Halvorson, Hans (2011) What scientific theories could not be. [Preprint]

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Abstract

According to the semantic view of scientific theories, theories are classes of models. I show that this view -- if taken seriously as a formal explication -- leads to absurdities. In particular, this view equates theories that are truly distinct, and it distinguishes theories that are truly equivalent. Furthermore, the semantic view lacks the resources to explicate interesting theoretical relations, such as embeddability of one theory into another. The untenability of the semantic view -- as currently formulated -- threatens to undermine scientific structuralism.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID Halvorson, Hans hhalvors@princeton.edu
Keywords:	semantic view of theories, received view, constructive empiricism
Subjects:	General Issues > Structure of Theories
Depositing User:	Hans Halvorson
Date Deposited:	20 May 2011 06:35
Last Modified:	11 Dec 2011 20:03
Item ID:	8615
Subjects:	General Issues > Structure of Theories
Date:	18 May 2011
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/8615

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• What scientific theories could not be. (deposited 20 May 2011 06:35) [Currently Displayed]
  • What scientific theories could not be. (deposited 11 Dec 2011 20:03)

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