[azalemeth]

Very much this. The (standard model's) "answer" is that the four vector potential probably is the "most real" and we're all just excitons along for the ride.

At some point the definitions become almost circular and opinions about what it fundamental have shifted a bit over the centuries. The cgs system of units -- which differs profoundly from SI in the treatment of electromagnetism -- was associated with those who viewed D and H rather than E and B the most fundamental. I'm quite happy with the level of theory used being appropriate to solve the problem at hand. There's always a bit of wiggle room around exactly what that problem is, however ;-)