Posted: Oct 09, 2011 6:06 pm
As for the concept of a field quantum: Is a field quantum anything else but a quantized amount of energy had by a field zone (or space/spacetime zone)?
If no, then if particles are ontologically reduced to field quanta, they are no longer objects or substances (in the strict ontological sense) but energetic attributes or modes of fields or space/spacetime. That is, then the fundamental physical objects/substances are either fields or space/spacetime. (I think that fields are themselves ontologically reducible to collection of attributes or modes of spacetime; and so the one irreducible, truly fundamental substance or substrate of physical reality is spacetime itself, which could be called the world-body.)
If no, then if particles are ontologically reduced to field quanta, they are no longer objects or substances (in the strict ontological sense) but energetic attributes or modes of fields or space/spacetime. That is, then the fundamental physical objects/substances are either fields or space/spacetime. (I think that fields are themselves ontologically reducible to collection of attributes or modes of spacetime; and so the one irreducible, truly fundamental substance or substrate of physical reality is spacetime itself, which could be called the world-body.)