科学虚构主义:缘起、内涵与特点

An Analysis of Origin, Meaning and Features of Scientific Fictionalism

近些年来,在科学哲学领域中掀起了一股新的虚构主义热潮。事实上,早在20世纪初,汉斯·费英格就在《"仿佛"哲学》一书中强调了人类知识中虚构的价值。由于亚瑟·法因的发掘与宣扬,费英格的"仿佛"哲学对当代科学建模讨论中的虚构主义立场影响尤深。科学建模作为对世界的想象描述通常是故意为假的,因而在科学虚构主义与科学实在论之间似乎存在一种紧张关系。然而,无论我们选择对于虚构的真值条件学说,还是功能学说,科学虚构主义并不与科学实在论相抵触。尽管法因的解读有失偏颇,但阐明费英格哲学的实际影响有助于明确科学虚构主义的思想渊源、基本内涵与根本特点。

Recently,a new kind of fictionalism is emerging in the philosophy of science. In fact,as early as the beginning of the twentieth century,Hans Vaihinger elaborated the value of fictions in human knowledge in his book Philosophy of "As If ". Due to Arthur Fine's research and promotion,Vaihinger's work has a profound influence on the stance of scientific fictionalist in the current discussion of scientific modeling. Scientific models as imaginary descriptions of the world are usually deliberately false,thus there seems to be a tension between scientific fictionalism and realism. However,whether we choose truth conditional account or functional account of fictions,scientific fictionalism is compatible with scientific realism. Although Fine's reading of Vaihinger's philosophy is biased,explaining its actual impact is helpful for us to clarify the original sources,basic meaning and fundamental features of scientific fictionalism.