Case Study: Relational Ontology and Quantum Measurement

The quantum measurement problem exemplifies the challenges posed by classical ontologies. Traditional interpretations struggle to explain how definite outcomes arise from probabilistic quantum states without invoking problematic notions like wavefunction collapse or observer-induced reality.

From a relational ontology perspective:

• Measurement is not the unveiling of a pre-existing particle property but a punctualisation—an actualisation of potential relations under specific constraints.

• The so-called “collapse” is a transition in relational coherence, where multiple potential configurations reduce to a localised, stable pattern.

• Observers are part of the relational field, entangled in the network of constraints that shape measurement outcomes.

This view dissolves the measurement paradox by reframing “outcomes” as emergent, context-dependent manifestations of relational dynamics, rather than intrinsic properties revealed by observation.

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Implications:

• The “observer effect” becomes an expression of relational participation rather than mysterious intervention.

• Quantum probabilities express systemic inclinations of the coherence field, not ignorance about hidden variables.

• The measurement event is a boundary negotiation within the relational network, not an instantaneous jump of a particle state.

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In the next post, we will examine how this relational approach informs our understanding of spacetime emergence and gravitational phenomena.