HOW MATHEMATICS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

被引：0

作者：

Baron, Sam ^{[1
]}

Colyvan, Mark ^{[2
]}

Ripley, David ^{[3
]}

机构：

[1] Univ Western Australia, Nedlands, WA 6009, Australia

[2] Univ Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia

[3] Univ Connecticut, Storrs, CT USA

来源：

PHILOSOPHERS IMPRINT | 2017年 / 17卷 / 03期

基金：

澳大利亚研究理事会;

关键词：

INCONSISTENT MODELS; EXPLANATION; NOMINALISM; SCIENCE;

D O I：

暂无

中图分类号：

B [哲学、宗教];

学科分类号：

01 ; 0101 ;

摘要：

Standard approaches to counterfactuals in the philosophy of explanation are geared toward causal explanation. We show how to extend the counterfactual theory of explanation to non-causal cases, involving extra-mathematical explanation: the explanation of physical facts ( in part) by mathematical facts. Using a structural-equation framework, we model impossible perturbations to mathematics and the resulting differences made to physical explananda in two important cases of extra-mathematical explanation. We then address some objections to our approach.

引用

页码：1 / 19

页数：19

共 44 条

[1]

Adams R.A., 1987, Calculus of Several Variables

[2]

[Anonymous], 2005, Making things happen: A theory of causal explanation

[3]

[Anonymous], 2002, Beyond the Paths of Heaven: The Emergence of Space Power Thought

[4] Are there genuine mathematical explanations of physical phenomena? [J].