Niels Bohr and Contemporary Philosophy of Science

If Einstein became famous by the qualification "philosopher scientist," due to the well-known book published in the Library of Living Philosophers on the occasion of his seventieth birthday, then Niels Bohr undoubtedly deserves no less the same qualification. It suffices his debates with Einstein concerning the interpretation of quantum mechanics to be mentioned, but also because of his contribution for the construction and the construal of this fundamental theory about the micro-world.

The present collection book is an attempt a part of this contribution to be presented and assessed from the viewpoint of contemporary philosophy of science. To this effect central themes are analyzed as his principle of complementarity as a core conception of the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics, Bohr's understanding of the descriptive role of language, Bohr's influence on other eminent scientists, and other philosophical issues. One of the topical themes considered in the volume is giving meaning to the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and the entanglement problem, instead of the popular statement of super luminal velocities.

This book provides a fresh and rigorous perspective on Bohr's thought, showing why his ideas remain essential for understanding the conceptual foundations of quantum mechanics today.