Structural Realism, Metaphysical Unification, and the Ontology and Epistemology of Patterns

DAVOODY BENI M.

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE, vol.31, no.3, pp.285-300, 2017 (AHCI) identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 31 Issue: 3
  • Publication Date: 2017
  • Doi Number: 10.1080/02698595.2018.1463691
  • Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL STUDIES IN THE PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE
  • Journal Indexes: Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, IBZ Online, International Bibliography of Social Sciences, Agricultural & Environmental Science Database, Educational research abstracts (ERA), Philosopher's Index, Religion and Philosophy Collection, Sociological abstracts, zbMATH
  • Page Numbers: pp.285-300
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: No

Abstract

Ladyman and Ross's account of the metaphysical component of ontic structural realism was associated with a unificationist view of the connection between fundamental physics and special sciences. The aim of the present article is to assess the sense of unification that is at issue in Ladyman and Ross's definition of metaphysics. Given the ontic core of Ladyman and Ross's version of structural realism, it should be assumed that the unifying endeavour is worthwhile only if the connective links that underpin unification are metaphysically significant. Ladyman and Ross employed information-theoretic notions, e.g. projectibility', to account for the significance of real patterns, which underpin unification. I build upon McAllister's engagements with the same topic, to argue that these notions fail to accomplish this objective.