How realist is informational structural realism?

Abstract

Informational Structural Realism (ISR) presents an innovative framework for understanding the "structure" that structural realists assert our scientific theories accurately depict about the world. Luciano Floridi's detailed formulation suggests that this structure consists of information that captures binary differences.

In this paper, I evaluate ISR's potential to reconcile the tension between the no miracle argument—often cited in support of scientific realism—and the pessimistic meta-induction, which supports antirealism. I argue that ISR encounters significant challenges in addressing this tension. However, I acknowledge that conceptualizing "structure" in terms of information can be advantageous for the realist perspective.

To advance this discussion, I propose a revised version of ISR informed by algorithmic information theory. This approach aims to create a more robust realist interpretation of ISR, enhancing its capacity to support scientific realism while addressing the shortcomings identified in traditional formulations.