Science aims to describe reality, to predict the future and to supply us with technology. But it also aims to explain and understand the world. What does it take to explain a phenomenon? Why are some explanations better than others? How do explanation and understanding relate to each other?
In this thorough and clearly written introduction, Arnon Levy explores philosophical theories of explanation and understanding which can help answer these questions. Highlighted themes include:
- What are explanations and what makes some explanations better than others?
- Empiricism about explanation: Hempel's Deductive-Nomological model and its discontents
- Causation and Causal theories of explanation: From Lewis, through Woodward to Strevens
- Explanatory models, the role idealization and abstraction in generating understanding
- Mechanistic explanation: What is a mechanism? What kind of understanding do mechanistic models supply?
- Mathematical and other non-causal explanations
- Understanding and its relation to explanation.
Arguments are fleshed out with examples, chapter summaries, a glossary of key terms, and accompanying illustrations. As such, Explanation and Understanding is suitable for independent study or as a companion to classes in philosophy of science, metaphysics and other areas of philosophy in which explanation looms large.
This thorough and clearly written introduction to scientific explanation is an excellent resource for students of philosophy of science, metaphysics and philosophy of psychology.
1. Introduction: what this book (and isnt) about
2. The history (and
prehistory) of scientific explanation
3. The Move to Causal Accounts
4.
Explanation and Difference-making
5. Production and Mechanistic Explanation
6. Models and Explanation
7. Beyond Causal Explanation
8. What is
Understanding
9. Connecting understanding and explanation
10. Coda: the place
of explanation. Glossary Index
Arnon Levy is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He holds a PhD in philosophy and an MA in biology, both from Harvard University. His work covers explanation and understanding in science, the nature of modeling and scientific representation, and the role of science in society.
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