Abstract

BORGE, Bruno. Does causal descriptivism solve the problem of reference of theoretical terms?. Ideas y Valores [online]. 2017, vol.66, n.163, pp.125-151. ISSN 0120-0062.  https://doi.org/10.15446/ideasyvalores.v66n163.49743.

Purely descriptivist or purely causal reference theories fail to account for the manner in which the reference of theoretical terms is fixed and can be traced. S. Psillos proposed two versions of causal descriptivism that take up arguments set forth in previous defenses of said position. His is a mixed theory that attempts to solve the problem by adopting insights from alternative approaches, such as those that resort to Ramsey sentences. The objective of the article is to show the insufficiency of causal descriptivism as a solution to the problem of reference of theoretical terms.

Keywords : S. Psillos; causal descriptivism; Ramsey sentences; scientific realism; theoretical terms.

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