Modeling in the Museum: On the Role of Remnant Models in the Work of Joseph Grinnell

Estimados Seminaristas,

En nuestra próxima sesión discutiremos el texto de James R. Griesmer del Departmento de Filosofía de la Universidad de California Davis. La presentación estará a cargo del Dr. Diego Méndez. Los esperamos!

Resumen:

Accounts of the relation between theories and models in biology concentrate on mathematical models. In this paper I consider the dual role of models as representations of natural systems and as a material basis for theorizing. In order to explicate the dual role, I develop the concept of a remnant model, a material entity made from parts of the natural system(s) under study. I present a case study of an important but neglected naturalist, Joseph Grinnell, to illustrate the extent to which mundane practices in a museum setting constitute theorizing. I speculate that historical and sociological analyses of institutions can play a specific role in the philosophical analysis of model-building strategies.

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