I 3
Theory/Science/Fraassen: Fraassen also tries to find an explanation for unobservable processes which explains the observable and also merely possible processes.
I 4
Theories/Fraassen: a theory must preserve the phenomena, i.e. describe correctly. - Then "accepting the theory" means believing that it is true.
I 43f
Theory/Semantics/Syntax/Fraassen: We evaluate theories better semantically (e.g., via models) rather than syntactically. >
Evaluation.
I 44
Syntactic: takes theory as a corpus of theorems. - There is a certain language for this theory. Semantics: class of structures or models. - Language is not fundamental here! - (s) Are isomorphic theories then semantically identical? - Fraassen: in other languages, the theories have other limitations, - This is about models, not about the language.
E.g. Bohr's atom modell does not refer to a single structure, but to a single structure type - for example, hydrogen and helium atoms, etc. (class of structures, model type). >
Models, >
Structures.
I 48
Theory/Fraassen: different theories must have different empirical meaning (empirical import). - N.B.: even false theories can be empirically adequate.
I 49
Maxwell/Hertz: Maxwell's theory is his equations. - I.e. it is not a mechanical theory, but it has mechanical models - N.B.: the electromagnetic forces depend on velocities, not just on acceleration.
I 59
Theory/Unobservable/Fraassen: a physical theory cannot be translated without a rest into a corpus of sentences, which only states observable phenomena. - It must always take the unobserved into account.
I 67
Theory/Fraassen: two groups:
1. Tarski-Suppes: set theoretically, extensionalist (FraassenVs)
2. Weyl-Evert Beth: state space, modal approach (Fraassen pro).
Both initially designed language-dependent, later Vs.
