Idealization and the Strcuture of Theories in Biololgy

Arroyo-Santos, Alfonso and De Donato-Rodríguez, Xavier (2008) Idealization and the Strcuture of Theories in Biololgy. In [2008] Philosophy of Science Assoc. 21st Biennial Mtg (Pittsburgh, PA): PSA 2008 Contributed Papers.

Abstract

In this paper we present a new framework of idealization in biology. We characterize idealizations as a network of counterfactual conditionals that can exhibit different degrees of contingency. We use the idea of possible worlds to say that, in departing more or less from the actual world, idealizations can serve numerous epistemic, methodological or heuristic purposes within scientific research. We defend that, in part, it is this structure what helps explain why idealizations, despite being deformations of reality, are so successful in scientific practice.