A significação de representações químicas e a filosofia de Wittgenstein / The meaning of chemical representations and the philosophy of Wittgenstein.

Jackson Gois da Silva

We investigate in this PhD dissertation the meaning of chemical representations from the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein. We compare the foundations of this philosophy with the most important program researches in Science Education, e.g. Conceptual Change, Mental Models and Conceptual Profiles, and we identify that these proposals have a common representational presumption of meaning. In this conception meaning happens because there is a relationship of representation with mental objects, and also a logical dependence among these representations. We show, from this point, the aspects of the philosophy of Wittgenstein that allows us to understand meaning as use, and not as depending of representations, mental objects or logic. In our proposal, meaning is fully on the learning of ways of use in our language, and not in external entities. The results are practical consequences to teaching, once the activities that involve speech and the actions akin to it are on the reach of teachers and researchers, but mental entities with logical dependence are not. We found in our literature review a contribution of a group of researchers that have been contributing in Science Education from Wittgensteins philosophy about one decade. They took his philosophy as an inspiration to produce their own epistemology. We analyze the transposition of the conceptions of the philosophy of Wittgenstein to this epistemology and conclude that the categories proposed are not new to Science Education, that are the importance of similarity to meaning elaboration and the learning from there is no doubt. We propose that the main contribution of this philosopher to Science Education is the role of the rules to meaning elaboration. We also seek to delimitate how Science Education can use Wittgensteins philosophy, once there is a strong image of therapy among those who study him. As Science Education doesnt have the same goals and methods of Philosophy, we propose the uses of Wittgensteins methods to solve some points of the philosophical past still present in this field. We also propose an essay about the question of atoms existence, based on the philosophy of Wittgenstein, and conclude that this is a language illusion. We suggest a redirection of focus to Science Education to what are the epistemological implications about the fact that we invent ways of representation that present empirical and conventional aspects, instead of just observing how scientists and philosophers treat representations.

A significação de representações químicas e a filosofia de Wittgenstein / The meaning of chemical representations and the philosophy of Wittgenstein.

AUTOR(ES)

FONTE

DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

RESUMO

ASSUNTO(S)

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

Documentos Relacionados