Scientific Understanding: Philosophical Perspectives

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Note: page numbers followed by t refer to tables; those followed by n refer to note, with note number. abilities. See skill(s) abnormal events, call for explanation inherent in, 109–10 Abrahamsen, A., 6 abstraction(s), 10, 79, 123–37, 191, 198; vs. idealization, 125, 129–30, 134–35, 142n3 abstract mathematical models: in biology, 126–41; detailed knowledge provided by, 127–29; mediating role of models and, 124– 25, 142n4; necessity of, in physics, 129–30; relationship to concrete system, 125, 127; and understanding, 12, 123, 127, 132–35 Achinstein, Peter, 1, 6–7 Ackerman, Robert, 267n1 Adelman, F. L., 217–19 Adelman, I., 217–19 agency: and action, 72; models and, 148–49, 155; role of, 14, 190, 192, 196–200, 207n9, 322–24; voluntary action and, 77 “aha” experience. See feeling of understanding aim(s) of science, 1, 4, 7, 22, 26, 30, 37, 79, 106, 116, 123, 171, 250, 265, 274 algorithm(s), 25–26, 29–31, 76, 156–57, 170–71, 326, 328–29. See also Great Deluge Algorithm Allison, Henry, 269n13 Alston, W., 96n3 Alt, James, 300 Anderson, E., 305–6, 308–10 Anderson, M. L., 207n11 Ando, A., 224 Ankeny, R. A., 206n6 Ankersmit, F. R., 314 anticipation, demonstration of understanding through, 101–2 antirealism, 53, 267n4 applied science, 10, 192–93, 196, 265 approximation: explanation and, 50–51; in mathematical reasoning, 78, 263; models and, 29–30, 31, 36, 125, 128, 156, 160–61, 218, 220 argument patterns, 6, 38n4 Aron, Raymond, 326 artifact, 148, 153–55, 159, 161–64, 212 Atkinson, P., 1 autonomy: of economic variables, 214–16; of models, 29, 39n9, 124–25, 142n4, 150, 152, 155, 184n1 axiomatic-deductive model. See principle theories axiomatization, 197, 223, 232, 238 background beliefs, and feeling of understanding, 91–93, 95 background conditions, and invariance of economic variables, 213–16 Baehr, J., 96n10 Bailer-Jones, D. M., 149, 273 Baird, D., 154 Baker, G. P., 101 Balashov, Y., 246 Barlas, Y., 211–12 Bates, Robert, 300 Batterman, R., 143n7 Bauer, H. H., 330 Beatty, J., 191 Bechtel, W., 6 Becker, Gary, 311n2 behavioral concept, understanding as, 102–3 behaviorism: classical, 278–79; intervening variables in, 280–86, 288; operational, 279. See also neobehaviorism behavior pattern tests, 212, 212t Bell, John, 241, 244–45, 246 Bergson, Henri, 75 Bernstein, R. J., 329, 330 Big Bang theory, unintelligibility of, 73 biology: abstract mathematical models in, 126–41; epistemic skills in, 201–3; and manipulation, 2, 189, 191; model organisms, 191–92, 198–99; pluralism of theoretical approaches in, 190–92; research commitments in, 202–3; tacit (embodied) knowledge in, 194–96, 197–200, 203, 205–6. See also model-based reasoning; understanding in biology biotechnology, 193 Bishop, M., 96n11 Index 339 de Regt Txt•.indd 339 9/8/09 11:27:26 AM 340 Black, M., 146 black-box models: assessment of, 211–12; Lucas Critique and, 220 black-box psychologists, 272 Blumberg, A. E., 279 Bohman, J., 312n10 Bohr, Niels, 67 Boltzmann, Ludwig, 35–36, 40n19, 277–78 Boon, Mieke, 10, 249, 250, 254 bottom-up theories. See constructive theories Boumans, Marcel, 14, 19, 164n2, 182, 227n4, 274 Bridgman, P. W., 234, 279 Brookings Institute, model of U.S. economy, 216–17 Brooks, R., 184 Brown, Harold I., 26–27, 37, 329, 330, 331 Brown, Harvey R., 246 Brown, J. R., 37, 47 Buchwald, Jen, 62n1 calibration, 114; of economic models, 220–21, 225–26; of instruments, 12; of sense of understanding, 106 (see also illusion of depth of understanding) Callebaut, W., 224 Carlson, T., 81n17 Carnap, Rudolf, 279 Cartwright, Nancy, 29–30, 132, 142n3, 181, 268n8, 274, 275, 316 causality, 31, 79, 316; and intervention, 77 causal maps (Gopnik), 87 causal-mechanistic approach to understanding, 6, 24 causal-mechanistic models, 6, 7, 172, 253–54, 256–57, 261–66, 268n10, 294; vs. nomomathematical models, 254 causation: vs. explanation, 110; as hardwired human capacity, 87–88; and understanding, 50, 151; without explanation, 8, 44–46 cause and effect, Hume on, 56 Chaitin, G. J., 174 Chang, Hasok, 11, 16n2, 64, 65, 75, 79, 80nn7– 8, 80–81nn10–12, 181–82, 267n1 circular reasoning: detection of, 115; in scientific explanation, 111 CIT. See Criterion for the Intelligibility of Theories Clark, A., 103, 113 Clausius, Rudolf, 34 Cleeremans, A., 117 cognition: embodied, 103, 184, 207n11; everyday, 106, 109; explanatory, 105; and understanding, 3, 4, 14, 101, 103, 116 cognitive abilities or skills, 27, 37, 103, 260–61, 263. See also epistemic skills cognitive achievement...