The Dissenter

#1215 Mauricio Suárez - Inference and Representation: A Study in Modeling Science

Feb 13, 2026
Mauricio Suárez, a professor of logic and philosophy of science, discusses modeling and scientific representation. He explains how models act as surrogate scenarios to draw inferences about real systems. He critiques reductive similarity accounts and outlines an inferential, practice-focused view of representation. He also connects scientific representation to debates in art.
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INSIGHT

The Historical Rise Of Modeling Attitude

  • The 'modeling attitude' became dominant around the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
  • Suárez links its rise to figures like Maxwell, Helmholtz and Boltzmann and cultural shifts across Europe.
INSIGHT

Representation Goes Beyond Mirroring

  • Representation is broader than mere mirroring or copying of reality.
  • Suárez rejects simple mirroring metaphors and treats representation as varied ways we characterize reality to manage and know it.
INSIGHT

Two Families Of Representation Theories

  • Accounts of representation split into substantive (reductive) and deflationary approaches.
  • Suárez says substantive accounts try to analyze representation, while deflationary accounts study practice and treat the concept as given.
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