How does instrumentalism view scientific theories?

In the philosophy of science, instrumentalism views scientific theories not as literal descriptions of reality, but as useful tools or devices for solving practical problems and generating accurate empirical predictions.12

Rather than aiming for "truth," instrumentalists argue that the value of a theory is determined by its inferential reliability and its ability to "save the phenomena"—that is, to remain consistent with and facilitate predictions about observable facts. This perspective is often motivated by the belief that theories are underdetermined by data, making it impossible to definitively claim that one theory is "truer" than another.12

Instrumentalism stands in direct opposition to scientific realism, which maintains that the goal of science is to provide a literally true account of the world, including unobservable entities. While realists argue that the success of science is best explained by the truth of its theories, instrumentalists remain skeptical of whether theoretical terms correspond to an external reality at all, preferring to focus on the practical utility of scientific models.12