  Relational Quantum Mechanics (RQM) is an interpretation of quantum theory
based on the idea of abolishing the notion of absolute states of systems, in
favor of states of systems relative to other systems. Such a move is claimed to
solve the conceptual problems of standard quantum mechanics. Moreover, RQM has
been argued to account for all quantum correlations without invoking non-local
effects and, in spite of embracing a fully relational stance, to successfully
explain how different observers exchange information. In this work, we carry
out a thorough assessment of RQM and its purported achievements. We find that
it fails to address the conceptual problems of standard quantum
mechanics--related to the lack of clarity in its ontology and the rules that
govern its behavior--and that it leads to serious conceptual problems of its
own. We also uncover as unwarranted the claims that RQM can correctly explain
information exchange among observers, and that it accommodates all quantum
correlations without invoking non-local influences. We conclude that RQM is
unsuccessful in its attempt to provide a satisfactory understanding of the
quantum world.
