以实践为中心的两个科学抽象理论

Two Theories of Scientific Abstraction Centered on Practices

本文分析最近卡特莱特和瑞德分别提出的两个科学抽象理论。论证两个理论的分歧来自于他们对抽象在认识论和方法论上的不同理解。这种分歧曾经十分清晰地表现在惠威尔和密尔的争论中。对这些问题的探求和解决不仅要求我们抛弃传统科学哲学中的关于抽象的观念,还要求将我们的出发点从理论转向实践。

The author analyzes two contemporary theories of abstraction桸ancy Cartwright's and Hans Radder's,showing thatthe divergence between them is due to their different understandings of the epistemic and methodological aspects of scientificabstraction.This divergence was anticipated by the controversy between William Whewell and John Stuart Mill.Our examination ofboth debates implies that the traditional notion of scientific abstraction should be questioned,and an adequate notion requires aphilosophy of science centered on practices instead of theories.