The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Scientific Modeling

Abstract

Models and modeling have played an increasingly important role in philosophy, going back to the nineteenth century. While philosophical interest in models has been remarkably lively over the last two decades, there are still many underexplored questions. The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Scientific Modeling is an outstanding reference source and guide to this fast-growing area and is the first volume of its kind. Comprised of 40 specially commissioned chapters by an international team of contributors, the Handbook is organized into five clear parts: Historical and General Perspectives Philosophical Accounts of Modeling Methodological Aspects: Model Construction, Evaluation, and Calibration Related Topics Modeling in the Wild. Within these parts, the Handbook covers a diverse range of topics, including historical perspectives on modeling, the relationship between models, theories, representation, idealization, and understanding, and related topics like big data, simulation, and statistical and computational modeling. Different kinds of models are discussed, for example, network models, financial models, and climate and synthetic models. The Routledge Handbook of Philosophy of Scientific Modeling is essential reading for students and scholars of philosophy of science, formal epistemology, and philosophy of social sciences. It is also a valuable resource for those in related fields such as computer science and information technology.