Fictionalism is a methodological theory in philosophy

Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

 that suggests that statements of a certain sort should not be taken to be literally true, but merely as a useful fiction

Fiction

Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...

. Two important strands of fictionalism are modal fictionalism

Modal fictionalism

Modal fictionalism is a term used in philosophy, and more specifically in modal logic, to describe the position that holds that talk of possible worlds is actually false, though adopting such a discourse may be a useful fiction. A contrast to the position of modal fictionalism would be the position...

 (which states that possible worlds

Possible Worlds

Possible Worlds may refer to:* Possible worlds, a concept in philosophy* Possible Worlds , by John Mighton** Possible Worlds , by Robert Lepage, based on the Mighton play* Possible Worlds , by Peter Porter...

, regardless of whether they exist or not, may be a part of a useful discourse) and mathematical fictionalism, which states that talk of numbers and other mathematical objects is nothing more than a convenience for doing science. Also in meta-ethics

Meta-ethics

In philosophy, meta-ethics is the branch of ethics that seeks to understand the nature of ethical properties, statements, attitudes, and judgments. Meta-ethics is one of the three branches of ethics generally recognized by philosophers, the others being normative ethics and applied ethics. Ethical...

, there is an equivalent position called moral fictionalism.

Fictionalism consists in at least the following three theses:

1. Claims made within the domain of discourse
   Domain of discourse
   In the formal sciences, the domain of discourse, also called the universe of discourse , is the set of entities over which certain variables of interest in some formal treatment may range...
   
    are taken to be truth-apt; that is, true or false.
2. The domain of discourse is to be interpreted at face value--not reduced to meaning something else.
3. The aim of discourse in any given domain is not truth, but some other virtue(s) (e.g., simplicity, explanatory scope).

See also

• Hartry Field
  Hartry Field
  Hartry H. Field is a philosopher, the Silver Professor of Philosophy at New York University. He previously taught at the University of Southern California and The Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He earned his Ph.D...
  
  
• Hans Vaihinger
  Hans Vaihinger
  Hans Vaihinger was a German philosopher, best known as a Kant scholar and for his Philosophie des Als Ob , published in 1911, but written more than thirty years earlier....
  
  
• Legal fiction
  Legal fiction
  A legal fiction is a fact assumed or created by courts which is then used in order to apply a legal rule which was not necessarily designed to be used in that way...
  
  
• Nancy Cartwright
  Nancy Cartwright (philosopher)
  Nancy Cartwright FBA is a professor of philosophy at the London School of Economics and the University of California at San Diego, and a recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship...
  
  
• Philosophy of color
  Philosophy of color
  In philosophy, there are several theories of color. Color realism holds that colors are physical properties that objects actually possess. Color fictionalism is an error theory that denies this.-Color discourse:...