Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Retrocausality and conditional probability

  • Published:
Foundations of Physics Letters

Abstract

Costa de Beauregard has proposed that physical causality be identified with conditional probability. That proposal is shown to be vulnerable on two accounts. The first, though mathematically trivial, seems to be decisive so far as the current formulation of the proposal is concerned. The second lies in a physical inconsistency which seems to have its source in a Copenhagenlike disavowal of realism in quantum mechanics.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. O. Costa de Beauregard, “Relativity and probability, classical and quantal”, in E.I. Bitsakis and C.A. Nicolaides, eds.,The Concept of Probability (Kluwer Academic, Dortrecht, 1989), pp.315–334.

    Google Scholar 

  2. O. Costa de Beauregard, “Relativity and probability (classical and quantal),” in P. Weingartner and G.Schurz, eds.,Philosophy of the Natural Sciences: Proceedings of the 13th International Wittgenstein Symposium (Verlag Hölder- Pichler-Tempsky, Vienna, 1989), pp.99–109.

    Google Scholar 

  3. O. Costa de Beauregard,Found. Phys., 17, 775 (1987).

    Google Scholar 

  4. O. Costa de Beauregard,Found. Phys., 15, 871 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  5. O. Costa de Beauregard, “Causality as identified with conditional probability and the quantal nonseparability,” in A. van der Merwe, F. Selleri, and G. Tarozzi, eds.,Microphysical Reality and Quantum Formalism (Kluwer Academic, Dortrecht, 1988), pp.219–231.

    Google Scholar 

  6. C.I.J.M.Stuart, “Temporal irreversibility of conditional probabilities” submitted toPhys. Essays.

  7. C.I.J.M.Stuart, “On Negative Entropy and Entropy as Missing Information” to appear inPhys. Essays,4 (1) 1991.

  8. C.I.J.M.Stuart, .“Inconsistency of the Bohr- Heisenberg scheme,” in Ref. 2, pp.154 - 160.

  9. C.I.J.M.Stuart, “Inconsistency of the Copenhagen interpretation,”Found.Phys. 21 (5) (1991), to appear.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Alberta, 10-102 Clinical Sciences Building, T6G 2G3, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

    C. I. J. M. Stuart

Authors
  1. C. I. J. M. Stuart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Stuart, C.I.J.M. Retrocausality and conditional probability. Found Phys Lett 4, 37–48 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00666415

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00666415

Key words

Search

Navigation