Piet Fritz Pankratz
University of Vienna
Philosophers of science currently debate whether truth is a necessary condition for scientific understanding, with factivists insisting it is and non-factivists denying this. Factivists argue that scientific explanations must accurately represent reality, non-factivists claim that understanding can be achieved through idealized (and thus false) representations. A scientific discipline that extensively relies on idealizations—simplified, often inaccurate models that help reveal underlying causal mechanisms—is evolutionary biology. If such distortions are central to evolutionary explanations, what does this imply about the epistemic aims of the field?
In this talk, I explore how Potochnik’s (2017, 2020) non-factivist account of scientific understanding can help answer this question. I argue that Potochnik’s non-factivist framework accounts for why evolutionary biologists—including those working within the Extended Evolutionary Synthesis—consistently employ idealizations. These models aren’t just convenient, they’re essential for isolating causal patterns in complex biological systems. While de-idealization may occasionally be a goal, most idealizations persist. In light of the above, I analyze three central epistemic aims of evolutionary theory: identifying evolutionary mechanisms, explaining trait distributions, and enabling predictive success. In each case, idealizations prove essential, not despite their distortions, but because of them.
These insights support a non-factivist view of understanding: since idealized models necessarily include falsehoods, truth cannot be a prerequisite for scientific understanding. Lastly, I contrast my account with Khalifa’s (2020) quasi-factivist attempt to reconcile idealization with a commitment to truth. Ultimately, my approach reframes the epistemic goals of evolutionary biology, suggesting that scientific understanding arises not from mirroring reality, but from engaging with it through structured, idealized representations.
Chair: Edoardo Fazzini
Time: 05 September, 10:40 – 11:10
Location: SR 1.005
SOPhiA 2026 