Liu, Chuang (2001) Laws and Models in a Theory of Idealization. UNSPECIFIED. (Unpublished)
|
PDF
theorid.mss.pitt.pdf Download (71kB) |
Abstract
In this paper, I first give a brief summary of a critique of the traditional theories of approximation and idealization; and after identifying one of the major roles of idealization as detaching component processes or systems from joints of nature, a detailed analysis is given of idealized laws -- which are discoverable and/or applicable -- in such processes and systems (i.e. idealized model systems). Then, arguments are given for the inclusion of dispositional properties in the class of admissible properties for laws; and such an inclusion turns out to be crucial to our understanding of the relation between idealized models and the laws they 'produce' or 'accommodate'. And then I argue that idealized laws so produced or accommodated in the models are either true simpliciter or only approximately true but not so because of the idealizations in question. Finally I compare my theory with some existing theories of laws of nature.
Export/Citation: | EndNote | BibTeX | Dublin Core | ASCII/Text Citation (Chicago) | HTML Citation | OpenURL |
Social Networking: |
Item Type: | Other | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Creators: |
|
||||||
Keywords: | approximation, laws of nature, idealized laws, ceteris paribus laws, categorical property, disposition, propensity, capacity | ||||||
Subjects: | General Issues > Laws of Nature General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Philosophers of Science Specific Sciences > Physics General Issues > Structure of Theories |
||||||
Depositing User: | Chuang Liu | ||||||
Date Deposited: | 14 Aug 2001 | ||||||
Last Modified: | 07 Oct 2010 15:10 | ||||||
Item ID: | 363 | ||||||
Public Domain: | No | ||||||
Subjects: | General Issues > Laws of Nature General Issues > Models and Idealization General Issues > Philosophers of Science Specific Sciences > Physics General Issues > Structure of Theories |
||||||
Date: | August 2001 | ||||||
URI: | https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/363 |
Monthly Views for the past 3 years
Monthly Downloads for the past 3 years
Plum Analytics
Actions (login required)
View Item |