Journal article

Authors list: Bartels, A

Publication year: 1995

Pages: 347-379

Journal: Synthese

Volume number: 105

Issue number: 3

ISSN: 0039-7857

DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01063563

Publisher: Springer

Abstract: 
The rationality of scientific concept formation in theory transitions, challenged by the thesis of semantic incommensurability, can be restored by the Chains of Meaning approach to concept formation. According to this approach, concepts of different, succeeding theories may be identified with respect to referential meaning, in spite of grave diversity of the mathematical structures characterizing them in their respective theories. The criterion of referential identity for concepts is that they meet a relation of semantic embedding, i.e. that the embedding concept can be substituted by the embedded one in ''classical limit'' situations. Three case studies from contemporary physics theories will be used to show that the Chains of Meaning approach not only yields meaning comparisons for already established concepts (as for Newtonian and Schwarzschild mass) but is also well suited to characterize actual scientific strategies of concept formation in yet open cases such as black hole entropy or relativistic thermodynamics.

Harvard Citation style: Bartels, A. (1995) Chains of meaning: A model for concept formation in contemporary physics theories, Synthese, 105(3), pp. 347-379. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01063563

APA Citation style: Bartels, A. (1995). Chains of meaning: A model for concept formation in contemporary physics theories. Synthese. 105(3), 347-379. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01063563