Quantum Indiscernibility and Perspectivalism

Authors

• Emily Adlam, Chapman UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-31-2026

Abstract

It has often been suggested that similar quantum particles may be a counterexample to the principle of the Identity of Indiscernibles. In this article, I discuss the status of indiscernibility in a perspectival approach to quantum mechanics. I argue that adopting an internal physical perspective can have the effect of making entities discernible even if they are not discernible relative to external reference frames, and thus perspectivalism offers a new way to understand the physical meaning of weak discernibility. I discuss whether this approach is circular, and I consider whether the reference frames involved are physically meaningful. I conclude that the Identify of Indiscernibles can probably be maintained in this context, though there are outstanding questions pertaining to the meaning of the quantum state and the way in which a system should be represented in its own reference frame.

Comments

This article was originally published in Highlights in High-Energy Physics, volume 2, issue 1, in 2026. https://doi.org/10.53941/hihep.2026.100004

Recommended Citation

Adlam, E. Quantum Indiscernibility and Perspectivalism. Highlights in High-Energy Physics 2026, 2 (1), 4. https://doi.org/10.53941/hihep.2026.100004

Peer Reviewed

1

Copyright

The authors

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.