Quantum Causal Models, Faithfulness, and Retrocausality

British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 69 (3):745-774 (2018)
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Abstract

Wood and Spekkens argue that any causal model explaining the EPRB correlations and satisfying the no-signalling constraint must also violate the assumption that the model faithfully reproduces the statistical dependences and independences—a so-called ‘fine-tuning’ of the causal parameters. This includes, in particular, retrocausal explanations of the EPRB correlations. I consider this analysis with a view to enumerating the possible responses an advocate of retrocausal explanations might propose. I focus on the response of Näger, who argues that the central ideas of causal explanations can be saved if one accepts the possibility of a stable fine-tuning of the causal parameters. I argue that in light of this view, a violation of faithfulness does not necessarily rule out retrocausal explanations of the EPRB correlations. However, when we consider a plausible retrocausal picture in some detail, it becomes clear that the causal modelling framework is not a natural arena for representing such an account of retrocausality. _1_ Causal Models, Quantum Mechanics, and Faithfulness _2_ Fine-Tuning _2.1_ Fine-tuning in a retrocausal model _3_ Possible Responses _4_ Quantum Causal Models and Retrocausality _4.1_ A more detailed retrocausal account _4.2_ A model of the EPRB probabilities _4.3_ Mapping to a causal model _5_ Conclusion

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Peter W. Evans
University of Queensland

Citations of this work

The Open Systems View.Michael E. Cuffaro & Stephan Hartmann - 2024 - Philosophy of Physics 2 (1):6:1-27.
Discovering Quantum Causal Models.Sally Shrapnel - 2019 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 70 (1):1-25.
Retrocausality in Quantum Mechanics.Simon Friederich & Peter W. Evans - 2019 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Quantum reality: A pragmaticized neo-Kantian approach.Florian J. Boge - 2021 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 87 (C):101-113.

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References found in this work

Causality: Models, Reasoning and Inference.Judea Pearl - 2000 - Tijdschrift Voor Filosofie 64 (1):201-202.
Causality: Models, Reasoning, and Inference.Judea Pearl - 2009 - Cambridge University Press.

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