Representing with model organisms

A refined Deki account

Bibliographic Data

ID10811199
AuthorsGuido I Prieto (0000-0002-0072-8304, Bielefeld University, corresponding author), Alejandro Fábregas-Tejeda (0000-0002-1797-5467, Institute of Philosophy)
Year2025
Volume206
Issue5
Publication date2025-10-16
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueSynthese (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0039-7857 • E-ISSN: 1573-0964
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s11229-025-05267-1
OpenAlexW4415265627
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited35

In this article, we mobilize and refine the DEKI account of scientific representation to contend that model organisms are not models tout court but model ‘carriers,’ only abstracted and selected ‘parts’ of which are included in biological models. These parts correspond to phenomena of interest that are interpreted as mechanisms or other kinds of causal processes within certain theoretical domains. The models can then be used to represent similar target phenomena in other organisms. Our proposal paves the way to reconcile opposing positions apropos the representational status of model organisms and build a more robust epistemology of model organism-based research

Causal model · Metaphysics · Philosophy of language · Philosophy of science · Representation (politics) · Scientific modelling · Biomedical Text Mining and Ontologies · Evolution and Genetic Dynamics · Philosophy and History of Science

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Open DOIOpen Access