Scientific Representation and Realism

Authors

  • Michel Ghins Université Catholique de Louvain

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/1808-1711.2011v15n3p461

Abstract

After a brief presentation of what I take to be the representational démarche in science, I stress the fundamental role of true judgements in model construction. The success and correctness of a representation rests on the truth of judgements which attribute properties to real targeted entities, called “ontic judgements”. I then present what van Fraassen calls “the Loss of Reality objection”. After criticizing his dissolution of the objection, I offer an alternative way of answering the Loss of Reality objection by showing that the contact of our models with reality is grounded on the truth of ontic judgements. I conclude by examining.

Author Biography

Michel Ghins, Université Catholique de Louvain

Université Catholique de Louvain

Published

2011-09-19

Issue

Section

Articles