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What is Hacking's argument for entity realism?

Boaz Miller

pp. 991-1006

Abstract

According to Ian Hacking’s Entity Realism, unobservable entities that scientists carefully manipulate to study other phenomena are real. Although Hacking presents his case in an intuitive, attractive, and persuasive way, his argument remains elusive. I present five possible readings of Hacking’s argument: a no-miracle argument, an indispensability argument, a transcendental argument, a Vichian argument, and a non-argument. I elucidate Hacking’s argument according to each reading, and review their strengths, their weaknesses, and their compatibility with each other.

Publication details

Published in:

Ågotnes Thomas, Bonanno Giacomo, van der Hoek Wiebe (2016) Logic and the foundations of game and decision theory. Synthese 193 (3).

Pages: 991-1006

DOI: 10.1007/s11229-015-0789-y

Full citation:

Miller Boaz (2016) „What is Hacking's argument for entity realism?“. Synthese 193 (3), 991–1006.