Using conceptual spaces to exhibit conceptual continuity through scientific theory change
(2017) In European Journal for Philosophy of Science 7(1). p.127-150- Abstract
- There is a great deal of justified concern about continuity through scientific theory change. Our thesis is that, particularly in physics, such continuity can be appropriately captured at the level of conceptual frameworks (the level above the theories themselves) using conceptual space models. Indeed, we contend that the conceptual spaces of three of our most important physical theories---Classical Mechanics (CM), Special Relativity Theory (SRT), and Quantum Mechanics (QM)---have already been so modelled as phase-spaces. Working with their phase-space formulations, one can trace the conceptual changes and continuities in transitioning from CM to QM, and from CM to SRT. By offering a revised severity-ordering of changes that conceptual... (More)
- There is a great deal of justified concern about continuity through scientific theory change. Our thesis is that, particularly in physics, such continuity can be appropriately captured at the level of conceptual frameworks (the level above the theories themselves) using conceptual space models. Indeed, we contend that the conceptual spaces of three of our most important physical theories---Classical Mechanics (CM), Special Relativity Theory (SRT), and Quantum Mechanics (QM)---have already been so modelled as phase-spaces. Working with their phase-space formulations, one can trace the conceptual changes and continuities in transitioning from CM to QM, and from CM to SRT. By offering a revised severity-ordering of changes that conceptual frameworks can undergo, we provide reasons to doubt the commonly held view that CM is conceptually closer to SRT than QM. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/49592d8a-93cb-4487-86c4-dd0f5b9dc91b
- author
- Masterton, George LU ; Zenker, Frank LU and Gärdenfors, Peter LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2017-01
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- European Journal for Philosophy of Science
- volume
- 7
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 24 pages
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85010023429
- wos:000393112500008
- ISSN
- 1879-4920
- DOI
- 10.1007/s13194-016-0149-x
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 49592d8a-93cb-4487-86c4-dd0f5b9dc91b
- date added to LUP
- 2016-10-02 12:02:50
- date last changed
- 2022-04-24 17:59:32
@article{49592d8a-93cb-4487-86c4-dd0f5b9dc91b, abstract = {{There is a great deal of justified concern about continuity through scientific theory change. Our thesis is that, particularly in physics, such continuity can be appropriately captured at the level of conceptual frameworks (the level above the theories themselves) using conceptual space models. Indeed, we contend that the conceptual spaces of three of our most important physical theories---Classical Mechanics (CM), Special Relativity Theory (SRT), and Quantum Mechanics (QM)---have already been so modelled as phase-spaces. Working with their phase-space formulations, one can trace the conceptual changes and continuities in transitioning from CM to QM, and from CM to SRT. By offering a revised severity-ordering of changes that conceptual frameworks can undergo, we provide reasons to doubt the commonly held view that CM is conceptually closer to SRT than QM.}}, author = {{Masterton, George and Zenker, Frank and Gärdenfors, Peter}}, issn = {{1879-4920}}, language = {{eng}}, number = {{1}}, pages = {{127--150}}, publisher = {{Springer}}, series = {{European Journal for Philosophy of Science}}, title = {{Using conceptual spaces to exhibit conceptual continuity through scientific theory change}}, url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13194-016-0149-x}}, doi = {{10.1007/s13194-016-0149-x}}, volume = {{7}}, year = {{2017}}, }