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(2007) Synthese 155 (3).
Emergence and reduction in chemistry
ontological or epistemological concepts?
Lee McIntyre
pp. 337-343
In this paper I argue that the ontological interpretation of the concepts of reduction and emergence is often misleading in the philosophy of science and should nearly always be eschewed in favor of an epistemological interpretation. As a paradigm case, an example is drawn from the philosophy of chemistry to illustrate the drawbacks of “ontological reduction” and “ontological emergence,” and the virtues of an epistemological interpretation of these concepts.
Publication details
DOI: 10.1007/s11229-006-9111-3
Full citation:
McIntyre, L. (2007). Emergence and reduction in chemistry: ontological or epistemological concepts?. Synthese 155 (3), pp. 337-343.