robert Spekkens: Leibniz’s principle of the identity of indiscernible as...

Debates concerning the interpretation of quantum theory have always been deeply concerned with the relation between that which we posit to be real and that which we observe. Leibniz’s principle of the identity of indiscernables also concerns this relation. It asserts that if two scenarios are observationally indiscernible in principle, then any ontological account of the world should represent these two scenarios as physically identical. Einstein seems to have been deeply committed to the principle, given that the strong equivalence principle and the hole argument are both instances of it. This suggests that Leibniz’s principle should be considered as a central pillar in the conceptual foundations of general relativity. In this talk, I will explore the extent to which Leibniz’s principle may also serve as a conceptual foundation for quantum theory, specifically, within an information-theoretic approach to the reconstruction of quantum theory.

Robert Speakers, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
Information-Theoretic Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics: 2016 Annual Philosophy of Physics Conference
June 11-12, 2016