A philosophical perspective on multiscale modeling
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Name:
Seminar Day
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Date:
February 25
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Time:
noon - 4:50 pm
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Short description
The relationship between different scientific disciplines or theories is a long-standing and widely discussed subject of philosophical reflection. In the recent past, much attention has been devoted to the question of whether some scientific theories or domains can be reduced to other theories or domains. Traditionally, so-called reductionist approaches have often been guided by the vision that the laws or principles of different scientific theories can be traced back to a more “basic” or unifying set of laws or principles.
As regards the tenability of reductionism, multiscale models raise interesting questions. On the one hand, one might argue in favor of the reductionist intuition that multiscale models show that different theories are not independent from one another but that, on the contrary, the different theoretical frameworks can be incorporated in the scope of one overarching modelling framework and that accordingly, a close ‘communication’ between different theories is not only possible but an integral part of scientific research. On the other hand, however, one might hold against reductionism that the way in which different theories are coupled together in multiscale contexts is different from what reductionists typically consider as derivational, explanatory or logical reducibility.
During our Seminar Day, we would like to explore the question of how and why multiscale models challenge reductionist intuitions. Can such simulations help us better understand the possible relationships between scientific theories? Are scale-bridging techniques compatible with a reductionist view?
Our invited guest and speaker is Prof. Dr. Julia Bursten from the University of Kentucky. She is a philosopher of science with a particular focus on the philosophy of nanoscience.
Tentative schedule
12:00 – 13:30: Introduction and discussion (Julie Schweer, Marianne van Panhuys (ITAS))
13:30 – 13:45: Break
13:45 – 15:00: Paper reading session (Julie Schweer, Julia Bursten)
15:00 – 15:10: Break
15:10 – 16:50: Talk by Julia Bursten (University of Kentucky) and Q&A session afterwards. Title of the talk: “Conceptual Strategies: A Philosophical Approach to Multiscale Modeling”