Supererogatory superluminality

Bradley Monton

Brian Kierland

pp. 347-357

in: Synthese 127 (3), 2001.

Abstract

We argue that any superluminal theory Tis empirically equivalent to a non-superluminaltheory T★ , with thefollowing constraints onT★ : T★ preservesthe spacetime intervals between events as entailedby T, T★ is naturalistic (as longas T is), and all the events which have causesaccording to T also have causes according toT★. Tim Maudlin (1996) definesstandard interpretations of quantum mechanicsas interpretations `according to which there wasa unique set of outcomes in Aspect's laboratory,which outcomes occurred at spacelike separation’, andMaudlin claims that standard interpretations must benon-local in the sense that there are superluminalinfluences. We show (even assuming Aspect's experimentis ideal) that Maudlin's claim is false.

Cited authors

Maudlin Tim