•  256
    Dickson on Quantum Chance and Non-Locality
    British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 51 (4): 882-892. 2000.
  •  13
    This chapter defends a deflationary, or ‘quietist’ account of causation in science. It begins by laying out the elements of four central philosophical theories of causation, namely the regularity, counterfactual, probabilistic and process accounts. It then proceeds to briefly criticise them. While the criticisms are essentially renditions of arguments that are well-known in the literature, the conclusion that is derived from these is new. It is argued that the limitations of each of the theories…Read more
  •  5
    Reactivity in chemistry: the propensity view
    Foundations of Chemistry 25 (3): 369-380. 2023.
    We argue for an account of chemical reactivities as chancy propensities, in accordance with the ‘complex nexus of chance’ defended by one of us in the past. Reactivities are typically quantified as proportions, and an expression such as “A + B → C” does not entail that under the right conditions some given amounts of A and B react to give the mass of C that theoretically corresponds to the stoichiometry of the reaction. Instead, what is produced is a fraction α < 1 of this theoretical amount, an…Read more
  •  18
    We argue for an account of chemical reactivities as chancy propensities, in accordance with the ‘complex nexus of chance’ defended by one of us in the past (Suárez, 2017, 2020). Reactivities are typically quantified as proportions, and an expression such as “A + B → C” does not entail that under the right conditions some amounts of A and B react to give the amount of C that theoretically would correspond to the stoichiometry of the reaction. Instead, what is produced is a fraction α < 1 of this …Read more
  •  5
    Stellar Structure Models Revisited: Evidence and Data in Asteroseismology
    In Nora Mills Boyd, Siska De Baerdemaeker, Kevin Heng & Vera Matarese (eds.), Philosophy of Astrophysics: Stars, Simulations, and the Struggle to Determine What is Out There, Springer Verlag. pp. 2147483647-2147483647. 2023.
    This paper advances further an ongoing project to understand the history of stellar structure modelling and its inferential practice. It does so by taking a harder look at the data: how it is collected, analysed statistically, and represented in HR diagrams and stellar structure models alike. The focus is ultimately on the sorts of strong observational constraints revealed in the last two decades within the new and expanding field of asteroseismology. It is argued that the typical inferential pr…Read more
  •  8
    Versiones cinematográficas del tema fáustico
    Arbor 186 (741): 25-32. 2010.
  •  11
    This volume defends a novel approach to the philosophy of physics: it is the first book devoted to a comparative study of probability, causality, and propensity, and their various interrelations, within the context of contemporary physics -- particularly quantum and statistical physics. The philosophical debates and distinctions are firmly grounded upon examples from actual physics, thus exemplifying a robustly empiricist approach. The essays, by both prominent scholars in the field and promisin…Read more
  •  32
    Mauricio Suárez and Agnes Bolinska apply the tools of communication theory to scientific modeling in order to characterize the informational content of a scientific model. They argue that when represented as a communication channel, a model source conveys information about its target, and that such representations are therefore appropriate whenever modeling is employed for informational gain. They then extract two consequences. First, the introduction of idealizations is akin in informational te…Read more
  •  32
    The Complex Nexus of Evolutionary Fitness
    European Journal for Philosophy of Science 12 (1): 1-26. 2022.
    The propensity nature of evolutionary fitness has long been appreciated and is nowadays amply discussed. The discussion has, however, on occasion followed long standing conflations in the philosophy of probability literature between propensities, probabilities, and frequencies. In this paper, I apply a more recent conception of propensities in modelling practice to some of the key issues, regarding the mathematical representation of fitness and how it may be regarded as explanatory. The ensuing …Read more
  •  16
    Chance in the World: A Humean Guide to Objective Chance, by HoeferCarl. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019. Pp. xvii + 247.
  •  8
    Scientific representation, denotation, and fictional entities
    In Uskali Mäki, Ioannis Votsis, Stéphanie Ruphy & Gerhard Schurz (eds.), Recent Developments in the Philosophy of Science: EPSA13 Helsinki, . pp. 331-341. 2015.
    This volume showcases the best of recent research in the philosophy of science. A compilation of papers presented at the EPSA 13, it explores a broad distribution of topics such as causation, truthlikeness, scientific representation, gender-specific medicine, laws of nature, science funding and the wisdom of crowds. Papers are organised into headings which form the structure of the book. Readers will find that it covers several major fields within the philosophy of science, from general philosop…Read more
  •  1
    Theories, models and interpretations
    In Lorenzo Magnani, Nancy J. Nersessian & Paul Thagard (eds.), Model-Based Reasoning in Scientific Discovery, . 1999.
  •  3
    This volume defends a novel approach to the philosophy of physics: it is the first book devoted to a comparative study of probability, causality, and propensity, and their various interrelations, within the context of contemporary physics -- particularly quantum and statistical physics. The philosophical debates and distinctions are firmly grounded upon examples from actual physics, thus exemplifying a robustly empiricist approach. The essays, by both prominent scholars in the field and promisin…Read more
  •  7
    Scientific realism, the Galilean strategy and representation
    Poznan Studies in the Philosophy of the Sciences and the Humanities, Scientific Realism and Democratic Society: The Philosophy of Philip Kitcher 269-293. 2011.
    This paper critically reviews Philip Kitcher's most recent epistemology of science, real realism. I argue that this view is unstable under different understandings of the term 'representation', and that the arguments offered for the position are either unsound or invalid depending on the understanding employed. Suitably modified those arguments are however convincing in favor of a deflationary version of real realism, which I refer to as the bare view. The bare view accepts Kitcher's Galilean st…Read more
  •  5
    Theories, models and representation
    In Lorenzo Magnani, Nancy J. Nersessian & Paul Thagard (eds.), Model-Based Reasoning in Scientific Discovery, . 1999.
