Is Einstein’s Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics Ψ-Epistemic?

Abstract Harrigan and Spekkens (Found Phys 40:125–157, 2010), introduced the infuential notion of an ontological model of operational quantum theory. Ontological models can be either “epistemic” or “ontic.” According to the two scholars, Einstein would have been one of the frst to propose an epistemic interpretation of quantum mechanics. Pusey et al. (Nat Phys 8:475–478, 2012) showed that an epistemic interpretation of quantum theory is impossible, so implying that Einstein had been refuted. We discuss in detail Einstein’s arguments against the standard interpretation of QM, proving that there is a misunderstanding in Harrigan and Spekkens’ attribution of an epistemic perspective to Einstein, whose point of view was actually statistical, but in a quasi-classical sense