Flavio DEL SANTO

The field of Foundations of Quantum Mechanics (FQM) suffered varying fortunes in its history. This field of research is quite unconventional within physics, for it often addresses questions that lie at the border of philosophical investigation. In this talk I will elucidate a case study which aims to show that in Vienna –where in recent years FQM has become one of the main research fields within physics– it was a particularly strong connection between physics and philosophy that paved the way for the establishment of the prolific field of FQM there. This could lead to draw general conclusions about the value of a structured interaction between philosophers and physicists concerned with the foundational aspects of this discipline.