Lexicon of Arguments

 Philosophical and Scientific Issues in Dispute
 
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Theses II

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Armstrong III 108
Definition instrumentalism/van Fraassen/Armstrong (van Fraassen, 1980, p.36): instrumentalism is similar to atheism: it is still speculative about the realm beyond the observable. It denies real unobserved entities. >Theoretical entities.
Def Realism/Fraassen: realism is like theism: it accepts real unobserved entities.
>Realism.
Fraassen: pro agnosticism: agnosticism has a neutral attitude towards the ontological status of unobserved entities. >Ontology.
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Fraassen I 23
Instrumentalism: Thesis: theories are merely useful. The instrumentalism does not require any truth, only empirical adequacy. >Empirical adequacy.
E.g. the assumption of the realistic truth of Copernican theory, for example, explains the instrumentalist utility of the Ptolemaean.
N.B.: such an explanation would be impossible if all theories were regarded as instrumental. >Explanation.

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