Inquiry· 2026Q1
The key to scientific understanding: DEKI and stability
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Scientific understanding hinges on how models represent their targets, according to the DEKI and SU accounts, which establish conditions for 'noetic model-representation pairs'.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- Scientific understanding is linked to how models represent their targets.
- The DEKI account of representation and the SU account of understanding are integrated.
- Necessary conditions for 'noetic model-representation pairs' are developed.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
This paper combines discussions of scientific representation and scientific understanding. While both topics have generated substantial philosophical debate, the systematic relationships between philosophical accounts of each have been underexplored. We take a step in connecting these two debates by integrating two specific accounts: the DEKI account of representation and the SU account of scientific understanding. We argue that whether a model provides understanding depends essentially on how it represents its target, and we develop necessary conditions on noetic model-representation pairs.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Inquiry, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: History and Philosophy of Science
History and Philosophy of ScienceArts and Humanities