What is Physics For? Why Classical Physics is not the Limit of Quantum Mechanics
Abstract
Quantum mechanics is justifiably held to be the most successful physical theory ever created; yet no universally accepted interpretation of its mathematical formalism exists after a century of debate. We examine the specific claim that classical physics stands as the low-action limit of quantum mechanics, arguing that the deep interpretive difficulties exposed by the quantum formalism, the measurement problem, the subject-object divide, and the nature of scientific representation, were already latent in classical physics, constituting what we call a blind spot of objectivity. Taking quantum theory as an invitation to re-examine the implicit metaphysical commitments bundled with 'classical physics', we explore two key issues-the objective/subjective split and the nature of theoretical representation-and argue that quantum mechanics does not represent a break with classical physics per se but rather brings previously unacknowledged philosophical assumptions into the limelight. We discuss the London-Bauer interpretation and QBism as exemplars of interpretations that embrace this broader reconceptualisation.
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BibTeX
@misc{frank2026what,
title = {{What is Physics For? Why Classical Physics is not the Limit of Quantum Mechanics}},
author = {Adam Frank and Jacques L. Pienaar and Michel Bitbol and Harald Wiltsche and Gabriela Barreto Lemos and Marcelo Gleiser and Marcus Appleby},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.36207},
eprint = {2609.36207},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.36207},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - What is Physics For? Why Classical Physics is not the Limit of Quantum Mechanics
AU - Adam Frank
AU - Jacques L. Pienaar
AU - Michel Bitbol
AU - Harald Wiltsche
AU - Gabriela Barreto Lemos
AU - Marcelo Gleiser
AU - Marcus Appleby
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/28
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.36207
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.36207
AB - Quantum mechanics is justifiably held to be the most successful physical theory ever created; yet no universally accepted interpretation of its mathematical formalism exists after a century of debate. We examine the specific claim that classical physics stands as the low-action limit of quantum mechanics, arguing that the deep interpretive difficulties exposed by the quantum formalism, the measurement problem, the subject-object divide, and the nature of scientific representation, were already latent in classical physics, constituting what we call a blind spot of objectivity. Taking quantum theory as an invitation to re-examine the implicit metaphysical commitments bundled with 'classical physics', we explore two key issues-the objective/subjective split and the nature of theoretical representation-and argue that quantum mechanics does not represent a break with classical physics per se but rather brings previously unacknowledged philosophical assumptions into the limelight. We discuss the London-Bauer interpretation and QBism as exemplars of interpretations that embrace this broader reconceptualisation.
ER -