Ruyant, Quentin (2025) Two senses of representation in science. THEORIA. An International Journal for Theory, History and Foundations of Science, 39 (3). pp. 353-371. ISSN 2171-679X
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Abstract
Accounts of scientific representation typically assume that there is a single sense of “represent”, and they attempt to develop a theory that can account for all its features. The aim of this article is to draw the consequences of a distinction between two senses of “represent” that has been proposed recently. Taking inspiration from the distinction between speaker-meaning and expression-meaning in philosophy of language, a first sense is analysed in terms of the mental states of the user of a vehicle in context, and a second sense in terms of communal norms constraining contextual uses. I argue that making this distinction, and thus understanding the representation relation as essentially indexical and normative, can help us move beyond the controversies between various accounts of scientific representation, notably what have been dubbed informational and functional accounts, as well as debates regarding the ontology of scientific models.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | ||||||
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| Additional Information: | ISSN: 0495-4548 (print) | ||||||
| Keywords: | scientific representation, indexicality, norms, ontology of scientific models | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Structure of Theories |
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| Depositing User: | Unnamed user with email theoria@ehu.es | ||||||
| Date Deposited: | 06 Jun 2025 12:35 | ||||||
| Last Modified: | 06 Jun 2025 12:35 | ||||||
| Item ID: | 25585 | ||||||
| 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: | https://ojs.ehu.eus/index.php/THEORIA/article/view... | ||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.1387/theoria.26040 | ||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Scientific Metaphysics General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Structure of Theories |
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| Date: | 2025 | ||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 353-371 | ||||||
| Volume: | 39 | ||||||
| Number: | 3 | ||||||
| ISSN: | 2171-679X | ||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/25585 |
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