From Features via Frames to Spaces: Modeling Scientific Conceptual Change Without Incommensurability or Aprioricity

Abstract

The (dynamic) frame model, originating in artificial intelligence and cognitive psychology, has recently been applied to change-phenomena traditionally studied within history and philosophy of science. Its application purpose is to account for episodes of conceptual dynamics in the empirical sciences (allegedly) suggestive of incommensurability as evidenced by "ruptures" in the symbolic forms of historically successive empirical theories with similar classes of applications. This article reviews the frame model and traces its development from the feature list model. Drawing on extant literature, examples of framereconstructed taxonomic change are presented. This occurs for purposes of comparison with an alternative tool, conceptual spaces. The main claim is that conceptual spaces save the merits of the frame model and provide a powerful model for conceptual change in scientific knowledge, since distinctions arising in measurement theory are native to the model. It is suggested how incommensurability as incomparability of theoretical frameworks might be avoided (thus coming on par with a key-result of applying frames). Moreover, as non(inter-)translatability of world-views, it need not to be treated as a genuine problem of conceptual representation. The status of laws vis à vis their dimensional bases as well as diachronic similarity measures are (inconclusively) discussed.

Criteria for naturalness in conceptual spaces

“…In particular, because dimensions are correlated, some regions in conceptual spaces are more inhabited than others. Zenker (2014) suggests including knowledge about such correlations in terms of population patterns: 'To mimic this in conceptual spaces, [...] one may speak of sub-regions of a conceptual space being empty (or comparatively unpopulated)' (Zenker 2014, p. 82f). For example, certain combinations of colour and flavour are very common in berries: red and dark colours indicate sweetness.…”

Applications of Conceptual Spaces

“…Conceptual spaces thus amount to more than a combination of extant ideas from frame theory and prototype theory, since the geometry of the domains yields predictions that are not possible in either. (For a comparison of frames with conceptual spaces, see Zenker (2014)). In his contribution to this volume, Zwarts demonstrates how existing feature analyses for particular domains can be used to construct conceptual spaces in which notions like convexity can be systematically studied.…”

“…These magnitudes can be modeled as collections of dimensions with their inter-relations, that is, as conceptual spaces Zenker 2011, 2013;Zenker and Gärdenfors 2014;Zenker 2014). Put schematically, an empirical theory, T, depends on a conceptual framework, F, that is modeled as a conceptual space, S.…”

A frame-based approach for theoretical concepts

“…Footnote 13 continued sets of statements (Carnap) or as sets of models (Sneed, Stegmüller) is of great interest for the comparison of different methods of theory-representation as, for example, it is done by Zenker (2014) and Zenker and Gärdenfors (2014), who compare the representation of conceptual change in empirical science by frames, conceptual spaces, and sets of models.…”