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Goals shape means. A pluralist response to the problem of formal representation in ontic structural realism.

Proszewska, Agnieszka M. (2022) Goals shape means. A pluralist response to the problem of formal representation in ontic structural realism. [Preprint]

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Abstract

The aim of the paper is to assess the relative merits of two formal representations of structure, namely, set theory and category theory. The purpose is to articulate ontic structural realism (OSR). In turn, this will facilitate a discussion on the strengths and weaknesses of both concepts and will lead to a proposal for a pragmatics-based approach to the question of the choice of an appropriate framework. First, we present a case study from contemporary science - a comparison of the formulation of quantum mechanics in the language of Hilbert spaces and abstract C*-algebras. It is then shown how the method of structural representation can be determined based on the pragmatics of goal-oriented research, not a dogmatic choice. We investigate a hypothesis stating that the use of the interplay between the powers of abstraction and detail of different representational methods results in adopting a pluralistic, as opposed to standard, unificatory, perspective on the role of structural representation in OSR.


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Item Type: Preprint
Creators:
CreatorsEmailORCID
Proszewska, Agnieszka M.agnieszka.proszewska@gmail.com0000-0001-6625-8133
Keywords: structural representation, ontic structural realism, set theory, category theory, pragmatically-oriented philosophy of science, formal methods in philosophy
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Applicability
Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Foundations
Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Ontology
General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
Specific Sciences > Mathematics
Specific Sciences > Physics
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
General Issues > Structure of Theories
Depositing User: Agnieszka Proszewska
Date Deposited: 06 May 2022 16:13
Last Modified: 06 May 2022 16:13
Item ID: 20553
Subjects: Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Applicability
Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Foundations
Specific Sciences > Mathematics > Ontology
General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics
Specific Sciences > Mathematics
Specific Sciences > Physics
General Issues > Realism/Anti-realism
General Issues > Structure of Theories
Date: 18 April 2022
URI: https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/20553

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