迪昂主题的四个变奏

Variations on a Theme by Duhem

迪昂主题讨论的是抽象的法式思维和具象的英式思维之间的鲜明对比,本文则主要探讨迪昂主题的四个变奏。第一变奏阐明了抽象方法与具体方法在方法及结果上的实质区别。第二变奏对卡伦德-科恩提出的科学表征的紧缩主义进行了批判性的讨论。第三变奏从认识论结构主义角度探讨了模型与结构之间的关系。第四变奏联系抽象模型和具体模型的区分,批判性地讨论了模型与虚构的关系。文章最后给出了作者本人对具体模型之本质的看法,并阐明了为什么只有具体模型才能被视为是完全虚构的。

This paper contains four variations on Duhem＇s theme about the contrast between the abstract French mind and the concrete British mind. The first variation brings out the real contrast between two types of methods and their results： the A（bstract） method or models and the C（oncrete） method or models. The second variation gives a critical discussion of the Callender-Cohen deflationary contruel of scientific representation. And the third and fourth variations critically discuss the relationship between models and fiction in connection to the distinction between the A-models and the C-models. A coda maps out （without sufficiently detailed arguments） the author＇s view on the nature of the C-models and why they, and only they, can be viewed as fully fictional