scientific realism
Quick Summary
Scientific realism is a philosophical stance that asserts scientific theories aim to provide a literally true account of the world, including unobservable entities. Realists believe that accepting a scientific theory means accepting its claims as true descriptions of reality. This contrasts with instrumentalism, which views theories as mere tools or "instruments" for making predictions about observable phenomena, without necessarily committing to the truth of their theoretical claims.1
A key debate in scientific realism centers on the existence of unobservable entities, such as electrons or atoms. While instrumentalists suggest these terms are just part of a formal calculus for prediction, realists argue that understanding phenomena like chemical bonds requires taking these unobservables seriously. Arguments for realism often point to the success of scientific theories in explaining and predicting phenomena as evidence for their truth, suggesting it would be a miracle if theories were false yet consistently successful. However, antirealists counter that past successful theories have proven false, leading to a "pessimistic induction" that contemporary theories may also be incorrect.2341
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