Structuralism, model theory and reduction

Karl-Georg Niebergall

pp. 135-162

in: C. U. Moulines (ed), Structuralism, Synthese 130 (1), 2002.

Abstract

In this paper, the (possible) role of model theory forstructuralism and structuralist definitions of ``reduction'' arediscussed. Whereas it is somewhat undecisive with respect tothe first point – discussing some pro's and con's ofthe model theoretic approach when compared with a syntacticand a structuralist one – it emphasizes that severalstructuralist definitions of ``reducibility'' do not providegenerally acceptable explications of ``reducibility''. This claimrests on some mathematical results proved in this paper.