Models and Diagrams within the Cognitive Field

My objective in this paper is to argue that research on modeling within science and technology should be cautious about approaching models in isolation but should regard them as part of a complex, generative field. While there certainly may be rhetorical purposes for isolating a particular model to bring into relief a particular “way of seeing” in the history of science, caution is essential if such a presentation of models doesn’t become more a caricature of science. The plethora of books representing the history of science through a series of icons or great figures is an example. Others examples can be found in the misleading assimilation of Kuhn’s idea of paradigms (Hoyningen-Huene,1993;Nersessian,1998).After making several brief comments about model-based reasoning, I will notice what might he learned from reading about the generative cognitive field in which models emerge. I will conclude my comments by making several comments on the relation between models and diagrams.