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Single Idea 22194

[filed under theme 14. Science / B. Scientific Theories / 1. Scientific Theory ]

Full Idea

Structural Realists say that modern science achieves a true or 'truer' account of the world only with respect to its mathematical structure rather than its intrinsic qualities or nature. The structure carries over to new theories.

Gist of Idea

Structural Realism says mathematical structures persist after theory rejection

Source

Geoffrey Gorham (Philosophy of Science [2009], 4)

Book Ref

Gorham,Geoffrey: 'Philosophy of Science' [One World 2009], p.101

A Reaction

At first glance I am unconvinced that when an old theory is replaced it neverthess contains some sort of 'mathematical structure' which endures and is worth preserving. No doubt Worrall, French and co have examples.

Related Idea

Idea 22195 Structural Realists must show the mathematics is both crucial and separate [Gorham]

The 39 ideas with the same theme [a generalised explanation of natural events]:

16971 Plato says sciences are unified around Forms; Aristotle says they're unified around substance [Aristotle, by Moravcsik]
19594 General statements about nature are not valid [Novalis]
22363 You have only begun to do real science when you can express it in numbers [Kelvin]
14766 Duns Scotus offers perhaps the best logic and metaphysics for modern physical science [Peirce]
19225 I classify science by level of abstraction; principles derive from above, and data from below [Peirce]
20270 There is no one scientific method; we must try many approaches, and many emotions [Nietzsche]
16882 The building blocks contain the whole contents of a discipline [Frege]
14433 Mathematically expressed propositions are true of the world, but how to interpret them? [Russell]
18699 Carnap tried to define all scientific predicates in terms of primitive relations, using type theory [Carnap, by Button]
21687 It seems obvious to prefer the simpler of two theories, on grounds of beauty and convenience [Quine]
21688 There are four suspicious reasons why we prefer simpler theories [Quine]
4630 Two theories can be internally consistent and match all the facts, yet be inconsistent with one another [Quine, by Baggini /Fosl]
6809 Kuhn came to accept that all scientists agree on a particular set of values [Kuhn, by Bird]
15882 Since there are three different dimensions for generalising laws, no one system of logic can cover them [Harré]
4958 Identities like 'heat is molecule motion' are necessary (in the highest degree), not contingent [Kripke]
15286 Clavius's Paradox: purely syntactic entailment theories won't explain, because they are too profuse [Harré/Madden]
15283 Simplicity can sort theories out, but still leaves an infinity of possibilities [Harré/Madden]
15316 The powers/natures approach has been so successful (for electricity, magnetism, gravity) it may be universal [Harré/Madden]
8054 Social sciences discover no law-like generalisations, and tend to ignore counterexamples [MacIntyre]
3865 Why should it matter whether or not a theory is scientific? [Newton-Smith]
17503 Theories can never represent accurately, because their components are abstract [Cartwright,N, by Portides]
2458 Theories are links in the causal chain between the environment and our beliefs [Fodor]
16827 If we make a hypothesis about data, then a deduction, where does the hypothesis come from? [Lipton]
7021 If the world is theory-dependent, the theories themselves can't be theory-dependent [Heil]
17601 Neither a priori rationalism nor sense data empiricism account for scientific knowledge [Thagard]
8457 The Principle of Conservatism says we should violate the minimum number of background beliefs [Orenstein]
6805 Relativity ousted Newtonian mechanics despite a loss of simplicity [Bird]
6777 Realists say their theories involve truth and the existence of their phenomena [Bird]
6804 There is no agreement on scientific method - because there is no such thing [Bird]
19652 How can we mathematically describe a world that lacks humans? [Meillassoux]
19091 Seeing reality mathematically makes it an object of thought, not of experience [Macbeth]
22182 Theories with unobservables are underdetermined by the evidence [Okasha]
18615 Horizontal arguments say eliminate a term if it fails to pick out a natural kind [Machery]
18616 If a term doesn't pick out a kind, keeping it may block improvements in classification [Machery]
18614 Vertical arguments say eliminate a term if it picks out different natural kinds in different theories [Machery]
22192 Is Newton simpler with universal simultaneity, or Einstein simpler without absolute time? [Gorham]
22194 Structural Realism says mathematical structures persist after theory rejection [Gorham]
22195 Structural Realists must show the mathematics is both crucial and separate [Gorham]
22136 Science begins with sufficient reason, de-animation, and the importance of nature [Boulter]