Abstract
Since the advent of Modern Physics in 1905, when Einstein’s theory of Special Relativity appeared, we observe a rapidly increasing activity to “interpret” this new and for the present somewhat strange theory of Modern Physics. However, it should be emphasised, that Special Relativity was only the first in a sequence of new theories, that allegedly required an “interpretation”. It was followed by General Relativity, which from a mathematical point of view is much more ambitious and thus even less comprehensible than Special Relativity. Accordingly, interpretations of General Relativity are concerned with mathematical subtleties as well as with purely conceptual problems. The third theory in the sequence in question is Quantum Mechanics. With General Relativity it shares the great mathematical complexity and intricacies, with Special Relativity the new conceptual situation, in particular the difficult interrelations between classical physics and the new theory. Hence, it should not be very surprising that the majority of interpretations of Modern Physics are concerned with Quantum Mechanics.
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Notes
- 1.
Mach (1901).
- 2.
Poincaré (1898).
- 3.
von Helmholtz (1868).
- 4.
Kant (1998), B599.
- 5.
Newton (1934), p. 6.
- 6.
Einstein (1917).
- 7.
Marzke and Wheeler (1964).
- 8.
Ehlers et al. (1972).
- 9.
Einstein writes: “Das Licht hat im Vakuum stets eine bestimmte Ausbreitungsgeschwindigkeit, unabhängig vom Bewegungszustand der Lichtquelle”. Cf. Stachel (2002), p. 107 and note 35.
- 10.
E.g. by Maxwell’s theoretical treatment of light as an electromagnetic wave phenomenon.
- 11.
Mittelstaedt (1976/1989), 3. ed. On pp. 124–126 it is shown, that only mass zero particles fulfil the light principle and vice versa.
- 12.
The first attempt of an empirical justification is de Sitter’s analysis (1913) of double stars. Direct laboratory evidence was not known before the 1960s.
- 13.
Born (1920).
- 14.
Cf. Mittelstaedt (2011).
- 15.
Könneker (2001).
- 16.
- 17.
Howard (2004).
- 18.
Bohr (1928).
- 19.
Bohr (1948).
- 20.
- 21.
Reichenbach (1944).
- 22.
Bohr (1948), p. 317.
- 23.
For all details, we refer to Jammer (1974).
- 24.
von Neumann (1932).
- 25.
Lahti and Mittelstaedt (1990), pp. 13–17.
- 26.
- 27.
Cf. Mittelstaedt (2011).
- 28.
Mittelstaedt (2006).
- 29.
Dalla Chiara et al. (2004), pp. 72–74.
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Mittelstaedt, P. (2013). Interpretations of Modern Physics. In: Rational Reconstructions of Modern Physics. Fundamental Theories of Physics, vol 174. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5593-2_5
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