Da Física à Filosofia da Natureza: as influências de Niels Bohr e David Bohm no pensamento de Paul Feyerabend

Abstract

This dissertation discusses the physical and philosophical issues that are embedded in the development of quantum mechanics throughout the 20th century. In this sense, we sought to present and analyze the hegemonic interpretation for quantum mechanics, known as Copenhagen interpretation, through the study of its proponents’ articles, mainly the physicist Niels Bohr, and commentators. With this analysis, it was possible to identify contradictions among the allegations of the interpretation founders themselves, as well as clashes between the founding members and physicists critical of orthodox interpretation. In a broader approach to the debates surrounding quantum mechanics, an alternative interpretation to Copenhagen, elaborated by physicist David Bohm, was discussed, addressing: how was it elaborated, its physical, philosophical hypothesis, aspects of mathematical formalism and results obtained. Using primary and secondary sources, this study observed that the alternative interpretation, as commentators point out, despite obtaining the same results as the hegemonic one, was rejected by the physical community, having its philosophical bases widely criticized by physicists such as Léon Rosenfeld, Werner Heisenberg, Wolfgang Pauli, among others. This dissertation also analyzes discussions proposed by the physicist and philosopher Paul Feyerabend on the development of quantum mechanics, in order to understand how the discussions about the quantum regime influenced the Austrian physicist's thought, in addition to exploring its relationship with the thought of David Bohm and Niels Bohr. Finally, based on the development of quantum mechanics, we discuss the possibility of building a philosophy of nature from the discussions in this area of physics, and how philosophy was at the heart of the debates on quantum mechanics throughout its elaboration.