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Semantic Approach to the Scientific Theories and Its Realistic or Anti Realistic Consequences

Hosseini Ghourtani, Ahmad | 2020

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  1. Type of Document: M.Sc. Thesis
  2. Language: Farsi
  3. Document No: 53643 (42)
  4. University: Sharif University of Technology
  5. Department: Philosophy of Science
  6. Advisor(s): Akbari Takhtameshlou, Javad
  7. Abstract:
  8. Different views and approaches have been adopted regarding the nature of scientific theories in the philosophy of science, which can be generally divided into two main parts: A) Syntactic (linguistic) approach, which is also called the traditional or received view, B) Semantic approach (model-based view).The main and dominant idea in the syntactic view, first proposed by logical empricists is that a scientific theory is an axiomatic system in a formal language (first-order language) that is subject to deduction and is partially interpreted by a set of correspondence rules. This view has been the subject of numerous attacks and criticisms since the 1960s, after which an alternative approach, called the semantic (model-based) approach, was proposed by some philosophers of science (such as Patrick Suppes and Bas van Fraassen).According to the semantic view, scientific theories are a set or collection of models. Most philosophers of science consider models to be meta-linguistic and abstract in nature (such as predicates that are based on set theory or category theory or the state-space approach).Since the attribution of truth and falsity to scientific models is meaningless, the concept and function of their representation are mainly concerned (Do they somehow represent the target system?). In this regard, there is an ongoing debate between scientific realism and anti-realism (especially in the field of semantics) over scientific models, and most people who have adopted a model approach to scientific theories are considered scientific anti-realists.Meanwhile, since it is not possible to remove scientific models from the body of science and scientific activities, in order to maintain a realistic approach in science while accepting scientific models, we have to moderate our reading of scientific realism a little. In this thesis, such issues are addressed
  9. Keywords:
  10. Scientific Models ; Scientific Realism ; Representation ; Semantic Approach ; Antirealism ; Syntactic Approach

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