Structuralist theory concept

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The structuralist theory concept or epistemological structuralism (not to be confused with “linguistic” structuralism ) is an epistemological research program that has been developed since the early 1970s, in which the conventional concept of theories , which understands theories as pure sets of sentences, is departed from. This position is also called the non-statement view . The term "structuralist theory concept" was introduced by Yehoshua Bar-Hillel .

Concept of theory

In epistemological structuralism, a theory is viewed as a not purely linguistic structure, consisting of a model class that defines the mathematical structural core , the intended applications, a data set and an approximation apparatus. As a mathematical model, the structural core is by definition free of contradictions. In addition, the structural core itself generally has little or no empirical content and is therefore largely immune to falsification . A theory receives empirical content only through the introduction of special laws and cross-connections to other theories (theory networks). The set of intended applications can be modified if derived empirical sentences (special laws) turn out to be incorrect due to the data situation.

Set theory is the universal language of empirical science in structuralism. A theory can be represented in a reduced form by the core and the set of intended applications :

The core consists of the model sets of the theory.

Balzer defines the structure of the theory as a quadruple :

is a class of models, a set of intended systems, a set of data structures and an approximation apparatus.

An example: Classic impact mechanics (KSM)

The classic impact mechanics offers an often cited (e.g. in or in) and manageable example.

is a model for classical impact mechanics (i.e. ) if the following conditions are met: There is a set of particles P, two specific points in time , the velocity is denoted by v, and mass by m. So our model is the following:

The first line describes that our model x consists of the components mentioned. The second line then indicates that there are at least two particles. There is supposed to be a collision. The third line then demands that there are two different, ordered times. The second is behind the first. In the fourth line an illustration for the speed is given. and in the fifth the figure for the crowd. The sixth line is now decisive, because here the really meaningful relationship of mass, speed and location at both points in time and via the law of conservation of momentum is described.

history

Although originally developed to justify physical theories on the basis of epistemology, many non-physical theories have also been reconstructed within epistemological structuralism.

Major contributions were made by Patrick Suppes , Joseph D. Sneed , Wolfgang Stegmüller , Carlos Ulises Moulines and Wolfgang Balzer . Similar research programs, which are sometimes classified under epistemological structuralism, were also developed by Günther Ludwig and Erhard Scheibe .

In psychology, the approach of Rainer Westermann (Greifswald), Hans Westmeyer (FU Berlin), Ekkehard Stephan (University of Cologne), Peter Gerjets, Elke Heise (University of Göttingen) and Willi Hager (Göttingen) was made known and promoted.

The stimulus for the development of the structuralist theory concept was on the one hand the historical development of the sciences described by Thomas S. Kuhn and on the other hand the problem of theoretical concepts .

Individual evidence

  1. Wolfgang Balzer: Science and its methods. Principles of the philosophy of science p. 50f.
  2. Wolfgang Balzer: Science and its methods. Principles of the philosophy of science. P. 85ff.
  3. Wolfgang Balzer, Felix Mühlhölzer : Classical push mechanics. In: Journal for General Philosophy of Science. 13, 1982.
  4. Wolfgang Balzer, Felix Mühlhölzer: Classical push mechanics. In: Journal for General Philosophy of Science. 13, 1982, pp. 23f.

literature

  • JD Sneed: The Logical Structure of Mathematical Physics . Reidel, Dordrecht 1971. (revised edition 1979)
  • Wolfgang Balzer: Science and its methods. Principles of the philosophy of science. Alber, 1997, ISBN 3-495-47853-1 .
  • Wolfgang Balzer, Felix Mühlhölzer : Classic push mechanics. In: Journal for General Philosophy of Science. 13, 1982.
  • Wolfgang Stegmüller: The development of the new structuralism since 1973. 1986.
  • Wolfgang Stegmüller: The Structuralist View of Theories. 1979.
  • Erhardt Scheibe: Between Rationalism and Empiricism. Selected Papers in the Philosophy of Physics. Brigitte Falkenburg (ed.). Springer, 2001, ISBN 0-387-98520-4 .
  • W. Balzer, CU Moulines, JD Sneed: An Architectonic for Science: the Structuralist Approach . Reidel, Dordrecht 1987.
  • Rainer Westermann: Structuralist theory conception and empirical research in psychology. Springer-Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg 1987, ISBN 3-540-18245-4 .
  • Hans Westmeyer (Ed.): Psychological Theories from a Structuralist Point of View. Springer-Verlag, Berlin / Heidelberg / New York 1989, ISBN 3-540-51904-1 .
  • Hans Westmeyer (Ed.): The Structuralist Program in Psychology: Foundations and Applications. Hogrefe & Huber Publishers, Seattle / Toronto / Bern / Göttingen 1992, ISBN 0-88937-100-8 .
  • Ekkehard Stephan: On the logical structure of psychological theories. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg 1990, ISBN 3-540-52442-8 .
  • Peter Gerjets: To link psychological theories of action and cognition. Peter Lang, Frankfurt am Main / Berlin 1990, ISBN 3-631-48171-3 .
  • Elke Heise: Volitional action control: Theoretical and empirical analyzes on a structuralist basis. Waxmann, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89325-675-X .
  • Stephan Zelewski: Structuralist production theory. Wiesbaden 1993, ISBN 3-8244-0154-1 .
  • Thomas Schlapp: Theory structures and legal dogmatics. Duncker & Humblot, Berlin 1989, ISBN 3-428-06650-2 .

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