On Quantum Things

A Constructive Guide to the Fundamentals of Quantum Theory

Valia Allori

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic
• Year: 2026
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781978764583
• Topic: Philosophy
• Subtopic: Philosophical Metaphysics

A realist, particle-based view of quantum theory-where the wavefunction no longer plays a central role-offers a clear, commonsense alternative to dominant metaphysical views.

This book explores the metaphysics of quantum theory through a lens of scientific realism-the belief that successful scientific theories describe reality. It critically evaluates various interpretations, including structural realism, wave function realism, and the many-worlds view, highlighting their limitations. Valia Allori proposes a "spatiotemporal foundational ontology" approach, grounded in particles as fundamental entities evolving in three-dimensional space and time, following uniform, symmetric laws. This view is exemplified by Bohmian mechanics (pilot-wave theory), offering a constructive, commonsensical explanation of quantum phenomena. The wave function, in this framework, is not a physical object but plays a functional, law-like role in explaining interactions. Further, the book advances a radical thesis: fundamental particles lack intrinsic properties like mass or charge and are instead "bare" objects distinguished only by the laws governing them. This thesis allows a middle path between traditional object-based metaphysics and eliminative structuralism. Ultimately, the author argues that had physics developed more rationally, instead of following a historical path shaped by contingent choices, the pilot-wave theory might have been the dominant interpretation, minimizing the proliferation of speculative alternatives.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Halftitle Page
• Dedication Page
• Title Page
• Contents
• List of Figures
• Acknowledgments
• Prologue
• 1 Scientific Realism and the Classical World
• 2 Quantum Mechanics and the Structuralist Revolution
• 3 The Measurement Problem and Wave Function Realism
• 4 A Spatiotemporal Ontology for a Symmetry Preserving Constructive Theory
• 5 Demystifying the Wave Function
• 6 A Metaphysics of Bare Objects
• 7 “What If?”
• Epilogue
• References
• Index
• Imprint