ABSTRACT
First, this chapter discusses how the distinction between the observable and the unobservable may be drawn, such that it has epistemic or pragmatic significance, and to what extent unobservable things may become observable due to the development of new instruments or theories. Second, it compares cognitive instrumentalism with three other key alternatives, namely structural realism, constructive empiricism, and semirealism. It also gives some brief arguments for preferring cognitive instrumentalism to these alternatives.
