Quantum Field Theory on the Edge of Metaphysics - Part II

Interactions, non-locality, and 'stuff,' according to QFT

In the previous post, I emphasized the unavoidable need for conceptual clarity when contemplating philosophical issues such as the problem of mental causation, which speculates on non-physical minds interacting with physical bodies. This clarity is essential to avoid confusion, especially concerning terms like 'material' versus 'immaterial' and 'physical' versus 'unphysical,' as well as their relationship to contemporary physics, particularly in the context of quantum field theory.

Ambiguities of the Quantum World

However, while this provided a description of modern science's perspective, it ultimately failed to establish a clear distinction between physicality and non-physicality. This viewpoint also contains ambiguities.

Interestingly, QM and QFT inherently possess a Platonic flavor, featuring unobservable abstract entities that, while not directly observable or verifiable, are integral to the physical theory. In QFT, a quantum field is not a tangible substance but is instead represe…