A Critical Analysis of the Quantum Nonlocality Problem: On the Polemic Assessment of What Bell Did

Through a historical analysis of John Stewart Bell's works, we confront a stance that distorts his views on the nature of quantum theory, more concretely, on quantum nonlocality. We briefly analyze Bell's arguments for quantum nonlocality as he developed them from 1964 until his sudden and unexpected death in 1990. As is well known, the alleged nonlocal character of quantum mechanics is inextricably related to the formulation of the Bell theorem. However, the departure from the clear line of reasoning that John Bell tried to convey has led to a polarization of part of the scientific community into radical irreconcilable positions. We show how the correct appreciation of Bell's work calls for reinterpreting the usual significance given to the Bell theorem yielding a more rational perspective of the problem. We formalize the correct argument sustaining the nonlocal character of quantum mechanics and comment on alternatives that may justify considering quantum mechanics as a local theory.