Suárez, Mauricio (2013) Fictions, conditionals, and stellar astrophysics. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science, 27 (3). pp. 235-252. ISSN 0269-8595
Abstract
This article argues in favour of an inferential role for fictions in scientific modelling. The argument proceeds by means of a detailed case study, namely models of the internal structure of stars in stellar astrophysics. The main assumptions in such models are described, and it is argued that they are best understood as useful fictions. The role that conditionals play in these models is explained, and it is argued that fictional assumptions play an important role as either background or antecedent conditions. I then expand on the argument for the compatibility of fictions and scientific realism. I argue that realism and antirealism plausibly offer correspondingly different accounts of the semantics of these fictional conditionals.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Official URL: | http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/cisp20#.VrTUI_mLRpg |
| Additional Information: | © 2013 Open Society Foundation |
| Library of Congress subject classification: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > B Philosophy (General) Q Science > QB Astronomy |
| Sets: | Research centres and groups > Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science (CPNSS) |
| Funders: | Spanish Government |
| Projects: | FFI2011-29834-C03-01 |
| Date Deposited: | 05 Feb 2016 17:01 |
| URL: | http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/65260/ |
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