The Limits of Modeling

by Karlis Podnieks

University of Latvia

Abstract

First, I propose a new argument in favor of the Dappled World perspective introduced by Nancy Cartwright. There are systems, for which detailed models can't exist in the natural world. And this has nothing to do with the limitations of human minds or technical resources. The limitation is built into the very principle of modeling: we are trying to replace some system by another one. In full detail, this may be impossible. Secondly, I'm trying to refine the Dappled World perspective by applying the correct distinction between models and theories. At the level of models, because of the above-mentioned limitations, we will always have only a patchwork of models each very restricted in its application scope. And at the level of theories, we will never have a single complete Theory of Everything (or, a complete pyramid of theories) allowing, without additional postulates, to generate all the models we may need for surviving in this world.

-- Podnieks, Karlis (2010) The Limits of Modeling


full study at:

http://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/5475/1/Podnieks_Limits_of_Modeling.pdf