Structural Scientific Realism

Empirical adequacy and ramsification, II

by Jeffrey Ketland

In A. Heike & H. Leitgeb (eds.) 2009,
Reduction–Abstraction–Analysis, Proceedings of 31st International Wittgenstein Symposium (Kirchberg, Austria). Ontos Press.

Empirical Adequacy and Ramsification

by Jeffrey Ketland

BJPS 2004

Structural realism has been proposed as an epistemological position interpolating between realism and sceptical... more Structural realism has been proposed as an epistemological position interpolating between realism and sceptical anti-realism about scientific theories. The structural realist who accepts a scientific theory T thinks that T is empirically correct, and furthermore is a realist about the ‘structural content’ of T. But what exactly is ‘structural content’? One proposal is that the ‘structural content’ of a scientific theory may be associated with its Ramsey sentence Ram(T). However, Demopoulos and Friedman argued, using ideas drawn from Newman’s earlier criticism of Russell’s structuralism, that this move fails to achieve an interesting intermediate position between realism and anti-realism. Rather, Ram(T) adds little content beyond the instrumentalistically acceptable claim that the theory T is empirically adequate.

Here, we formulate carefully the crucial claim of Demopoulos and Friedman, and show that the Ramsey sentence Ram(T) is true just in case T possesses a full model which is empirically correct and satisfies a certain cardinality condition on its theoretical domain. This suggests that structural realism is not a position significantly different from the anti-realism it attempts to distinguish itself from.

Friedman's Relativised A Priori and Structural Realism: In Search of Compatibility

by Milena Ivanova

Venzuelan and Russian Trade Relations

by Robert Silva

I already presented this at the ISA West Conference in L.A, 2010 got my APD because of it

It is realist analysis of Russian and Venezuelan trade, Russian no foul. It is realist analysis of Russian and Venezuelan trade, Russian no foul.

Uluslararası İlişkilerin "Gerçekçi" Teorisi; Kökeni, Kapsamı, Kritiği

by Mustafa Aydin

Uluslararası İlişkiler, Cilt 1, Sayı 1 (Bahar 2004), s. 33-60.

Realist theory occupies a special place in the theoretical development of International Relations discipline. As the... more Realist theory occupies a special place in the theoretical development of International Relations discipline. As the dominant theory of the discipline from mid1930s up until
mid1980s, realism has often been dubbed as the theory of the International Relations because of its overwhelming influence on IR academia. In addition to controversial concepts it brought into IR discussions, realism has served the discipline by pioneering the study of international developments through conceptual analysis instead of traditional methods based on historical, legal, and philosophical studies. Although its various fundamental
aspects (such as its conservative approach to world politics, emphasis on state and power, failure to define national interest convincingly, deterministic approach to international politics) have been criticized over the years from many perspectives, realist tradition has reemerged time and again as the leading conceptual explanation of the discipline. Finally, despite all its exposed' weaknesses, the realist theory of IR, with its clear and simple explanations, is still the most widely used approach in the area.