The Paradox of Instrumentalism

PSA: Proceedings of the Biennial Meeting of the Philosophy of Science Association 1986:269-276 (1986)
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Abstract

Instrumentalism seems less plausible than realism, yet at the same time to be logically weaker. This paper explores the possibility of resolving this apparent paradox by switching to an anti-Humean view of laws. Although in the end this suggestion turns out to be only a part of the solution, it does help to clarify what is at issue in the debate about instrumentalism

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David Papineau
King's College London

Citations of this work

The Direction of Time.Steven F. Savitt - 1996 - British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 47 (3):347-370.

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