What Is the Epistemic Function of Highly Idealized Agent-Based Models of Scientific Inquiry?. Issue 4 (July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Frey, Daniel; Šešelja, Dunja
• Other Names: Kwarcinski Tomasz guest-editor.; Bouvier Alban guest-editor.; Kaldis Byron guest-editor.; Montuschi Eleonora guest-editor.; Zahle Julie guest-editor.; Zamora Jesus guest-editor.
• Is Part Of: Philosophy of the social sciences. Volume 48:Issue 4(2018)
• Page Start: 407
• Page End: 433
• Publication Date: 2018-07
• Subjects: agent-based models -- robustness analysis -- how-possibly explanations -- scientific interaction -- integrated history and philosophy of science; Social sciences -- Periodicals; Social sciences -- Methodology -- Periodicals; Sciences sociales -- Périodiques; Sciences sociales -- Méthodologie -- Périodiques; 300.1
• DOI: 10.1177/0048393118767085
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0048-3931

Abstract

In this paper we examine the epistemic value of highly idealized agent-based models (ABMs) of social aspects of scientific inquiry. On the one hand, we argue that taking the results of such simulations as informative of actual scientific inquiry is unwarranted, at least for the class of models proposed in recent literature. Moreover, we argue that a weaker approach, which takes these models as providing only "how-possibly" explanations, does not help to improve their epistemic value. On the other hand, we suggest that if ABMs of science underwent two types of robustness analysis, they could indeed have a clear epistemic function, namely by providing evidence for philosophical and historical hypotheses. In this sense, ABMs can obtain evidential and explanatory properties and thus be a useful tool for integrated history and philosophy of science. We illustrate our point with an example of a model—building on the work by Kevin Zollman—which we apply to a concrete historical case study.