Repository
ULS Archives & Special Collections
Title Abner Shimony Papers Creator
Shimony, Abner
Collection Number ASP.2009.02 Extent
6 Linear Feet
(7 document cases)
Date 1947-2009 Abstract Abner Shimony, an American philosopher of science and physicist, focused much of his work in both philosophy of science and in physics on the interaction between quantum mechanics and relativity theory. He has done substantial research on complemantarity in multiparticle quantum interferometry and in quantum entanglement. He has written books and research articles on the foundations of quantum mechanics. For his work in Philosophy of Science, he was awarded the 1996 Lakatos Prize. Digital reproductions of this collection are available online . Language
English
. Author Lance Lugar. Publisher ULS Archives & Special Collections Address University of Pittsburgh Library Systemhttp://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Abner Shimony on July 1, 2009.
Copyright
All rights reserved by the University of Pittsburgh.
Previous Citation
Abner Shimony Papers, 1947-2009, ASP.2009.02, Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Special Collections Department, University of Pittsburgh.
Preferred Citation
Abner Shimony Papers, 1947-2009, ASP.2009.02, Archives of Scientific Philosophy, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Biography
Abner Shimony was born in 1928 in Columbus, Ohio. He obtained his BA in Mathematics and in Philosophy from Yale University in 1948 and then received an MA in Philosophy from the University of Chicago in 1950. He holds two Ph.D.s: one in Philosophy granted by Yale Univesrity in 1953 and another in Physics from Princeton in 1962. His dissertation work at Princeton was supervised by Eugene Wigner. He has taught at Boston University for several decades, holding appointments in both the Physics and Philosophy Departments.
Scope and Content Notes This collection contains materials documenting the academic and professional career of Abner Shimony, who did research and teaching in the fields of Philosophy of Science and of Physics. It contains unpublished manuscripts, lecture notes, correspondence, teaching materials, dissertations, and some monographs. The correspondence is almost entirely professional. There are also notes from debates or discussions engaged in with specific colleagues at events held at colleges where he had been an invited speaker. The material is arranged into six series.
Arrangement
The material is arranged into six series, some of which are further divided into subseries. More detailed information on each level of organization is provided by the scope and content notes for the collection as a whole and for the individual series and subseries.
Series I. Correspondence, 1958-2009
Series II. Lectures, 1981-2007
Series III. Shimony Manuscripts, 1950-2007
Series IV. Manuscripts Annotated by Shimony, undated
Series V. National Science Foundation, undated
Series VI. Library, 1958-2007
Existence and Location of Copies
Digital reproductions of this collection are available online .
Subjects Genres Lectures Manuscripts (Documents) Correspondence Other Subjects Interferometry Complementarity (Physics) General relativity (Physics) Physics -- Philosophy Science -- Philosophy -- History -- Sources Science -- Philosophy Quantum theory Philosophy Container List Series I. Correspondence , 1958-2009 Language English.
Scope and Content Notes This series contains both letters from the professional correspondence that Shimony maintained as a philosopher of science and as a physicist and as well contains some related semi-professional correspondence; there are some letters to the editors of popular scientific journals. The most important correspondents in the professional section are Rudolf Carnap and Eugene Wigner.
Subseries 1. Professional Correspondence - Scientific Topics , 1958-2006 Language English.
Scope and Content Notes The correspondence in this sub-series is professional corresondence to physicists and philosophers working on problems of interest to Shimony. Rudolf Carnap is among the correspondents.
