A whole box of Pandoras: systems, boundaries and free will in quantum theory1

1. The delightful phrase ‘a whole box of Pandoras’ is the coinage of Bruce King (1924–2009), former governor of New Mexico.

Abstract

It is shown that the paradoxes of quantum theory can be traced to an assumption that observers can know which physical degrees of freedom are causally responsible for each of their experiences. The untenability of this assumption is demonstrated, and a quantum theory without it is proposed. Removing this assumption from quantum theory sheds new light on the nature of semantics, and perhaps also on the nature of freedom.

Keywords:

• determinism
• explanation
• causation
• probability
• Bayesianism
• system identification

Acknowledgements

A decades-long conversation with Eric Dietrich about the nature and implementation of experience has influenced this paper in unknowable but doubtless numerous ways.

Notes

1. The delightful phrase ‘a whole box of Pandoras’ is the coinage of Bruce King (1924–2009), former governor of New Mexico.