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Autonomous Patterns and Scientific Realism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2022

Katherine Brading
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Abstract

Taking Bogen and Woodward's discussion of data and phenomena as his starting point, McAllister presents a challenge to scientific realism. I discuss this challenge and offer a suggestion for how the scientific realist could respond to both its epistemic and ontological aspects. In so doing, I urge that the scientific realist should not reject ontological pluralism from the start, but should seek to explore versions of scientific realism that leave open the possibility of certain kinds of pluralist ontology. I investigate the available options (in terms of foundationalism, reductionism, and universalism) and use a law-constitutive approach to offer a strategy for the scientific realist who is open-minded about ontological pluralism.

Type
Research Article
Information
Philosophy of Science , Volume 77 , Issue 5 , December 2010 , pp. 827 - 839
Copyright
Copyright © The Philosophy of Science Association

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Footnotes

‡

In memory of my friend, Becky Bacon, and with grateful thanks to all those who supported me during PSA 2008. Thanks to McAllister, instigator and co-organizer of this symposium; to my fellow symposiasts; to the referees; and to all those who offered questions and comments at PSA 2008 and other venues where materials related to this paper have been presented. I am grateful for the support of the National Science Foundation (grant SES-0724383 Brading 201201).

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