Modes of Explanation: Affordances for Action and Prediction

Front Matter....Pages i-xvii
Front Matter....Pages 1-1
Introduction: Thoughts on Explanation....Pages 3-16
A Place in History....Pages 17-23
The Context of Our Query....Pages 25-55
Front Matter....Pages 57-57
Case Study: Creationism....Pages 59-71
Front Matter....Pages 73-73
Scientific Realism on Historical Science and Creationism....Pages 75-92
A Pragmatic Constructivist Take on the Case....Pages 93-105
Front Matter....Pages 107-107
Robustness and Explanation....Pages 109-113
A Mode of “Epi-Thinking” Leads to the Exploration of Vagueness and Finality....Pages 115-119
Complexity, Ockham’s Razor, and Truth....Pages 121-131
Getting a Grip....Pages 133-141
Modes of Explanation: Complex Phenomena....Pages 143-150
Narrative as a Mode of Explanation: Evolution and Emergence....Pages 151-159
Economic Explanations....Pages 161-170
Narratives and Models in Complex Systems....Pages 171-196
Evaluating Explanations through Their Conceptual Structures....Pages 197-202
Investigating the Lay and Scientific Norms for Using “Explanation”....Pages 203-213
Conclusion....Pages 215-227
The Scientific Attitude Toward Explanation....Pages 229-232
Explanation Revisited....Pages 233-239
Is The World Completely Intelligible? A Very Short Course....Pages 241-248
Explanation and Pluralism....Pages 249-256
Reprise....Pages 257-261
Back Matter....Pages 263-302