Rohwer, Yasha and Rice, Collin (2016) How Are Models and Explanations Related? Erkenntnis, 81. ISSN 0165-0106
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Abstract
Within the modeling literature, there is often an implicit assumption about the relationship between a given model and a scientific explanation. The goal of this article is to provide a unified framework with which to analyze the myriad relationships between a model and an explanation. Our framework distinguishes two fundamental kinds of relationships. The first is metaphysical, where the model is identified as an explanation or as a partial explanation. The second is epistemological, where the model produces understanding that is related to the explanation of interest. Our analysis reveals that the epistemological relationships are not always dependent on the metaphysical relationships, contrary to what has been assumed by many philosophers of science. Moreover, we identify several importantly different ways that scientific models instantiate these relationships. We argue that our framework provides novel insights concerning the nature of models, explanation, idealization, and understanding.
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| Item Type: | Published Article or Volume | |||||||||
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| Keywords: | Modeling; Explanation | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Models and Idealization |
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| Depositing User: | Collin Rice | |||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 22 Aug 2025 13:57 | |||||||||
| Last Modified: | 22 Aug 2025 13:57 | |||||||||
| Item ID: | 26307 | |||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Erkenntnis | |||||||||
| Publisher: | Springer (Springer Science+Business Media B.V.) | |||||||||
| Official URL: | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10670-0... | |||||||||
| DOI or Unique Handle: | 10.1007/s10670-015-9788-0 | |||||||||
| Subjects: | General Issues > Explanation General Issues > Models and Idealization |
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| Date: | 2016 | |||||||||
| Volume: | 81 | |||||||||
| ISSN: | 0165-0106 | |||||||||
| URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/26307 |
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