Continuity of Theory Structure: A Conceptual Spaces Approach. Issue 4 (1st October 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Zenker, Frank; Gärdenfors, Peter
• Is Part Of: International studies in the philosophy of science. Volume 30:Issue 4(2016)
• Page Start: 343
• Page End: 360
• Publication Date: 2016-10-01
• Subjects: Science -- Philosophy -- Periodicals; Philosophy and science -- Periodicals; 501
• DOI: 10.1080/02698595.2017.1331983
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-8595

Abstract

ABSTRACT: By understanding laws of nature as geometrical rather than linguistic entities, this paper addresses how to describe theory structures and how to evaluate their continuity. Relying on conceptual spaces as a modelling tool, we focus on the conceptual framework an empirical theory presupposes, thus obtain a geometrical representation of a theory's structure. We stress the relevance of measurement procedures in separating conceptual from empirical structures. This lets our understanding of scientific laws come closer to scientific practice, and avoids a widely recognised deficit in current philosophy of science accounts, namely to risk a collapse of the physical into the mathematical.