2000 HSS/PSA Program 1 - History of Science Society

PSA Abstracts
and what I call the social manifestation thesis—a thesis about the psychology
of individuals. Contemporary work on this topic has confused these two theses.
My discussion also points to research questions and issues that Wilson’s work
raises, as well as their connection to externalist conceptions of the mind familiar
since the work of Putnam and Burge.
Eric Winsberg Northwestern University
Simulations, Models, and Theories: Complex Physical Systmes and their
Representations
Using an example of the computer simulation of the convective structure of a
red giant star, this paper argues that simulation is a rich inferential process,
and not simply a “number-crunching” technique. The scientific practice of
simulation, moreover, poses some interesting and challenging epistemological
and methodological issues for the philosophy of science. I will also argue that
these challenges would be best addressed by a philosophy of science that places
less emphasis on the representational capacity of theories (and ascribes that
capacity instead to models) and more emphasis on the role of theory in guiding
(rather than determining) the construction of models.
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K.␣ Brad Wray University of British Columbia
Science, Biases, and the Threat of Global Pessimism
Philip Kitcher rejects the global pessimists view that the conclusions reached
in inquiry are determined by the interests of some segment of the population,
arguing that only some inquiries, for example, inquiries into race and gender,
are adversely affected by interests. I argue that the biases Kitcher believes
effect such inquiries are operative in all domians, but the prevalence of such
biases does not support global pessimism. I argue that in order to address the
global pessimists’ concerns, the scientific community needs criticism from
people with diverse interests and background assumptions. Kitcher fails to
see this because he fails to recognize the social nature of scientific inquiry and
the constructive epistemic role that our differences can play.
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