Erkenntnis 60 (2):235-263 (2004)
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Abstract |
In this paper, a criticism of the traditional theories of approximation and idealization is given as a summary of previous works. After identifying the real purpose and measure of idealization in the practice of science, it is argued that the best way to characterize idealization is not to formulate a logical model – something analogous to Hempel's D-N model for explanation – but to study its different guises in the praxis of science. A case study of it is then made in thermostatistical physics. After a brief sketch of the theories for phase transitions and critical phenomena, I examine the various idealizations that go into the making of models at three difference levels. The intended result is to induce a deeper appreciation of the complexity and fruitfulness of idealization in the praxis of model-building, not to give an abstract theory of it.
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Keywords | Philosophy Philosophy Epistemology Ethics Logic Ontology |
Categories | (categorize this paper) |
Reprint years | 2004 |
DOI | 10.1023/B:ERKE.0000012883.07507.32 |
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References found in this work BETA
New Work for a Theory of Universals.David Lewis - 1983 - Australasian Journal of Philosophy 61 (4):343-377.
Nature's Capacities and Their Measurement.Nancy Cartwright - 1989 - Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.
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Citations of this work BETA
Approximation and Idealization: Why the Difference Matters.John D. Norton - 2012 - Philosophy of Science 79 (2):207-232.
Simulation Analysis of Knowledge Transfer in a Knowledge Alliance Based on a Circular Surface Radiator Model.Yi Su & Tianchi Li - 2020 - Complexity 2020:1-27.
How (Not) to Think About Idealisation and Ceteris Paribus -Laws.Robert Kowalenko - 2009 - Synthese 167 (1):183-201.
Explaining Simulated Phenomena. A Defense of the Epistemic Power of Computer Simulations.Juan M. Durán - 2013 - Dissertation, University of Stuttgart
View all 9 citations / Add more citations
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