Fletcher, Samuel C. (2020) The Principle of Stability. Philosophers' Imprint, 20 (3). pp. 1-22. ISSN 1533-628X

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Abstract

How can inferences from models to the phenomena they represent be justified when those models represent only imperfectly? Pierre Duhem considered just this problem, arguing that inferences from mathematical models of phenomena to real physical applications must also be demonstrated to be approximately correct when the assumptions of the model are only approximately true. Despite being little discussed among philosophers, this challenge was taken up (if only sometimes implicitly) by mathematicians and physicists both contemporaneous with and subsequent to Duhem, yielding a novel and rich mathematical theory of stability with epistemological consequences.

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Item Type:	Published Article or Volume
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Fletcher, Samuel C. scfletch@umn.edu 0000-0002-9061-8976
Keywords:	Models, Stability, Justified inference
Subjects:	General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Philosophers of Science Specific Sciences > Physics
Depositing User:	Prof. Samuel C. Fletcher
Date Deposited:	27 May 2020 00:35
Last Modified:	27 May 2020 00:35
Item ID:	17232
Journal or Publication Title:	Philosophers' Imprint
Publisher:	Michigan Publishing
DOI or Unique Handle:	2027/spo.3521354.0020.003
Subjects:	General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Philosophers of Science Specific Sciences > Physics
Date:	January 2020
Page Range:	pp. 1-22
Volume:	20
Number:	3
ISSN:	1533-628X
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/17232

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