Fine Arthur "Structural Realism, Then and Now"
Channel: Institut Henri Poincaré
Date: 2013-05-28

Résumé

Henri Poincaré worried that the ephemeral nature of scientific théories could be seen as amounting to the "bankruptcy of science". Recently his defense of scientific solvency has been understood as a kind of realism, structural realism. I begin by sorting realism from objectivity in the background of this conception, looking briefly at Russell and Weyl in addition to Poincaré. I then move to a critical examination of the current status of this form of realism.

Note(s) Biographique(s)

Arthur Fine was born in 1937 in the United States. In 1963, he got his PhD in Philosophy from the University of Chicago and he currently teaches Philosophy at the University of Washington (with adjunct appointments in Physics and History). His research areas are history and philosophy of physics, and philosophy of science more generally. Current projects involve the foundations of quantum theory and general questions regarding scientific interpretations (relativism, objectivity, instrumentalism and constructivism).


Réalisation : Quentin Lazzarotto
Date : 20/11/2012
Lieu : Institut Henri Poincaré