The practice of theoretical research in chemistry largely consists in the construction of models without which experimentation would be impossible. The best-known theoretical models in chemistry are those of the molecular structures of chemical compounds. What is the correspondence between these models and the unobservable entities that they are meant to explain? What is the ontological status of molecular models? The anti-realists question the basis of the realists’ belief in these entities and the truth claims regarding them. Ultimately, the realist/anti-realist debate points to the question of the scope of scientific knowledge. In this paper, I shall show that the description of natural entities offered by the contemporary scientific worldview reveals that molecular modeling presupposes a realistic epistemology that recognizes the limits of scientific objectification.

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分子模型与科学现实主义

化学理论研究的实践很大程度上取决于模型的构建，没有这些模型将无法进行实验。化学领域最著名的理论模型是化合物分子结构的模型。这些模型与它们要解释的不可观察实体之间的对应关系是什么？分子模型的本体论状态如何？反现实主义者质疑现实主义者对这些实体的信念以及关于它们的真理主张。最终，现实主义者/反现实主义者的争论指向了科学知识范围的问题。在本文中，