Dennis Dieks

[Photograph of Dennis Dieks]

Full name: Prof Dr D.G.B.J. Dieks

Dennis Dieks studied theoretical physics in Amsterdam, after which he turned to the foundations and philosophy of physics. He wrote his dissertation, Studies in the Foundations of Physics, at Utrecht University (1981). Since 1993 he is Professor of the Foundations and Philosophy of the Natural Sciences at Utrecht University.

Phone number at home: +31(0)35-6218133.
Phone number at Utrecht office: +31(0)30-2531895 or +31(0)30-2538040 (secretary).



Suggested readings for Geneva Summer School in Philosophy of Physics (GSSPP08)



Main publications

  1. Dissertation: Studies in the foundations of physics - a discussion of some relations between physics, the foundations of physics and the philosophy of science. Utrecht, 1981
  2. On the empirical content of determinism, Philosophy of Science 47 (1980) 12
  3. De wankele basis van de wetenschapsfilosofie, Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte 72 (1980) 6
  4. A note on causation and the flow of energy, Erkenntnis 16 (1981) 10
  5. Communication by EPR devices, Physics Letters 92A (1982) 27
  6. Distance between quantum states, statistical inference and the projection postulate (with P. Veltkamp), Physics Letters 97A (1983) 24
  7. Stochastic Locality and Conservation Laws, Lettere al Nuovo Cimento 38 (1983) 443
  8. The `reality' of the Lorentz contraction, Zeitschrift für allgemeine Wissenschaftstheorie 15 (1984) 33
  9. The Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox, the Bell inequalities and locality (with D. Hoekzema), Delft Progress Report 9 (1984) 91
  10. Sub-poissonian statistics as an experimental test for the contextuality of quantum theory (with H.F. Arnoldus en G. Nienhuis), Physics Letters 103A (1984) 27
  11. Concepts of classical mechanics in present-day physics, in: The Many Faces of Teaching and Learning Mechanics, Girep/SVO/Unesco, 1985, pp. 61-7
  12. On the covariant description of wavefunction collapse, Physics Letters 108A (1985) 37
  13. Physics and the direction of causation, Erkenntnis 25 (1986) 85-11
  14. Natuurkunde en werkelijkheid, Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Natuurkunde A 52 (1986) 12-1
  15. Historic papers in physics: the case of Hugo Martin Tetrode (1895-1931) (with W.J. Slooten), Czechoslovak Journal of Physics B 36 (1986) 39-43
  16. On the Relevance of the Bell Inequalities for the Problem of Locality in Quantum Mechanics, Physics Letters A 117 (1986) 433-435
  17. Quantum theory as the first probabilistic theory giving really probabilistic correlations, in: P. Lahti and P. Mittelstaedt (eds.), The Foundations of Modern Physics: 50 Years of the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen Gedankenexperiment, World Scientific Publishing Co., Singapore, 1986, pp. 403-41
  18. Interfererende fotonen, NTvN B52 (1986) 127-129 (Ook opgenomen in Studium-Generale-bundel KUN
  19. Gravitation as a universal force, Synthese 73 (1987) 381-39
  20. De ondergang van het mechanistische wereldbeeld, in M. Ketting, M. Vos-Maan (eds.), Fin de Siècle (Rotterdam, 1987) 64-7
  21. Overlap and distinguishability of quantum states, Physics Letters A 126 (1988) 303-307
  22. The formalism of quantum theory: an objective description of reality? Annalen der Physik 45 (1988) 174-190
  23. Newton's conception of time in modern physics and philosophy, in: P.B. Scheurer and G. Debrock (eds.), Newton's Scientific and Philosophical Legacy, (Martinus Nijhoff, Dordrecht, 1988) 151-159
  24. Special Relativity and the Flow of Time, Philosophy of Science 55 (1988) 456-460
  25. Another look at the quantum mechanical entropy of mixing (with V. van Dijk), American Journal of Physics 56 (1988) 430-434
