A number of philosophers draw a close analogy between scientific modeling and fiction, often appealing to Kendall Walton’s make-believe view. I assess the models-fictions analogy from a cognitive angle, suggesting that from this perspective it appears relatively weak. More specifically, I argue that, on the one hand, the appeal to Walton is appropriate inasmuch as his view fits well with how modelers employ the imagination. On the other hand, what makes Walton’s view attractive as an account of the cognitive aspects of modeling makes it less attractive as an account of fiction.

中文翻译：

---

模型和小说：毕竟不是那么相似？

许多哲学家在科学建模和小说之间进行了密切的类比，往往会吸引肯德尔沃尔顿的虚构观点。我从认知角度评估模型-小说类比，表明从这个角度来看它似乎相对较弱。更具体地说，我认为，一方面，对沃尔顿的诉求是恰当的，因为他的观点与建模者如何运用想象力非常吻合。另一方面，是什么让沃尔顿的观点作为对建模的认知方面的说明有吸引力，但作为对小说的说明却没有那么有吸引力。