Basic Philosophic Problems of Measurement

Abstract

One may distinguish between three different philosophical approaches to measurement in philosophy of science: the traditional, the realist representationalist, and the antirealist representationalist. They are conceived in the context of two large philosophical problems in this paper: the problem of realism of quantity and the problem of application of mathematics (arithmetic). A short survey of basic arguments in favour and as well against each of these approaches is given. Further, it is shown that the realist representationalist approach seems to be the most plausible of all (some allegations taken for granted).