  26. Het begin van de quantumtheorie. Bestaan quanta werkelijk?, in: Historie van Natuurkunde en Techniek (NVON, Nijmegen, 1988), 1-18
  27. Boldness and Caution: Aspects of Niels Bohr's Scientific Style, in: R.P.W. Visser, H.J.M. Bos, L.C. Palm, H.A.M. Snelders (eds.), New Trends in the History of Science (Rodopi, Amsterdam, 1989) 115-120
  28. Quantum Mechanics and Realism, Conceptus 22 (1989) 31-4
  29. Quantum Mechanics without the Projection Postulate and its Realistic Interpretation, Foundations of Physics 19 (1989) 1397-142
  30. Resolution of the Measurement Problem Through Decoherence of the Quantum State, Physics Letters A 142 (1989) 439-44
  31. Achtergronden van de quantummechanica: de Kopenhaagse interpretatie, in: G. 't Hooft (ed.), Van Quantum tot Quark (Teleac, Utrecht,1989) 91-10
  32. Achtergronden van de quantummechanica: alternatieve interpretaties, in: G. 't Hooft (ed.), Van Quantum tot Quark (Teleac, Utrecht, 1989) 105-11
  33. Quantum Statistics, Identical Particles and Correlations, Synthese 82 (1990) 127-15
  34. Relativistic Aspects of Nonrelativistic Quantum Mechanics (with G. Nienhuis), American Journal of Physics 58 (1990) 650-655
  35. A Quantum Mechanical Twin Paradox, Foundations of Physics Letters 3 (1990) 347-35
  36. Realisme en quantummechanica, in: J. van Brakel en D. Raven (eds.), Realisme en Waarheid (Van Gorcum, Assen, 1991) 161-17
  37. Physics and Geometry: the beginnings of relativity theory, in: J. Kaczèr (ed.), EPS-8; Trends in Physics (Prometheus, Prague, 1991) 969-982
  38. On some alleged difficulties in the interpretation of quantum mechanics, Synthese 86 (1991) 77-8
  39. Antropomorfisme in de natuurkunde, Wijsgerig Perspectief 31 (1991) 71-7
  40. Time in special relativity and its philosophical significance, European Journal of Physics 12 (1991) 253-25
  41. Doomsday--or: the Dangers of Statistics, The Philosophical Quarterly 42 (1992) 78-8
  42. Experiment and the making of meaning, Methodology and Science 25 (1992) 68-72
  43. Een oplossing voor het quantummechanisch meetprobleem, Nederlands Tijdschrift voor natuurkunde 58 (1992) 303-305
  44. Continuous Wavefunction and Discrete Physical Properties, in: Erwin Schrödinger, Philosophy and the birth of quantum mechanics, M. Bitbol and O. Darrigol (eds.), Editions Frontières, 1993; pp. 435-445
  45. Doomsday, The Mathematical Intelligencer 15 (1993), no. 3, 4-5
  46. Realism and Empiricism in Contemporary Physics, Methodology and Science 26 (1993) 53-73
  47. The Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics and Some of Its Relativistic Aspects, International journal of Theoretical Physics 32 (1993) 2363-2375
  48. Quantum Mechanics and Experience, Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 23 (1993) 867-870
  49. Objectification, Measurement and Classical Limit According to the Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, in: Symposium on the Foundations of Modern Physics 1993, P. Busch, P. Lahti and P. Mittelstaedt (eds.), World Scientific, 1994, 160-167
  50. Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, Measurements, and Macroscopic Behaviour, Phys.Rev.A (1994) 2290-2300
  51. The Scientific View of the World, in: Physics and our view of the world, J. Hilgevoord (ed.), Cambridge University Press, 1994, 61-78
  52. Physics and the Flow of Time, in: Origins, Time and Complexity, G.V. Coyne and K. Schmitz-Moorman (eds.), Labor et Fides, 1994, 82-89
  53. Mensen en Krachten in de Natuurkunde, in: Vier visies op natuurkunde-onderwijs, Centrum voor Didactiek van Wiskunde en Natuurwetenschappen, 1994, 5-11
  54. Grondslagen?, oratie, uitgesproken 18 oktober 1994, Vakgroep GGWN, 1994, 18 pp
  55. The Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics and Its Generalization to Density Operators (with P.E. Vermaas), Foundations of Physics 25 (1995) 145-158,
