What Scientific Theories Could Not Be
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What Scientific Theories Could Not Be. / Halvorson, Hans.
In: Philosophy of Science, Vol. 79, No. 2, 2012, p. 183-206.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - What Scientific Theories Could Not Be
AU - Halvorson, Hans
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - According to the semantic view of scientific theories, theories are classes of models. I show that this view—if taken literally—leads to absurdities. In particular, this view equates theories that are distinct, and it distinguishes theories that are equivalent. Furthermore, the semantic view lacks the resources to explicate interesting theoretical relations, such as embeddability of one theory into another. The untenability of the semantic view—as currently formulated—threatens to undermine scientific structuralism.
AB - According to the semantic view of scientific theories, theories are classes of models. I show that this view—if taken literally—leads to absurdities. In particular, this view equates theories that are distinct, and it distinguishes theories that are equivalent. Furthermore, the semantic view lacks the resources to explicate interesting theoretical relations, such as embeddability of one theory into another. The untenability of the semantic view—as currently formulated—threatens to undermine scientific structuralism.
U2 - 10.1086/664745
DO - 10.1086/664745
M3 - Journal article
VL - 79
SP - 183
EP - 206
JO - Philosophy of Science
JF - Philosophy of Science
SN - 0031-8248
IS - 2
ER -
ID: 289118232