A theoretical juice extractor: The Role of Mathematics in Scientific Explanation
It has recently been argued that mathematics can play a genuinely explanatory role in science. Cases where this is supposed to be the case have been divided into those where the explanatory role is played by mathematical operations, and those where it is played by mathematical entities. In this arti...
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| Formato: | Artículo revista |
| Lenguaje: | Español |
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Centro de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades
2022
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| Acceso en línea: | https://revistas.unc.edu.ar/index.php/afjor/article/view/38809 |
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| Sumario: | It has recently been argued that mathematics can play a genuinely explanatory role in science. Cases where this is supposed to be the case have been divided into those where the explanatory role is played by mathematical operations, and those where it is played by mathematical entities. In this article, I analyze some of these purported cases and argue that claims that mathematics can be genuinely explanatory are unfounded. Throughout my discussion, I emphasize the representational role of mathematics, as opposed to its supposed explanatory role: the role of mathematics, even in the cases that I discuss, is to represent physical facts and help draw inferences about those facts. |
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