Mallintodellisuus

Mallintodellisuus, often translated as model realism or model objectivity, is a philosophical concept that explores the relationship between models and reality. It posits that scientific models, while being simplifications or abstractions of the world, can still accurately represent or correspond to certain aspects of reality. This means that the success of a model in predicting phenomena or explaining observations can be taken as evidence for its fidelity to the way the world actually is, at least in the domains it purports to describe.

Proponents of mallintodellisuus argue that scientific models are not merely useful fictions or instrumental tools that help us organize our thoughts. Instead, they suggest that these models can capture genuine structural or causal features of reality. The effectiveness of scientific theories and their models in guiding our interactions with the world, leading to technological advancements, and providing explanations for natural phenomena is seen as strong support for this view. If models were entirely divorced from reality, their predictive power would be a remarkable coincidence.

However, mallintodellisuus also acknowledges that models are inherently incomplete and may contain idealizations or even inaccuracies. The claim is not that models are perfect replicas of reality, but rather that they can be "true enough" in relevant respects. The philosophical challenge lies in determining which aspects of a model correspond to reality and to what degree. This involves careful consideration of the model's scope, purpose, and empirical success. Critiques of mallintodellisuus often raise questions about how to distinguish between a genuinely accurate representation and a mere instrumental success, and what criteria should be used to assess the "truthlikeness" of a model.