Baublitz, Milard - Correspondence on Bohmian Mechanics , 1995 Containers box 1 , folder 1 Bell, John - Obituary of, and Related Correspondence , 1990-1991 Containers box 1 , folder 2 Carnap, Rudolf - Correspondence , 1969 Containers box 1 , folder 3 Clauser, John F. - Correspondence , 1971-1972 Containers box 1 , folder 4 Clauser, John F. - Correspondence , 1971-1972 Containers box 1 , folder 4 B Cushing, James T. - Correspondence on Bohmian Mechanics , 1995 Containers box 1 , folder 5 Cushing, James T. - Correspondence on Bohmian Mechanics , 1995 Containers box 1 , folder 5 B Goldstein, Shelly - Correspondence on Bohmian Mechanics , 1995 Containers box 1 , folder 6 Goldstein, Shelly - Correspondence on Bohmian Mechanics , 1995 Containers box 1 , folder 6 B Wigner, Eugene P. - Correspondence , 1958-1976 Containers box 1 , folder 7 Wigner, Eugene P. - Correspondence , 1958-1976 Containers box 1 , folder 7 B Subseries 2. Professional Correspondence - Other Topics , 1960-2007 Language English.
Scope and Content Notes The material in this sub-series consists primarily of letters to editors of scientific journals or popular magazines on technical or semi-technical matters of philosophy of physics.
Ilchman, Warren F. - Letter to Shimony , 4/28/1975 Containers box 1 , folder 8 Letter to the Editor of the Boston Globe against the idea that Communism is Monolithic , 1981 Containers box 1 , folder 9 Letter to "Physics Today" in reply to John Ziman's review of "Seach for a Naturalistic World View" , 1994-1995 Containers box 1 , folder 10 Palmer, Douglas - Letter from Shimony , 5/25/1976 Containers box 1 , folder 11 Letter to Richard Healey concerning his review of Shimony's article "Search for a Naturalistic World View" , 2000 Containers box 1 , folder 12 Letter To Michael Kelly, managing editor of the "Journal of Philosophy" , 2000 Containers box 1 , folder 13 Series II. Lectures , 1981-2007 Language English.
Scope and Content Notes The lectures in this series are primarily lectures in history of science, specifically history of physics, addressed to a professional, but not specialized audience. There are some specialized lectures, however, and a set of course lectures.
"A Perspective on the Magic Decade, 1972-1982," Lecture at the meeting of teh Optical Society in San Jose, CA , 2007 Containers box 1 , folder 14 "Early Reception of Bell's Theorem," Lecture at Conference in Honor of Alven Aspect , 2007 Containers box 1 , folder 14 "Inquiries Concerning Human Understanding," Lecture at Mt. Holyoke College , 1981 Containers box 1 , folder 16 "On the Nuclear Freeze," Lecture , 1984-1985 Containers box 1 , folder 17 "Proposed Experiment to Explore the Onset of the Pauli Exclusion Principle," Lecture at Trinity College, Lecture at Conference on Spin of Statistics at Triste , 2007-2008 Containers box 1 , folder 18 "The Family of Propensity Interpretations of Probability," Lecture at University of Bologna , 1988 Containers box 1 , folder 19 "The Large, the Small, and the Human Mind," Tanner Lectures on Human Values, with Figures and Figure Captions, Cambride , 1995 Containers box 1 , folder 20 "The Uncertainty Principle," Lecture at Hillsdale College, MI , 2007 Containers box 1 , folder 21 "Three Lectures in a Course on Naturalistic Epistemologie, ETH, Zurich, (German) , 1984 Containers box 1 , folder 20 Series III. Shimony Manuscripts , 1950-2007 Scope and Content Notes There are both published and unpublished manuscripts in this series. In the unpublished manuscripts sub-series there are a small number of manuscripts that are transcripts of critical comments or responses that Shimony made about a talk given at a conference. There are also records of comments on manuscripts sent to Shimony by other philosphers of science. The items in the published manuscripts sub-series are manuscripts that are the precursors of articles presenting original research or thought that Shimony went on to have published in professional journals.
Subseries 1. Unpublished Manuscripts , 1969-2006 Language English.
Scope and Content Notes These are materials connected with Shimony's professional work that were not published, or at least not published in this form. Some of the material may have been published as part of other works.
