ABSTRACT
Both the Received View and the Model-Theoretical View regard models as subordinate to theories. This vision has been challenged, with philosophers arguing that models enjoy various degrees of independence from theory and that models function autonomously in many contexts. We look at models that have different degrees of independence from theory, starting with models that are wholly independent from theory. An interesting class of models serves the purpose of exploring properties of a theory by providing simplified renderings of a theory’s features. In some cases, models live in a symbiotic relation with theories, adding specifics about which the theory remains silent. Some have claimed theories require interpretative models in order to relate to real-world targets, or that models play the role of mediators between theories and the world. The Model-Theoretical View claims that it offers an account of models and theories that is aligned with scientific practice. This claim comes under pressure from the kinds of cases discussed in this chapter. In the practice of science, it is often difficult to draw the line between models and theories, and we discuss how, and where, such a line could be drawn.
