Talk: Mario Hubert (LMU-Munich)

Title:

Superluminal Causation in Quantum Mechanics

Abstract:

Joint work with Frederick Eberhart (Caltech)

We want to make precise how superluminal causation can work in quantum mechanics. First, we argue, pace Egg and Esfeld (2014), that instantaneous causation can be interpreted to have a causal direction. Second, we show by assuming a counterfactual theory of causation that these instantaneous causal directions are instantiated in the de Broglie-Bohm theory for space-like separated entangled particles. Third, we argue that these instantaneous causal relations are fine-tuned in the sense of causal modeling (that is, violating faithfulness) but not in the sense of physics (relying on special initial conditions).

References: Egg, M. and Esfeld, M. (2014). Non-local common cause explanations for EPR. European Journal for Philosophy of Science, 4(2):181–196.