Is Structural Underdetermination Possible?
Lyre, Holger (2009) Is Structural Underdetermination Possible?. In [2008] Theoretical Frameworks and Empirical Underdetermination Workshop (Düsseldorf April 10-12, 2008).
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Abstract
Structural realism is sometimes said to undermine the theory underdetermination (TUD) argument against realism, since, in usual TUD scenarios, the supposed underdetermination concerns the object-like theoretical content but not the structural content. The paper explores the possibility of structural TUD by considering some special cases from modern physics, but also questions the validity of the TUD argument itself. The upshot is that cases of structural TUD cannot be excluded, but that TUD is perhaps not such a terribly serious anti-realistic argument.
| Keywords: | structural realism, theory underdetermination, theories of gravity, mathematical overdetermination |
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| Subjects: | General Issues: Structure of Theories General Issues: Realism/Anti-realism |
| Conferences and Volumes: | [2008] Theoretical Frameworks and Empirical Underdetermination Workshop (Düsseldorf April 10-12, 2008) |
| ID Code: | 4495 |
| Deposited By: | Lyre, Holger |
| Deposited On: | 08 March 2009 |