1998/06/30 by R. E. Kastner
Physics and Astronomy · #quant-ph
published as Stud.Hist.Philos.Mod.Phys. 30 (1999) 237-259 · Minor editorial changes and correction to figure 4. To appear in "Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics"
arxiv created 1998/09/22 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01
Recent authors have raised objections to the counterfactual interpretation of the Aharonov-Bergmann-Lebowitz (ABL) rule of time symmetrized quantum theory (TSQT). I distinguish between two different readings of the ABL rule, counterfactual and non-counterfactual, and confirm that TSQT advocate L. Vaidman is employing the counterfactual reading to which these authors object. Vaidman has responded to the objections by proposing a new kind of time-symmetrized counterfactual, which he has defined in two different ways. It is argued that neither definition succeeds in overcoming the objections, except in a special case previously noted by Cohen and Hiley. In addition, a connection is made between TSQT and Price's concept of `advanced action', which further supports the special case discussed.