Michelini, Matteo and Šešelja, Dunja (2026) Epistemology of Agent-Based Modeling. [Preprint]
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The Epistemology of Agent-Based Models - Matteo Dunja.pdf Download (715kB) |
Abstract
Agent-based modeling (ABM) has become a central computational method for investigating complex social phenomena across the social sciences and humanities. Despite its widespread adoption, philosophical reflection on the epistemic foundations of ABMs has remained fragmented, leaving the field without a systematic framework for understanding their scientific role and evaluation. This chapter provides an introduction to the epistemology of agent-based modeling by conceptualizing ABMs as vehicles of argumentation. We distinguish between the different epistemic functions that ABMs can serve, including exploration, explanation, and prediction, and examine how standards of model evaluation vary across these functions. We argue that assessing an agent-based model requires identifying the epistemic purpose it is intended to fulfill, since different purposes call for different justificatory criteria. The chapter concludes by discussing how this framework can guide the development, evaluation, and interpretation of agent-based models in scientific practice.
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| Item Type: | Preprint | |||||||||
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| Additional Information: | This manuscript is forthcoming as a chapter in Coen, C. A., & Larson, J. R. Jr. (Eds.), Agent-Based Modeling for Research on Groups, Networks, and Organizations (American Psychological Association). | |||||||||
| Keywords: | agent-based models; epistemology of modelling; how-possibly explanation; | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Computer Simulation General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Social Epistemology of Science |
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| Depositing User: | Mr. Matteo Michelini | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 22 Jun 2026 19:28 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 22 Jun 2026 19:28 | |||||||||
| Item ID: | 30232 | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Computer Simulation General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Social Epistemology of Science |
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| Date: | 2026 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/30232 |
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