Agent-Based Modeling in the Philosophy of Science

Abstract

Agent-based models (ABMs) are computational models that simulate behavior of individual agents in order to study emergent phenomena at the level of the community. Depending on the application, agents may represent humans, institutions, microorganisms, and so forth. The agents’ actions are based on autonomous decision-making and other behavioral traits, implemented through formal rules. By simulating decentralized local interactions among agents, as well as interactions between agents and their environment, ABMs enable us to observe complex population-level phenomena in a controlled and gradual manner. This entry focuses on the applications of agent-based modeling in the philosophy of science, specifically within the realm of formal social epistemology of science. The questions examined through these models are typically of direct relevance to philosophical discussions concerning social aspects of scientific inquiry. Yet, many of these questions are not easily addressed using other methods since they concern complex dynamics of social phenomena.

Publication
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2023 Edition)