Antoniou, Antonis (2021) A pragmatic approach to the ontology of models. [Preprint]

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Abstract

What are scientific models? Philosophers of science have been trying to answer this question during the last three decades by putting forward a number of different proposals. Some say that models are best understood as abstract Platonic objects or fictional entities akin to Sherlock Holmes, while others focus on their mathematical nature and see them as set theoretical structures. Although each account has its own strengths in offering various insights on the nature of models, several objections have been raised against these views which still remain unanswered, making the debate on the ontology of models seem unresolvable. The primary aim of this paper is to show that a large part of these difficulties stems from an inappropriate reading of the main question on the ontology of models as a purely metaphysical question. Building on Carnap, it is argued that the question of the ontology of scientific models is either (i) an internal theoretical question within an already accepted linguistic framework or (ii) an external practical question regarding the choice of the most appropriate form of language in order to describe and explain the practice of scientific modelling. The main implication of this view is that the question of the ontology of models becomes a means of probing other related questions regarding the overall practice of scientific modelling, such as questions on the
capacity of models to provide knowledge and the relation of models with background theories.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Antoniou, Antonis aa17779@bristol.ac.uk
Additional Information:	Forthcoming in Synthese.
Keywords:	models; ontology; pragmatism; Carnap; linguistic frameworks; internal/external questions
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science General Issues > Logical Positivism/Logical Empiricism General Issues > Models and Idealization
Depositing User:	Dr. Antonis Antoniou
Date Deposited:	11 Feb 2021 20:38
Last Modified:	11 Feb 2021 20:38
Item ID:	18709
Subjects:	General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > History of Philosophy of Science General Issues > Logical Positivism/Logical Empiricism General Issues > Models and Idealization
Date:	10 January 2021
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/18709

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• A pragmatic approach to the ontology of models. (deposited 11 Feb 2021 20:38) [Currently Displayed]
  • A pragmatic approach to the ontology of models. (deposited 01 Mar 2021 03:57)

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