Realisticiset

Realisticiset is a neologism used in discussions of realism in modeling, representation, and theory construction. In its broad sense, it denotes either a person who subscribes to a realist approach or a doctrine that emphasizes that models, descriptions, and explanations should correspond to real-world structures, mechanisms, and entities rather than serving merely instrumental or convenient purposes.

Etymology and usage: The term combines realistic with the suffix -ist to signal adherence to realism. It has appeared only rarely in academic and online discourse, primarily within niche debates on the aims of scientific, mathematical, and computational models. Because it is not widely established, its precise definition can vary by author, with common threads focusing on fidelity to actual causal structures and ontological commitments.

Theoretical stance: Realisticiset positions typically stress ontological realism (that there exist real structures in the world worth representing) or epistemic realism (that knowledge about these structures is possible). In philosophy of science, realisticist claims that theories should aim for truth or approximate truth about reality. In applied fields, realisticist modeling advocates preserving causal relationships, constraint satisfaction, and physically plausible limits rather than relying on abstract or purely predictive abstractions.

Critiques and scope: Critics argue that strict realism can be impractical in complex or data-limited domains and may hinder useful abstraction. Realisticiset perspectives are often contrasted with instrumentalism, anti-realism, or anti-ontological approaches that prioritize usefulness over literal truth.

See also: realism, scientific realism, instrumentalism, model realism, ontology.