A Pedagogical Note on Material Implication , 1970-1980 Containers box 2 , folder 1 Amplifying Personal Probability Theory: Comments on L. J. Savage's "Difficulties in the Theory of Personal Probability" , 1967 Containers box 2 , folder 2 Comment on Cambell's Evolutionary Epistemology , 1977 Containers box 2 , folder 3 Comments and Questions concerning Profesosr Shimony's Lecture on "Philosophical Implications of Quantum Mechanics in d'Espagnat's Varenna Volume" , 1971 Containers box 2 , folder 4 Comments on a Paper by Gage and Hestenes , 1972 Containers box 2 , folder 5 Comments on a Paper by Gage and Hestenes , 1972 Containers box 2 , folder 5 B Comments on a Paper by Savage , 1967 Containers box 2 , folder 6 Comments on a Paper by Savage , 1967 Containers box 2 , folder 6 B Comments on a talk by B. Mandelbrot , 1987 Containers box 2 , folder 7 Comments on Ozawa, Stein, and Shimony , 1990-1991 Containers box 2 , folder 8 Comments on Ozawa, Stein, and Shimony , 1990-1991 Containers box 2 , folder 8 B Early Work on Hidden Variables , 1969 Containers box 2 , folder 9 Early Work on Hidden Variables , 1969 Containers box 2 , folder 9 B Introduction to Boston Colloquium on Quantum Entanglement and Information , 2009 Containers box 2 , folder 10 "Noncontextual and Contextual Hidden Variables Models of Quantum Mechanics," A Compendium of Quantum Physics , Undated Containers box 2 , folder 11 Physics and the Explanation of Life, Address at AAAS Meeting, (See Wigner) , 1969 Containers box 2 , folder 12 Preliminary Comments on Quantum Mechanics , 1951 Containers box 2 , folder 13 Question to D'Espagnat - at a Conference, perhaps Erice , 1977 Containers box 2 , folder 14 "The Sense of Wonder," Hillel Foundation, Wellesby College, Rosh Ha-shanah , 1989 Containers box 2 , folder 15 "Whitehead and Quantum Physics," a Debate with Shimon Malin at Colgate University , 2005 Containers box 2 , folder 16 "Whitehead and Quantum Physics," a Debate with Shimon Malin at Colgate University , 2005 Containers box 2 , folder 16 B Subseries 2. Published Manuscripts , 1947-2007 Language English.
Scope and Content Notes The materials in this sub-series are materials connected with the various stages of production of Shimony's published scientific and philosophical articles. They can come from any stage of the development of the article.
"Alternative Schemes of Measurement," an abstract in Bulletin of American Physical Society, with Howard Stein , 1967 Containers box 3 , folder 1 "Amplification of Belilnfante's Argument for the Nonexistance of Dispension-Free States," Foundations of Physics 18 , 1988 Containers box 3 , folder 2 "An Analysis of Ensembles that are both Pre and Post-Selected," Foundations of Physics 35 , 2005 Containers box 3 , folder 3 "An Analysis of Stapp's 'A Bell-Type Theorem Without Hidden Variables,'" Foundations of Physics , 2006 Containers box 3 , folder 4 "An Ontological Examination of Causation," Review of Metaphysics , 1947 Containers box 3 , folder 5 "Approximate Measurement in Quantum Mechanics," Physical Review , 1974 Containers box 3 , folder 6 "Bell's Theorem," Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy , 2004 Containers box 3 , folder 7 "Bell's Theorem; Experimental Texts and Implications," Papers on Progress in Physics (supported by NSF) , 1978 Containers box 3 , folder 8 "Bell's Theorem without Inequalities," American Journal of Physics 58 , 1990 Containers box 3 , folder 9 Book Reviow of Arthur Pap, "An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science," Philosophical Review , 1964 Containers box 3 , folder 10 "Can the Fundamental Laws of Nature be the Results of Evolution?" Physics to Philosophy , 1999 Containers box 3 , folder 11 "Carnap on Entropy," Logical Empiricist , 1975 Containers box 3 , folder 12 "Coherence and the Axioms of Confirmation," Journal of Symbolic Logic , 1955 Containers box 3 , folder 13 Comment on David Tharrah's "Theses on Presuppositions," Review of Metaphysics , 1955 Containers box 3 , folder 14 "Comment on 'Nonlocal Charachter of Quantum Theory' by Henry P. Stapp," American Journal of Physics 65 , 1997 Containers box 3 , folder 15 "Comment on Norsen's Defense of Einstein's 'Box Argument,'" Physical Review A , 2005 Containers box 3 , folder 16 "Comments on the Papers of Professor S. Schiller and Professor A. Siegel," Synthese 14 , 1962 Containers box 3 , folder 17 "Complimentarity of One-Particle and Two-Particle Interferences, Physical Review A , 1993 Containers box 3 , folder 18 "Cybernetics and Social Entities," Science, Politics, and Social Practice , 1995 Containers box 3 , folder 19 "Dialogue: Abner Shimony - Shimon Malin," Quantum Information Processing , 2006 Containers box 3 , folder 20 "Degree of Entanglement," Fundamental Problems in Quantum Theory , 1995 Containers box 3 , folder 21 "Demonstration of the Complementary of One- and Two-Photon Interference," Physical Review A (With A.F. Abouraddy, M.B. NAsr, B.E.A. Saleh, A.V. Sergienko, M.C. Teich) , 2001 Containers box 3 , folder 22 "Depth and Breadth of John Bell's Physics," Physics in Perspective (With Roman Jackiw) , 2002 Containers box 3 , folder 23 "Dr. Hegel's Geisteisschwitzengymnasium," Bostonia , 1993 Containers box 3 , folder 24 "Filters with Infinitely Many Components," Foundations of Physics, reprinted in Search for a Naturalistic World View vol. 2 , 1971 Containers box 3 , folder 25 "Insolubility of the Quantum Measurement Problem for Unsharp Observations," Studies in History of Philosophy of Modern Physics (With Paul Busch) , 1997 Containers box 3 , folder 26 Interview, Bromberg-Shimony , 2002 Containers box 3 , folder 27 "Introduction: The Character of Howard Stein's Work in Philosophy of History of Physics," Reading Natural Philosophy , 2002 Containers box 3 , folder 28 "Jaynes's Maximum Entrophy Prescription and Probability Theory," Journal of Statistical Physics vol. 3 (With K. Friedman) , 1971 Containers box 3 , folder 29 "John S. Bell," New Directory of Scientific Biography , 2008-2009 Containers box 3 , folder 30 "John S. Bell: Some Reminiscences and Reflections," Quantum [Un]Speakables , 2002 Containers box 3 , folder 31 "Lattice of Verifiable Propositions of the Spin-1 System," Journal of Mathematical Physics (With B. Hultgrn) , 1977 Containers box 4 , folder 1 "Limitations on Measurement," Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (With H. Stein) , 1971 Containers box 4 , folder 2 "Logic of EPR," Annales de la Foundation Louis de Broglie 26 , 2001 Containers box 4 , folder 3 "Measures of Entanglement," The Einstein, Podosky, Rosen Dilema - Sixty Years Later, Annals of Israel Physical Society , 1995 Containers box 4 , folder 4 "Multipath Interferometry of the Biphoton," Fundamental Problems in Quantum Theory, Academy of Sciences (With M.A. Horne) , 1995 Containers box 4 , folder 5 "Non-cyclic Geometric Phases in a Proposed Two-Photon Interferometric Experiment," Journal of Physics A , 1993 Containers box 4 , folder 6 "On Carnap: Reflections of a Metaphysical Student," Synthese 93 , 1992 Containers box 4 , folder 7 "On Quantum Non-locality, Special Relativity, and Counterfactual Reasoning," Revisiting the Foundations of Relativistic Physics , 2003 Containers box 4 , folder 8 "Optimal Distinction Between Two Non-orthogonal Quantum States," Physics, Leters A , 1995 Containers box 4 , folder 9 "Perception from an Evolutionayr Point of View," Journal of Philosophy , 1971 Containers box 4 , folder 10 "Philosophical and Experimental Perspectives on Quantum Physics," Epistemological and Experimental Perspectives on Quantum Physics , 1999 Containers box 4 , folder 11 "Physical and Philosophical Issues in the Bohr-Einstein Debate," Search for a Naturalistic World View Vol. II, Natural Science and Metaphysics , 1988 Containers box 4 , folder 12 "Physical Reflections on EPR," the Dilemma of Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen - Sixty Years Later, Annals of Israel Physical Society 12 , 1995 Containers box 4 , folder 