The quantum theory of modern physics is too rarely made the object of intensive study by the professional philosopher and the social scientist; it is regarded as an enfant terrible, difficult to understand completely yet vaguely amusing because of the odd things it says about the world. In some fundamental respects, however, this theory has an importance far beyond its usefulness in physics, for it develops a methodology applicable, though not yet applied, to phenomena typical in many fields far removed from the physical sciences.