Scientific Realism
Scientific realism is the view that our best scientific theories give approximately true descriptions of a mind-independent world, including its unobservable parts.
Definition
Scientific realism comprises a metaphysical thesis (there is a mind-independent world), a semantic thesis (theoretical claims are truth-apt and literally construed), and an epistemic thesis (mature successful theories are approximately true and their theoretical terms refer).
Scope
This topic covers the metaphysical, semantic, and epistemic commitments of realism, the distinction between theory realism and entity realism, the notion of approximate truth and reference, and selective forms of realism designed to withstand the history of science.
Core questions
- What exactly does a realist commit to about unobservables?
- How should 'approximate truth' be understood?
- Can one be a realist about entities without being a realist about theories?
- Which selective realisms best survive theory change?
Key concepts
- approximate truth
- reference
- mind-independence
- entity realism
- explanationist defence
Key theories
- Convergent realism
- Successive theories converge on the truth, with reference and approximate truth preserved across mature theory change.
- Entity realism
- Hacking argues that we have best reason to believe in unobservable entities we can manipulate to intervene in nature, even if the theories about them change.
History
Realism re-emerged in the 1970s as a reaction to positivism and instrumentalism, defended by Putnam and Boyd via the explanationist no-miracles argument. Hacking's 1983 entity realism shifted the focus to experimental manipulation, and Psillos's 1999 work articulated a divide-and-conquer realism responding to historical objections.
Debates
- Theory realism versus entity realism
- Hacking argues that experimental manipulation warrants belief in entities even when theories are revised, while Psillos defends a fuller realism about the truth-content of theories.
Key figures
- Hilary Putnam
- Stathis Psillos
- Ian Hacking
- Richard Boyd
Related topics
Seminal works
- putnam1975
- hacking1983
- psillos1999
Frequently asked questions
- What is entity realism?
- Entity realism, associated with Hacking, holds that we are warranted in believing in unobservable entities like electrons when we can routinely manipulate them to investigate other phenomena, even if our theories about their nature keep changing. The slogan is 'if you can spray them, they are real.'