Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-g8jcs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-30T01:14:08.706Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Upward Path to Structural Realism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Ioannis Votsis
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

In a recent PSA paper (2001a), as well as some other papers (1995, 2000, 2001b) and a book chapter (1999, Chapter 7), Stathis Psillos raised a number of objections against structural realism. The aim of this paper is threefold: (1) to evaluate part of Psillos’ offence on the Russellian version of epistemic structural realism (ESR); (2) to elaborate more fully what Russellian ESR involves; and (3) to suggest improvements where it is indeed failing.

Type
Structural Realism
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 72 , Issue 5: Proceedings of the 2004 Biennial Meeting of The Philosophy of Science Association. Part I: Contributed Papers , December 2005 , pp. 1361 - 1372
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

‡

Many thanks to John Worrall, James Ladyman, and Stathis Psillos for valuable comments on the material in this paper. I gratefully acknowledge financial support for attending the PSA meeting from a National Science Foundation travel grant as well as from the University of Bristol.

References

Chakravarrty, Anjan (2003), “The Structuralist Conception of Objects”, The Structuralist Conception of Objects 70:867–878.Google Scholar
Demopoulos, William, and Friedman, Michael (1985), “Critical Notice: Bertrand Russell’s the Analysis of Matter: Its Historical Context and Contemporary Interest”, Critical Notice: Bertrand Russell’s the Analysis of Matter: Its Historical Context and Contemporary Interest 52:621–639.Google Scholar
French, Steven, and Ladyman, James (2003), “Remodelling Structural Realism: Quantum Physics and the Metaphysics of Structure”, Remodelling Structural Realism: Quantum Physics and the Metaphysics of Structure 136:31–56.Google Scholar
Hume, David ([1739] 1975), A Treatise of Human Nature. Edited by L. A. Selby-Bigge and P. H. Nidditch. Oxford: Clarendon.Google Scholar
Ketland, Jeffrey (2004), “Empirical Adequacy and Ramsification”, Empirical Adequacy and Ramsification 55:287–300.Google Scholar
Ladyman, James (1998), “What Is Structural Realism?”, What Is Structural Realism? 29:409–424.Google Scholar
Newman, Maxwell H. A. (1928), “Mr. Russell’s ‘Causal Theory of Perception’”, Mr. Russell’s ‘Causal Theory of Perception’ 37:137–148.Google Scholar
Psillos, Stathis (1995), “Is Structural Realism the Best of Both Worlds?”, Is Structural Realism the Best of Both Worlds? 49:15–46.Google Scholar
Psillos, Stathis (1999), Scientific Realism: How Science Tracks Truth. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Psillos, Stathis (2000), “Carnap, the Ramsey-Sentence and Realistic Empiricism”, Carnap, the Ramsey-Sentence and Realistic Empiricism 52:253–279.Google Scholar
Psillos, Stathis (2001a), “Is Structural Realism Possible?”, Is Structural Realism Possible? 68:S13–S24.Google Scholar
Psillos, Stathis (2001b), “Author’s Response to Symposium on Scientific Realism: How Science Tracks Truth”, Author’s Response to Symposium on Scientific Realism: How Science Tracks Truth 10:366–371.Google Scholar
Redhead, Michael L. G. (2001), “The Intelligibility of the Universe”, in O’Hear, Anthony (ed.), Philosophy at the New Millennium. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 73–90.Google Scholar
Russell, Bertrand (1912), The Problems of Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Russell, Bertrand ([1927], 1992), The Analysis of Matter. London: Allen & Unwin.Google Scholar
Votsis, Ioannis (2003), “Is Structure Not Enough?”, Is Structure Not Enough? 70:879–890.Google Scholar
Weyl, Hermann (1963), Philosophy of Mathematics and Natural Science. New York: Atheneum.Google Scholar
Worrall, John (1989), “Structural Realism: The Best of Both Worlds?”, Structural Realism: The Best of Both Worlds? 43:99–124.Google Scholar