13 "Proposed Experiment to test Local Hidden-Variable Theories," Physical Review Letters (With J.F. Clauser, M.A. Horne, R.A. Holt) , 1969 Containers box 4 , folder 14 "Proposed Molecular Test of Local Hidden-Variables Theories," Physical Review A 23 , 1981 Containers box 4 , folder 15 "Proposed Neutron Interferometer test of some nonlinear variants of Wave Mechanics," Physical Review , 1979 Containers box 4 , folder 16 "Proposed Test of Bell's Inquiry without Detection Loophole by Using Entangled Rydberg Adams," Physical Review A , 1996 Containers box 4 , folder 17 "Reality of the Quantum World," Scientific American , 1978 Containers box 4 , folder 18 "Reality of the Quantum World," Scientific American , 1988 Containers box 4 , folder 19 "Review of A. Lande's, New Foundations of Quantum Mechanics," Physics Today , 1966 Containers box 4 , folder 20 "Review of B. d'Espagnat's 'Conceptual Foundations of Quantum Mecanics,' 2nd Edition," American Journal of Physics , 1978 Containers box 4 , folder 21 "Review of Braithwaite's Scientific Explanation," and Addendum, "Further Comments on the Explication of Statistical Probability," Review of Metaphysics , 1954 Containers box 4 , folder 22 "Review of Braithwaite's Scientific Explanation," and Addendum, "Further Comments on the Explication of Statistical Probability," Review of Metaphysics , 1954 Containers box 4 , folder 22 B "Review of Kuhn et al. 'Sources for the History of Physics," Synthese , 1968 Containers box 4 , folder 23 "Review of M. Epperson, 'Quantum Mechanics and the Philosophy of Alfred North Whitehead,'" Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society , 2005 Containers box 4 , folder 24 "Review of Shimon Malin, 'Nature Loves to Hide,'" American Journal of Physics , 2002 Containers box 4 , folder 25 "Review of Shimon Malin, 'Nature Loves to Hide,'" American Journal of Physics , 2002 Containers box 4 , folder 25 B "Review of 'The Uncertainty Principle of Foundations of Quantum Mechanics' by W.C. Price and S.S. Chissick," Science 99 , 1978 Containers box 4 , folder 26 "Role of the Observer in Quantum Theory," American Journal of Physics , 1963 Containers box 4 , folder 27 "Some Intellectual Obligations of Epistemological Naturalism," Reading Natural Philosophy , 2002 Containers box 4 , folder 28 "Stachel on Quantum Theory," Space, Time, Quantum Entanglement and Critical Epistemology Essays in Honor of John Stachel , 2003 Containers box 4 , folder 29 "Statistics of Open Systems," Physical Review , 1962 Containers box 4 , folder 30 "Status of Hidden-Variable Theories," Logic, Methodology and Philosophy of Science IV , 1973 Containers box 4 , folder 31 "Status and Nature of Essences," The Review of Metaphysics , 1948 Containers box 4 , folder 32 "Stochastic Process of Kielson and Storer," Physics of Fluids , 1963 Containers box 4 , folder 33 "Tension in Bohm's Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics," Bohmian Mechanics and Quantum Theory: An Appraisal (With Millard Baublitz) , 1996 Containers box 4 , folder 34 "Theory of Information in the Discrete Communication System," Signal Corps Engineering Laboratories , 1955 Containers box 5 , folder 1 "Transient Now," The Philosophy of Paul Weiss , 1995 Containers box 5 , folder 2 "The Theory of Natural Selection as a Null Theory," Satistics in Science , 1990 Containers box 5 , folder 3 "Two Interferometric Complementaries," Physical Review A , 1995 Containers box 5 , folder 4 "Two Particle Interferometry," Physical Review Letters , 1989 Containers box 5 , folder 5 "Vindication: A Reply to Paul Teller," Inducting Probability and Confirmation , 1975 Containers box 5 , folder 6 "Wake Packet Reduction as a Medium of Communication," Foundations of Physics , 1977 Containers box 5 , folder 7 "Wigner's Contributions to the Quantum Theory of Mechanics," Proceedings of teh Wigner Centennial Conference, Pecs, Hungary , 2002 Containers box 5 , folder 8 Series IV. Manuscripts Annotated by Shimony , Undated Language English.