  56. Physical motivation of the modal interpretation of quantum mechanics, Physics Letters A 197 (1995) 367-371
  57. The Quantum Mechanical World Picture and Its Popularization, Communication and Cognition, 29, Nr.2, 1996
  58. Preferred factorizations and consistent property attribution, pp. 144-160 in: Quantum Measurement: Beyond Paradox, R. Healey and G. Hellman (eds.), University of Minnesota Press, 1998
  59. L'Espace Vide et la Mecanique Quantique, pp. 186-201 in: Le Vide, Univers du Tout et du Rien, S. Diner and E. Gunzig (eds.), Revue de l'Université de Bruxelles, Editions Complexe, 1998
  60. Einstein's Photon Box, in: Philosophy of Science in Florence, M. dalla Chiara, R. Giuntini, F. Laudisa (eds.), 1998
  61. The Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, editor (co-editor P.E. Vermaas), Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998
  62. Locality and Lorentz-Covariance in the Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, pp. 49-67 in: The Modal Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics, D. Dieks and P.E. Vermaas (eds.), Kluwer Academic Publishers, 1998
  63. Reduction and Understanding (with H.W. de Regt), Foundations of Science 1 (1998) 45-59.
  64. Dennis Dieks, The Bohr-Einstein Photon Box Debate, in: M.L. Dalla Chiara et al. (eds), Language, Quantum, Music (Kluwer, 1999), 283-292.
  65. Dennis Dieks en Sander Lam, Bohrs mythische rijk, Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Natuurkunde 65 (1999) 78-79
  66. Dennis Dieks, Een goed model? Tijdschrift voor didactiek der beta-wetenschappen 16 (1999) 4-11
  67. Dennis Dieks, Book review of Experimental Metaphysics. Stud. Hist. Phil. Mod. Phys, 30 (1999) No.4, 555-560
  68. Dennis Dieks, Book review of The interpretation of quantum mechanics and the measurement process, Contemporary Physics 40 (1999) 162-163.
  69. Dennis Dieks, Consistent histories and relativistic invariance in the modal interpretation of quantum mechanics, Physics Letters A, 265 (2000) 317-325
  70. Dennis Dieks, Introduction, Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 32, 151-156, 2001.
  71. Dennis Dieks, Space and Time in Particle and Field Theories, Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 32 (2), 217-242, 2001.
  72. Dennis Dieks, Space-time relationism in Newtonian and relativistic physics Int.Stud.Phil.Sci. 15 (2001) 5-17 (PhilSci Archive)
  73. Dennis Dieks, Inequalities that test locality in quantum mechanics, Physical Review A 66, 062104 (2002), quant-ph/0206172 " title=" PDF Download">
  74. Dennis Dieks, Does Chance Make a Difference? pp. 209-236 in: Between Chance and Choice, H. Atmanspacher and R. Bishop (eds.), Imprint Academic, 2002
  75. Dennis Dieks, Events and Covariance in the Interpretation of Quantum Field Theory. Chapter 11 in: Ontological Aspects of Quantum Field Theory, M. Kuhlmann, H. Lyre and A. Wayne (eds.), World Scientific, 2002. (PhilSci Archive)
  76. Gyula Bene and Dennis Dieks A perspectival version of the modal interpretation of quantum mechanics and the origin of macroscopic behavior. Foundations of Physics, 32 645-672 (2002), quant-ph/0112134
  77. Dennis Dieks, The Nature of Space and Time, Contemporary Physics 43 (2002) 43-44
  78. Dennis Dieks, review of Foundations of Quantum Mechanics, an Empiricist Approach, Foundations of Physics, 33, 2003, 1003-1007
  79. Dennis Dieks, De natuurwetenschappelijke visie op de kosmos, pp. 109-129 in Schepping, Wereldbeeld en Levensbeschouwing, red. F. van den Berg, SGUU, Utrecht, 2003.
  80. Dennis Dieks, Queeste, pp.9-22 in Commentaar op Waanwetenschap, Epsilon Uitgaven, Utrecht, 2003.
  81. Dennis Dieks, Toeval in de Natuurkunde, in Toeval, SGUU, Utrecht, 2003.
  82. Dennis Dieks, review of La physique face ŕ la probabilité, ISIS 94, 2003, 343
