Joshua Luczak (Leibniz Universität Hannover)
Much of the literature on modelling in science is concerned with representational models. Despite their importance, distinct nature, and presence, toy models, on the other hand, which are a kind of nonrepresentational model, are rarely discussed. This paper hopes to remedy this situation. It aims to elevate the status of toy models: by making clear and elaborating on the distinction between toy models and representational models, by highlighting and elaborating on a way in which the Ehrenfests' urn model, a simple statistical mechanical model, has been used as a toy model, and by explaining why it can be successfully used in this way without performing a representational function.
