Sartori, Lorenzo (2022) Putting the ‘Experiment’ back into the ‘Thought Experiment’. Synthese, 201 (34). ISSN 1573-0964
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Abstract
Philosophers have debated at length the epistemological status of scientific thought experiments. I contend that the literature on this topic still lacks a common conceptual framework, a lacuna that produces radical disagreement among the participants in this debate. To remedy this problem, I suggest focusing on the distinction between the internal and the external validity of an experiment, which is also crucial for thought experiments. I then develop an account of both kinds of validity in the context of thought experiments. I show that we can naturally conceptualise internal validity in terms of games of make-believe. Then, I argue that external validity is best defined as accurate representation of a target system. Finally, I turn back to the current debate on thought experiments and show that my diarchic account provides a general framework that can be shared by the competing philosophical views, as well as a fruitful guide for their reconciliation.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Subjects: | General Issues > Experimentation General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Thought Experiments |
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| Depositing User: | Dr. Lorenzo Sartori | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 19 Jan 2023 18:21 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 19 Jan 2023 18:21 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 21673 | ||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Synthese | ||||||
| Publisher: | Springer (Springer Science+Business Media B.V.) | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Experimentation General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Thought Experiments |
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| Date: | 14 December 2022 | ||||||
| Volume: | 201 | ||||||
| Number: | 34 | ||||||
| ISSN: | 1573-0964 | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/21673 |
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