Modelling Nature. An Opinionated Introduction to Scientific Representation

New York: Springer (2020)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

This monograph offers a critical introduction to current theories of how scientific models represent their target systems. Representation is important because it allows scientists to study a model to discover features of reality. The authors provide a map of the conceptual landscape surrounding the issue of scientific representation, arguing that it consists of multiple intertwined problems. They provide an encyclopaedic overview of existing attempts to answer these questions, and they assess their strengths and weaknesses. The book also presents a comprehensive statement of their alternative proposal, the DEKI account of representation, which they have developed over the last few years. They show how the account works in the case of material as well as non-material models; how it accommodates the use of mathematics in scientific modelling; and how it sheds light on the relation between representation in science and art. The issue of representation has generated a sizeable literature, which has been growing fast in particular over the last decade. This makes it hard for novices to get a handle on the topic because so far there is no book-length introduction that would guide them through the discussion. Likewise, researchers may require a comprehensive review that they can refer to for critical evaluations. This book meets the needs of both groups.

Other Versions

No versions found

Links

PhilArchive

    This entry is not archived by us. If you are the author and have permission from the publisher, we recommend that you archive it. Many publishers automatically grant permission to authors to archive pre-prints. By uploading a copy of your work, you will enable us to better index it, making it easier to find.

    Upload a copy of this work     Papers currently archived: 102,785

External links

Setup an account with your affiliations in order to access resources via your University's proxy server

Through your library

Similar books and articles

Scientific representation.James Nguyen - 2022 - New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Edited by Roman Frigg.
Models as make-believe.Adam Toon - 2008 - In Roman Frigg & Matthew Hunter, Beyond Mimesis and Convention: Representation in Art and Science. Boston Studies in Philosophy of Science.
Modelling and representing: An artefactual approach to model-based representation.Tarja Knuuttila - 2011 - Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part A 42 (2):262-271.
The turn of the valve: representing with material models.Roman Frigg & James Nguyen - 2018 - European Journal for Philosophy of Science 8 (2):205-224.
How models represent.James Nguyen - 2016 - Dissertation,
Theories, models and representation.Mauricio Suárez - 1999 - In L. Magnani, Nancy Nersessian & Paul Thagard, Model-Based Reasoning in Scientific Discovery. Kluwer/Plenum. pp. 75--83.

Analytics

Added to PP
2023-03-05

Downloads
54 (#412,483)

6 months
10 (#347,867)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author Profiles

Roman Frigg
London School of Economics
James Nguyen
Stockholm University

Citations of this work

Scientific representation.Roman Frigg & James Nguyen - 2016 - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Epistemic artifacts and the modal dimension of modeling.Tarja Knuuttila - 2021 - European Journal for Philosophy of Science 11 (3):1-18.
The philosophy of the metaverse.Melvin Chen - 2023 - Ethics and Information Technology 25 (3):1-13.
Two senses of representation in science.Quentin Ruyant - 2025 - Theoria: Revista de Teoría, Historia y Fundamentos de la Ciencia 39 (3):353-371.

View all 24 citations / Add more citations

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references