  83. Dennis Dieks, Space, Time and Coordinates in a Rotating World, pp.29-43 in: Relativity in Rotating Frames, eds. Rizzi, G. and Ruggiero, M.L., Kluwer, 2004.
  84. Dennis Dieks, The Flexibility of Mathematics, in: Mathematics and Physics: an Interdisciplinary Approach, eds. Boniolo, G., Budinich, P. and Trobok, M., Kluwer, 2005, 115-131.
  85. Dennis Dieks, A Contextual Approach to Scientific Understanding, with Henk de Regt, Synthese, 144 (2005) 137-170 86.Descartes en de Fysica, pp. 70-83 in: Cartesiaansch Geboren, Assen: Van Gorcum, 2005.
  86. Dennis Dieks, Quantum mechanics: an intelligible description of objective reality?, Foundations of Physics 35 ( 2005) 399-415.
  87. Dennis Dieks, Inspirerende Paradoxen, Algemeen Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Wijsbegeerte 97 (2005) 77-92.
  88. Dennis Dieks, Another look at general covariance and the equivalence of reference frames, Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 37 (2006) 174-191
  89. Dennis Dieks, The Ontology of Spacetime, Elsevier, 2006: editor and Introduction.
  90. Dennis Dieks, Becoming, Relativity and Locality, pp. 157-176 in: The Ontology of Spacetime, Elsevier, 2006.
  91. Dennis Dieks, Possibilities, Laws of Nature and Quantum Mechanics, pp.191-211 in The Controversial Relationships between Science and Philosophy: a Critical Assessment, G. Auletta (ed.), STOQ Research Series, Rome, 2006.
  92. Dennis Dieks, Reasoning about the Future: Doom and Beauty, Synthese, 156 (2007) 427-439.
  93. Dennis Dieks, Probability in the modal interpretation of quantum mechanics, Studies in History and Philosophy of Modern Physics 38 (2007) 292-310.
  94. Dennis Dieks, Probability in Non-Collapse Interpretations of Quantum mechanics, pp.345-355 in: Beyond the Quantum, Th.M. Nieuwenhuizen, V. Spicka, B. Mehmani, M. Jafar-Aghdami and A. Yu Khrennikov, (eds.) (World Scientific, 2007).
  95. Dennis Dieks, Editor of: D. Rickles, The Structure and Interpretation of the Standard Model, Elsevier, 2007.
  96. Dennis Dieks, The Quantum Mechanical World Picture and its Popularization, re-publication of item 57, in inaugural issue of AntiMatters, August 2007.
  97. Dennis Dieks, Modal Interpretations of Quantum Mechanics (with M. Dickson), Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, new version, Summer 2007.
  98. Dennis Dieks (with S. Lam), Complementarity in the Einstein-Bohr Photon Box, American Journal of Physics, 76 (2008) 838-842.
  99. Dennis Dieks (with M. Versteegh), Identical Quantum Particles and Weak Discernibility, Foundations of Physics 38 (2008) 923-934.
  100. Dennis Dieks, Pluralisme in de Natuurwetenschappen, Wijsgerig Perspectief 48 (2008) 40-51
  101. Dennis Dieks, The Adolescence of Relativity, to appear in: Vesselin Petkov (Ed.), Minkowski Spacetime: a Hundred Years Later. New York: Springer 2009.
  102. Dennis Dieks, Understanding in Physics. Bottom-Up versus Top-Down, chapter 12 in H. de Regt, S. Leonelli, K. Eigner (Eds.), Scientific Understanding: Philosophical Perspectives. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press 2009.
  103. Dennis Dieks, Objectivity in perspective: relationism in the interpretation of quantum mechanics, Foundations of Physics 39 (2009) 760-775.
  104. Dennis Dieks, Reichenbach and the Conventionality of Distant Simultaneity in Perspective, in: F. Stadtler et al. (Eds.), The Philosophy of Science from a European Perspective, Vienna: Vienna Circle Institute 2009.
  105. Dennis Dieks, Are 'Identical Quantum Particles' Weakly Discernible Objects?, First EPSA Conference Proceedings, to appear, 2009.
  106. Dennis Dieks, Beth as a Philosopher of Physics, to appear in Synthese, special E.W. Beth issue, 2010.


Last updated: Tuesday, 02-Mar-2010 13:59:00 CET