Making the Best of It
Making the Best of It
Inconsistent versus Complementary Models
This chapter addresses problems that arise when using different models to represent the same system. The chapter shows why in some cases this seems relatively unproblematic (turbulence models) while others create genuine difficulties when interpreting the information that models provide (nuclear models). What the examples show is that while complementary models needn’t be a hindrance to knowledge acquisition, the inconsistency present in nuclear cases is, since it is indicative of a lack of genuine theoretical understanding. Although scientific perspectivism claims to offer a resolution to these problems, closer examination indicates that it is of no help in resolving the problem of conflicting models. It is only appropriate in cases where there is no real inconsistency among different models or in cases where the scientific context itself embodies a form of perspectivism. Hence, philosophically speaking, perspectivism is completely idle as a position from which to interpret inconsistent or incompatible claims.
Keywords: nuclear models, turbulence, perspectivism, realism, instrumentalism
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