Structural Realism or Modal Empiricism
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8399254 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Quentin Ruyant (0000-0002-4040-9711, UCLouvain, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 70 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 1051-1072 |
| Publication date | 2019-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-0882 • E-ISSN: 1464-3537 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1093/bjps/axy025 |
| OpenAlex | W2767790726 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 2 |
| References cited | 33 |
Structural realism (SR) has been suggested as the best compromise in the debate on scientific realism. It proposes that we should be realist about the relational structure of the world, not its nature. However, it faces an important objection, first raised by Newman against Russell: if relations are not qualified, then the position is either trivial or collapses into empiricism, but if relations are too strongly qualified, then it is no longer SR. A way to overcome this difficulty is to talk about modal, or nomological relations instead of purely extensional relations. I argue that this is insufficient, for then, SR collapses into modal empiricism (ME). I suggest, however, that ME could be the best position in the debate on scientific realism. 1. Introduction2. Objections to Structural Realism3. How to Escape Newman’s Objection4. Which Modal Relations Are Retained in Theory Change?5. Are Modal Relations Real?6. Relativity and Fundamentality7. Is Modal Empiricism Really Empiricism?8. Could Modal Empiricism Be the Best of Both Worlds?
Empiricism · Epistemology · Modal · Realism · Scientific realism · Philosophy · Philosophy and History of Science
The Structure of the World
Laws and Symmetry
Scientific Realism
Structural Realism
Mathematics, Matter and Method
Critical Notice
Constructive Empiricism and Modal Metaphysics
Can We Dissolve Physical Entities into Mathematical Structures
Remodelling Structural Realism
Ramsey sentences, structural realism and trivial realization
Atoms and the ‘analogy of nature’
Correspondence, invariance and heuristics
What is structural realism
How Explanatory Reasoning Justifies Pursuit
Ramsey Sentence Realism as an Answer to the Pessimistic Meta-Induction
What Scientific Theories Could Not Be
A Confutation of Convergent Realism
Ramseyfication and Theoretical Content
Newman's Objection
The scientific image
The Empirical Stance
| Unique citing works | 2 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,4 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 2 |