Stephen Downes

Thge questions raised in this article are the sorts of questions that go through my mind when, say, someone nonchalantly talks about using a theory as a 'lens' through which to view some phenomenon. Do they mean the theory is a model (as opposed to a law of nature)? If so, what sort of model? Do they mean it in the sense of a system? Do they have an epistemology for that model? Etc. "Models raise questions in semantics (how, if at all, do models represent?), ontology (what kind of things are models?), epistemology (how do we learn and explain with models?), and, of course, in other domains within philosophy of science." Anyhow, this is a great article, a clear and well-developed account of our development and use of models, from physical objects, to metaphors, to abstractions. Image: Britannica.