August 16-17, 2010

The workshop will bring together philosophers of science and researchers in metaphysics and epistemology to discuss “surrogate reasoning devices” such as mathematical models, imaginary scenarios, hypothetical cases and fictions. Some of the questions to be considered: What is the relationship between surrogate reasoning devices and the subject matters they are used to represent and investigate? E.g. by virtue of what do abstract mathematical models represent real-world systems? How can reflection on imaginary scenarios help us evaluate claims about e.g. perpetual motion, or the relationship between the mind and body? Is there a role for models in articulating and testing philosophical theories, as there is in the empirical sciences? If possible worlds (numbers, universals, etc.) are merely useful fictions, in what sense do they help explain the phenomena they are intended to account for? Do surrogate reasoning devices play an indispensable role in scientific and philosophical investigation and theorizing, or are they ultimately eliminable? What are the relationships among different sorts of surrogate reasoning devices? E.g. should we think of models, thought experiments, fictions etc. as epistemically on par?

The workshop is co-organized with Michael Weisberg (Pennsylvania) and Daniel Stoljar (ANU). The workshop will take place in the Philosophy Program RSSS at the Australian National University.

Monday, 16 August

9:30-9:45 Coffee, Introduction and Welcome

9:45-11:15 Daniel Nolan

“Epistemological Advantages and Disadvantages for Fictionalism”

11:15-11:30 Coffee

11:30-12:45 John Matthewson

“Why the Dispute Over Model Ontology is Largely Verbal, and how We Ought to Resolve It”

12:45-14:00 Lunch

14:00-15:30 Magdalena Balcerak Jackson

“Thought Experiments and Models”

15:30-16:00 Afternoon Tea

16:00-17:30 Mark Colyvan

“Idealisations in Normative Models”

17:30-18:30 General Discussion; Daniel Stoljar and Brendan Balcerak Jackson discussants

Tuesday, 17 August

9:45-10:00 Coffee

10:00-11:30 Chris Pincock

“Representation via Concrete and Abstract Models”

11:30-11:45 Coffee

11:45-13:15 Michael Weisberg

“Getting Serious About Similarity”

13:15-14:30 Lunch

14:30-16:00 Kit Fine

“Models and Variables”

16:00-16:30 Afternoon Tea

16:30-18:00 General Discussion; Peter Godfrey-Smith and David J. Chalmers, discussants