2014•Philosophy CompassRequires access
Idealization
Alkistis Elliott‐Graves, Michael Weisberg
Open publisher page 48 citations
Abstract
Abstract This article reviews the recent literature on idealization, specifically idealization in the course of scientific modeling. We argue that idealization is not a unified concept and that there are three different types of idealization: Galilean, minimalist, and multiple models, each with its own justification. We explore the extent to which idealization is a permanent feature of scientific representation and discuss its implications for debates about scientific realism.