Scope and Content Notes The manuscripts in this series are manuscripts by other authors that have been annotated by Shimony. Underlining is not considered annotation so no items that were solely annotated by underlining are to be found. Marginalia and extended commentary are considered annotation.
"Nonlocality and the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Experiment as Understood through the Quantum Potential Approach," D. Bohm and B.J. Hiley , 1988 Containers box 5 , folder 10 "On a Realistic Theory for Quantum Physics," Durr, Detlef, Goldstein, Sheldon and Zanghi, Nino , 1988-1995 Containers box 5 , folder 11 Series IV. National Science Foundation , Undated Scope and Content Notes This series consists of material connected to NSF proposals by Annemarie and Abner Shimony
"The Problem of Wholes and Parts in Anthropological Theory," NSF Proposals of Annemarie and Abner Shimony , 1984, 1990 Containers box 5 , folder 12 Series V. Library , 1958-2007 Scope and Content Notes The material here consists of published materials, mostly by other authors, that were retained by Shimony. Often they are annotated. There are dissertations for his Ph.D. in Physics from Princeton and in Philosophy from Yale and his M.A. from the University of Chicago.
Subseries 1. Dissertations Language English.
Scope and Content Notes The materials in this sub-series consist of Shimony's dissertations and his thesis for his M.A. and for his two Ph.D.s
"A Theory of Confirmation," A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Yale University in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy , 1953 Containers box 5 , folder 13 "Regression and Response in Thermodynamic Systems," A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Princeton University in Candidacy for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy , 1962 Containers box 5 , folder 14 "Whitehead's Theory of Linguistic Symbolism," A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the Division of the Humanities of the University of Chicago in Candidacy for the Degree of Master of Arts in the Department of Philosophy , 1950 Containers box 5 , folder 15 Subseries 2. Books , 1960-2000 Language English.
Scope and Content Notes This sub-series contains copies of Search for a Naturalistic World View vol.s 1 and 2.
Search for a Naturalistic World View, Vol. 1 , 1993 Search for a Naturalistic World View, Vol. 2 Subseries 3. Books/ Journals edited by Others Scope and Content Notes This subseries contains books and journal volumes edited by others and retained by Shimony - usually they are annotated.
Annales de La Fondation Loiuis de Broglie , 2001 First Considerations , 1977 Induction, Probablility, and Confirmation , 1975 Journal de Physique, "Les Implications Conceptuelles de la Physique Quantique" , 1981 L'Induzione e l'Ordine dell'Universo , 1978 Louis de Broglie Que Nous Avons Connu , 1988 Nature & Function of Scientific Theories , 1970 New Techniques an Ideas in Quantum Measurement Theory , 1986 Philosophy of Paul Weiss , 1995 Philosophy of Science , 2000 Physics as Natural Philosophy , 1982 Quantum Measurement Beyond Paradox , 1998 Science, Understanding, and Justice , 2006 "75 Reasons to become a Scientist," American Scientist , 1988 Containers box 7 , folder 9 
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