Modeling mechanisms

Stuart Glennan

doi:10.1016/j.shpsc.2005.03.011

Modeling mechanisms

Stuart Glennan

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Philosophers of science increasingly believe that much of science is concerned with understanding the mechanisms responsible for the production of natural phenomena. An adequate understanding of scientific research requires an account of how scientists develop and test models of mechanisms. This paper offers a general account of the nature of mechanical models, discussing the representational relationship that holds between mechanisms and their models as well as the techniques that can be used to test and refine such models. The analysis is supported by study of two competing models of a mechanism of speech perception.

Original language	American English
Journal	Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS
Volume	36
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.shpsc.2005.03.011
State	Published - Jan 1 2005

Keywords

confirmation
mechanism
model
speech perception
underdetermination

Disciplines

Philosophy
Philosophy of Science

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10.1016/j.shpsc.2005.03.011License: Unspecified

Modeling mechanismsFinal published version, 492 KBLicense: Unspecified

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title = "Modeling mechanisms",

abstract = " Philosophers of science increasingly believe that much of science is concerned with understanding the mechanisms responsible for the production of natural phenomena. An adequate understanding of scientific research requires an account of how scientists develop and test models of mechanisms. This paper offers a general account of the nature of mechanical models, discussing the representational relationship that holds between mechanisms and their models as well as the techniques that can be used to test and refine such models. The analysis is supported by study of two competing models of a mechanism of speech perception.",

keywords = "confirmation, mechanism, model, speech perception, underdetermination",

author = "Stuart Glennan",

note = "Stuart Glennan. {"}Modeling mechanisms{"} Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 36.2 (2005): 375-388.",

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PY - 2005/1/1

Y1 - 2005/1/1

N2 - Philosophers of science increasingly believe that much of science is concerned with understanding the mechanisms responsible for the production of natural phenomena. An adequate understanding of scientific research requires an account of how scientists develop and test models of mechanisms. This paper offers a general account of the nature of mechanical models, discussing the representational relationship that holds between mechanisms and their models as well as the techniques that can be used to test and refine such models. The analysis is supported by study of two competing models of a mechanism of speech perception.

AB - Philosophers of science increasingly believe that much of science is concerned with understanding the mechanisms responsible for the production of natural phenomena. An adequate understanding of scientific research requires an account of how scientists develop and test models of mechanisms. This paper offers a general account of the nature of mechanical models, discussing the representational relationship that holds between mechanisms and their models as well as the techniques that can be used to test and refine such models. The analysis is supported by study of two competing models of a mechanism of speech perception.

KW - confirmation

KW - mechanism

KW - model

KW - speech perception

KW - underdetermination

UR - https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/facsch_papers/126

U2 - 10.1016/j.shpsc.2005.03.011

DO - 10.1016/j.shpsc.2005.03.011

M3 - Article

VL - 36

JO - Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

JF - Scholarship and Professional Work - LAS

IS - 2

ER -

Modeling mechanisms

Abstract

Keywords

Disciplines

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