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Ramseyfication and structural realism

Zahar, Elie G (2004) Ramseyfication and structural realism. THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, 19 (1). pp. 5-30. ISSN 2171-679X

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Abstract

Structural Realism (SSR), as embodied in the Ramsey-sentence H* of a theory H, is defended against the view that H* reduces to a trivial statement about the cardinality of the domain of H, a view which arises from ignoring the central role of observation within science. Putnam’s theses are examined and shown to support rather than undermine SSR. Finally: in view of its synthetic character, applied mathematics must enter into the formulation of H* and hence be shown to be finitely axiomatisable; this is done in the Appendix, which is the most important part of the paper.


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Item Type: Published Article or Volume
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Zahar, Elie G
Additional Information: ISSN: 0495-4548 (print)
Keywords: metaphysics, realism, structuralism, refutability, Ramsey-sentence, Finite Axiomatization
Depositing User: Users 15304 not found.
Date Deposited: 11 Mar 2014 18:11
Last Modified: 11 Mar 2014 18:11
Item ID: 10510
Journal or Publication Title: THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science
Publisher: Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea / Universidad del País Vasco
Official URL: http://www.ehu.es/ojs/index.php/THEORIA/article/vi...
DOI or Unique Handle: 10.1387/theoria.599
Date: January 2004
Page Range: pp. 5-30
Volume: 19
Number: 1
ISSN: 2171-679X
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/10510

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