  •  23
    Philosophy of Probability and Statistical Modelling
    Cambridge University Press. 2020.
    This Element has two main aims. The first one is an historically informed review of the philosophy of probability. It describes recent historiography, lays out the distinction between subjective and objective notions, and concludes by applying the historical lessons to the main interpretations of probability. The second aim focuses entirely on objective probability, and advances a number of novel theses regarding its role in scientific practice. A distinction is drawn between traditional attempt…Read more
  •  5
    Representation in science
    The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Science. 2015.
    This article provides a state-of-the-art review of the philosophical literature on scientific representation. It first argues that the topic emerges historically mainly out of what may be called the modelling tradition. It then introduces a number of helpful analytical distinctions and goes on to divide contemporary approaches to scientific representation into two distinct kinds, substantive and deflationary. Analogies with related discussions of artistic representation in aesthetics and the nat…Read more
  •  114
    A pesar de su brevedad, Filosofía de la Ciencia: Historia y práctica es una obra ambiciosa, tanto por su voluntad de síntesis, como por su inusual carácter híbrido. Combina objetivos de divulgación, docentes, y de investigación. Por un lado, proporciona una primera aproximación a la práctica de la filosofía de la ciencia, accesible a cualquier persona interesada. Por otro lado, constituye un breve manual docente, en forma de bibliografía comentada, de uso tanto para profesores como alumnos, en c…Read more
  •  9
    Experimental realism defended: how inference to the most likely cause might be sound
    Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science: Contingency and Dissent in Science 1. 2006.
    On a purely epistemic understanding of experimental realism, manipulation affords a particularly robust kind of causal warrant, which is – like any other warrant – defeasible. I defend a version of Nancy Cartwright’s inference to the most likely cause, and I conclude that this minimally epistemic version of experimental realism is a coherent, adequate and plausible epistemology for science.
  •  36
    _ Chance in the World: A Humean Guide to Objective Chance _, by Carl Hoefer. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019. Pp. xvii + 247.
  •  158
    Science without Laws
    Mind 111 (441): 111-114. 2002.
    1Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol, 9 Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1TB, UKScience Without Laws Ronald Giere Chicago, IL University of Chicago Press 1999 x + 285 Hardback£17.50.
  •  9
    Representation in science
    In Paul Humphreys (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of Philosophy of Science, Oxford University Press Usa. 2016.
    This article provides a state-of-the-art review of the philosophical literature on scientific representation. It first argues that the topic emerges historically mainly out of what may be called the modelling tradition. It then introduces a number of helpful analytical distinctions and goes on to divide contemporary approaches to scientific representation into two distinct kinds, substantive and deflationary. Analogies with related discussions of artistic representation in aesthetics and the nat…Read more
  •  8
    Selections, dispositions and the problem of measurement
    Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science. 2001.
    This paper expands on, and provides a qualified defence of, Arthur Fine’s selective interactions solution to the measurement problem. Fine’s approach must be understood against the background of the insolubility proof of the quantum measurement. I first defend the proof as an appropriate formal representation of the quantum measurement problem. Then I clarify the nature of selective interactions, and more generally selections, and I go on to offer three arguments in their favour. First, selectio…Read more
  •  14
    The pragmatics of scientific representation
    Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science. 2002.
    This paper is divided in two parts. In part I, I argue against two attempts to naturalise the notion of scientific representation, by reducing it to isomorphism and similarity. I distinguish between the means and the constituents of representation, and I argue that isomorphism and similarity are common (although not universal) means of representation; but that they are not constituents of scientific representation. I look at the prospects for weakened versions of these theories, and I argue that…Read more
  •  22
    The Pragmatics of Scientific Representation
    Discussion Paper (DP 66/02). 2002.
    This paper is divided in two parts. In part I, I argue against two attempts to naturalise the notion of scientific representation, by reducing it to isomorphism and similarity. I distinguish between the means and the constituents of representation, and I argue that isomorphism and similarity are common means of representation; but that they are not constituents of scientific representation. I look at the prospects for weakened versions of these theories, and I argue that only those that abandon …Read more
  •  7
    This paper expands on, and provides a qualified defence of, Arthur Fine’s selective interactions solution to the measurement problem. Fine’s approach must be understood against the background of the insolubility proof of the quantum measurement. I first defend the proof as an appropriate formal representation of the quantum measurement problem. Then I clarify the nature of selective interactions, and more generally selections, and I go on to offer three arguments in their favour. First, selectio…Read more
  •  5
    This paper critically reviews Philip Kitcher's most recent epistemology of science, real realism. I argue that this view is unstable under different understandings of the term 'representation', and that the arguments offered for the position are either unsound or invalid depending on the understanding employed. Suitably modified those arguments are however convincing in favor of a deflationary version of real realism, which I refer to as the bare view. The bare view accepts Kitcher's Galilean st…Read more
  •  10
    We offer a review of some of the most influential views on the status of Reichenbach’s Principle of the Common Cause (PCC) for genuinely indeterministic systems. We first argue that the PCC is properly a conjunction of two distinct claims, one metaphysical and another methodological. Both claims can and have been contested in the literature, but here we simply assume that the metaphysical claim is correct, in order to focus our analysis on the status of the methodological claim. We briefly revie…Read more