Michel Bitbol (born 12 March 1954) is a French researcher in philosophy of science.
He is "Directeur de recherche" at CNRS, previously in the Centre de Recherche en Épistémologie Appliquée (CREA) of École polytechnique (Paris, France). He is now a member of Archives Husserl, École Normale Superieure (Paris, France).
Career His research interests are mainly focused on the influence of quantum physics on philosophy. He first worked on Erwin Schrödinger's metaphysics and philosophy of physics.E. Schrödinger, The interpretation of quantum mechanics (Dublin seminars 1949-1955), edited and with an introduction by M. Bitbol, Ox Bow Press, 1995
Using theorems demonstrated by , Paulette Destouches-Février, and R.I.G. Hughes, he pointed out that the structure of quantum mechanics may be derived to a large extent from the assumption that microscopic phenomena cannot be dissociated from their experimental context.M. Bitbol, "La mécanique quantique comme théorie des probabilités généralisée", in: E. Klein & Y. Sacquin (eds.), Prévision et probabilités dans les sciences, Editions Frontières, 1998 His views on quantum mechanics converge with ideas developed by Julian SchwingerJ. Schwinger, Quantum Mechanics. Symbolism of Atomic Measurements, Springer, 2003 and Asher Peres,A. Peres, Quantum Theory: Concepts and Methods, Kluwer, 1995 according to whom quantum mechanics is a "symbolism of atomic measurements", rather than a description of atomic objects. He also defends ideas close to Anton Zeilinger's, by claiming that quantum laws do not express the nature of physical objects, but only the bounds of experimental information. More recently, he has written in support of QBism, arguing that it parallels some ideas in phenomenology.
Along with this view, quantum mechanics is no longer considered as a physical theory in the ordinary sense, but rather as a background framework for physical theories, since it goes back to the most elementary conditions which allow us to formulate any physical theory whatsoever. Some reviewers suggested half-seriously to call this view of physics "Kantum physics". Indeed, Michel Bitbol often refers to the philosophy of I. Kant, according to whom one can understand the contents of knowledge only by analyzing the (sensorial, instrumental, and rational) conditions of possibility of such knowledge.M. Bitbol, “Some steps towards a transcendental deduction of quantum mechanics”, Philosophia naturalis, 35, 253-280, 1998
He was granted an award by the French "Académie des sciences morales et politiques" in 1997, for his work in the philosophy of quantum mechanics.
Later on, he concentrated on the philosophy of mind and consciousness,M. Bitbol, “Is Consciousness Primary ?”, NeuroQuantology, 6, 53-71, 2008 defending a strongly anti-reductionistM. Bitbol, “Ontology, matter and emergence”, Phenomenology and the Cognitive Science, 6, 293-307, 2007 and neo-Wittgensteinian view.M. Bitbol, “Science as if situation mattered”, Phenomenology and the Cognitive Science, 1, 181-224, 2002 He collaborated with Francisco Varela on this subject.
He has written a systematic criticism of one of the original versions of speculative realism, formulated by Quentin Meillassoux. The title of his book published in 2019 ("Maintenant la finitude") is a direct reply to Meillassoux's "After Finitude".
He participated in the 2002/2013 conferences of the Mind and Life Institute, whose aim is to promote a dialogue between science and Buddhism.P.L. Luisi (ed.), Mind & Life, Discussions with the Dalai-Lama on the Nature of Reality, Columbia University Press, 2008 He subsequently wrote a book developing a thoroughly relational reading of quantum mechanics, with due reference to the Buddhist concept of dependent arising.
Bibliography Mécanique quantique, une introduction philosophique, Champs-Flammarion, 1997. L'aveuglante proximité du réel, Champs-Flammarion, 1998. Physique et Philosophie de l'Esprit, Champs-Flammarion, 2005. Schrödinger's Philosophy of Quantum Mechanics, Kluwer, 1996. De l'Intérieur du monde. Pour une philosophie et une science des relations, Flammarion, 2010. La conscience a-t-elle une origine?, Flammarion, 2014. La pratique des possibles, une lecture pragmatiste et modale de la mécanique quantique, Hermann, 2015. Maintenant la finitude. Peut-on penser l'absolu?, Flammarion, 2019. Philosophie quantique. Le monde est-il extérieur?, Éditions Mimésis, 2023. Translations French translation of Schrödinger's Mind and Matter (with an extensive introduction), Seuil, 1990. French translation (with Annie Bitbol-Hespériès) of Schrödinger's: Nature and the Greeks (with an extensive introduction), Seuil, 1992.
References
External links Michel Bitbol's professional homepage