Fictionalism as a Phase (to Be Grown Out of)

In this chapter, it will be argued that a fictionalist account, in one central sense of that ambiguous phrase, of an area of discourse is not something that can be called correct or incorrect once and for all. Rather, areas of discourse often evolve from phases for which an error theory is most appropriate to phases for which a fictionalist account is appropriate. They can then evolve further into phases for which a straightforward account is appropriate. The latter can occur when the meaning of a key term changes. The phenomenon will be illustrated by examples from several areas of discourse.