Constructing reality with models

被引:0
作者
Sim-Hui Tee
机构
[1] Multimedia University,
来源
Synthese | 2019年 / 196卷
关键词
Models; Reality; Constructive models; Instruments; Idealized model elements; Idealization;
D O I
暂无
中图分类号
学科分类号
摘要
Scientific models are used to predict and understand the target phenomena in the reality. The kind of epistemic relationship between the model and the reality is always regarded by most of the philosophers as a representational one. I argue that, complementary to this representational role, some of the scientific models have a constructive role to play in altering and reconstructing the reality in a physical way. I hold that the idealized model assumptions and elements bestow the constructive force of a model on the reality. By recognizing the physical constructive force of some scientific models, the merit of these models could be judged by how successful they are in the reality construction, rather than by the traditional criterion of model-world representation.
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页码:4605 / 4622
页数:17
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