On scientific representations : from Kant to a new philosophy of science / Giovanni Boniolo.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Boniolo, Giovanni.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--Philosophy.

Science.

Knowledge, Theory of.

Physical Description:

xx, 251 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007.

Summary:

Scientific concepts, laws, theories, models and thought experiments are all representations, but are uniquely different. In On Scientific Representations each is given a full philosophical exploration within an original, coherent philosophical framework that is strongly rooted in the Kantian tradition (Kant, Hertz, Vaihinger, Cassirer). Through a historical-critical approach, Boniolo shows how the Kantian tradition can help us renew and rethink contemporary issues in epistemology and the philosophy of science.

Contents:

1 Concepts and Objects 1

1.1 The descent of substance and the ascent of function 2

1.1.1 Some notes on Aristotle's theory 5

1.1.2 Moving to Kant's theory 14

1.1.3 Cassirer: from class-concept to function-concept 22

1.1.4 Frege: from the concept of function to the function-concept 28

1.1.5 Cassirer, Frege...and Kant 43

1.2 Concepts as representations and as rules 45

1.2.1 The proposal 49

1.3 Reality 62

1.3.1 Phenomenological description and transcendental constitution 66

1.3.2 Unobservability and observability by inference 76

1.3.3 A short conclusion 80

2 Laws of Nature 82

2.1 The failure of the Humean and pre-Humean attempts 85

2.1.1 Schlick: the dawn of the contemporary debate 85

2.1.2 Reichenbach: the search for the explication of the notion of 'law' 89

2.1.3 Nagel: the standardization of Schlick's problem 96

2.1.4 The counterfactual way 99

2.1.5 Modality and the new metaphysicians 102

2.1.6 Should we abandon philosophy? 106

2.2 Back to Kant 108

2.2.1 The status quaestionis 108

2.2.2 The transcendental level 110

2.2.3 The metaphysical level 119

2.2.4 The empirical level 127

2.2.5 The empirical laws and the second analogy of experience 134

2.2.6 The unity of system 144

2.2.7 The discovery of laws 152

2.2.8 Causality and purposiveness 155

2.2.9 Lawfulness 156

2.2.10 Schlick's problem 158

2.3 The system of lawness and the constitution of lawfulness 159

3 Theories, Models, Thought Experiments and Counterfactuals 170

3.1 Theories and models: old hat? 171

3.1.1 Theories as hypothetical representations of the world 171

3.1.2 Models as fictive representations of the world 173

3.1.3 As if the world were 174

3.1.4 Theories and models: two kinds of representation 176

3.1.5 Models and mathematical schemes 192

3.1.6 Models and mathematized representations 193

3.1.7 Ideal-typical models 195

3.2 Thought experiments 197

3.2.1 Newton and Mach: a case of rhetorical thought experiment 197

3.2.2 Exploratory/clarifying thought experiments 199

3.2.3 Thought experiments and real experiments 201

3.2.4 What thought experiments are 203

3.2.5 Conclusions on fictive representations 204

3.3 Fictions and counterfactuals 204

3.3.1 A well-known analytical[subscript l-l] history 205

3.3.2 A less-known analytical[subscript h] history 205

3.3.3 Counterfactual proposition and counterfactual argument 210

3.3.4 The judge's hermeneutical region 212

3.3.5 The analytical[subscript h] approach 218.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 235-244) and index.

ISBN:

0230522084

9780230522084

OCLC:

76871580

Online:

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