Since the 1930s, the semantic analysis method has been of great methodological significance in the historical evolution and transmission of the philosophy of science, serving as a platform for debate, mutual reference...Since the 1930s, the semantic analysis method has been of great methodological significance in the historical evolution and transmission of the philosophy of science, serving as a platform for debate, mutual reference and interpenetration between scientific realism and anti-realism. Today, in historical retrospect, we see that we need to gain a new understanding of the importance of the semantic analysis method, appreciate the fundamental nature of contextualized semantic structure in interpreting scientific theories, and make it clear that determining and expressing reference is at the heart of the semantic analysis methodology of theoretical interpretation and that ＂two-dimensional＂ semantic analysis represents a necessary trend in current research on semantic analysis methodology. On this basis, we can reestablish the methodological position of the semantic analysis method in research on scientific realism in terms of form, content, structure and system, an achievement that will be of great strategic significance for the development of contemporary scientific realism.展开更多
In contemporary philosophy of science, there are many interesting arguments for and against scientific realism with regard to the meaningfulness and truthfulness of theoretical statements. Some anti-realists hold that...In contemporary philosophy of science, there are many interesting arguments for and against scientific realism with regard to the meaningfulness and truthfulness of theoretical statements. Some anti-realists hold that since many important concepts in scientific theories have no specific referents, the relevant theoretical statements are therefore either false or meaningless. In this essay, I join the debates concerning the plausibility of scientific realism by focusing on two intertwined issues： first, that of how we can we explicate the meaningfulness of theoretical statements, especially statements pertaining to unobservable objects, and second, that of the meaningfulness of theoretical statements for our acceptance of scientific realism.展开更多
文摘Since the 1930s, the semantic analysis method has been of great methodological significance in the historical evolution and transmission of the philosophy of science, serving as a platform for debate, mutual reference and interpenetration between scientific realism and anti-realism. Today, in historical retrospect, we see that we need to gain a new understanding of the importance of the semantic analysis method, appreciate the fundamental nature of contextualized semantic structure in interpreting scientific theories, and make it clear that determining and expressing reference is at the heart of the semantic analysis methodology of theoretical interpretation and that ＂two-dimensional＂ semantic analysis represents a necessary trend in current research on semantic analysis methodology. On this basis, we can reestablish the methodological position of the semantic analysis method in research on scientific realism in terms of form, content, structure and system, an achievement that will be of great strategic significance for the development of contemporary scientific realism.
文摘In contemporary philosophy of science, there are many interesting arguments for and against scientific realism with regard to the meaningfulness and truthfulness of theoretical statements. Some anti-realists hold that since many important concepts in scientific theories have no specific referents, the relevant theoretical statements are therefore either false or meaningless. In this essay, I join the debates concerning the plausibility of scientific realism by focusing on two intertwined issues： first, that of how we can we explicate the meaningfulness of theoretical statements, especially statements pertaining to unobservable objects, and second, that of the meaningfulness of theoretical statements for our acceptance of scientific realism.
