Scientific Explanation and the Causal Structure of the World (eBook)

Wesley C. Salmon (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2020
Princeton University Press (Verlag)
978-0-691-22148-9 (ISBN)

Infos

The philosophical theory of scientific explanation proposed here involves a radically new treatment of causality that accords with the pervasively statistical character of contemporary science. Wesley C. Salmon describes three fundamental conceptions of scientific explanation--the epistemic, modal, and ontic. He argues that the prevailing view (a version of the epistemic conception) is untenable and that the modal conception is scientifically out-dated. Significantly revising aspects of his earlier work, he defends a causal/mechanical theory that is a version of the ontic conception. Professor Salmon's theory furnishes a robust argument for scientific realism akin to the argument that convinced twentieth-century physical scientists of the existence of atoms and molecules. To do justice to such notions as irreducibly statistical laws and statistical explanation, he offers a novel account of physical randomness. The transition from the "e;reviewed view"e; of scientific explanation (that explanations are arguments) to the causal/mechanical model requires fundamental rethinking of basic explanatory concepts.

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 10.11.2020
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Biografien / Erfahrungsberichte
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Romane / Erzählungen
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Erkenntnistheorie / Wissenschaftstheorie
• Themenwelt: Geisteswissenschaften ► Philosophie ► Metaphysik / Ontologie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften
• Themenwelt: Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie ► Spezielle Soziologien
• Schlagworte: action-by-contact • Addition • aleatory explanation • Alpha particle • alpha radiation • Analogy • Aristotle • asymmetry • Atomism • Avogadro constant • Axiom • Barometer • Bas van Fraassen • Bearing (navigation) • Behaviorism • Bernard d'Espagnat • Bohr, Niels • bone, worked • Bromberger, Sylvain • Brownian motion • Calculation • Cancer • carriage accident • Causality • causal relation • Causal structure • Certainty • Classical physics • collective (von Mises) • Compton Scattering • Concept • contrast class • counterexample • Davisson-Germer experiment • Deductive-nomological model • Deductive Reasoning • disjunctive dilution • effective calculability • Electromagnetic radiation • Empirical Evidence • Empiricism • energeticism • epidemiology • Epistemology • estimation • Expectation • Experiment • Explanandum • Explanans • explanans-partition • Explanation • explanatory power • explication • Falsity • first signal, light as • forecast, reliable • gambling system • Gravitational radiation • Hans Reichenbach • high probability requirement • Homogeneity • Humean problems • hypothesis • ideal gas law • ignorance • Illustration • improbable event • Inductive probability • inductive reasoning • inference • inferential version • Instance (computer science) • Instrumentalism • interaction • Ipso facto • Jackson, Reggie • kinetic theory of gases • King, John L. • lambda-definability • Laplacian explanation • leukemia • logical consequence • logical empiricism • Logical Positivism • magnifying glass • Materialism • Measurement • microphysical entities • microscope • Models of scientific inquiry • Modern Physics • Molecule • mononucleosis • National Science Foundation • necessary connection • Newton's law of universal gravitation • Newton's laws of motion • nonrandomness • Observable • Ontic • Operationism • pair production/annihilation • partial entailment • phenomenon • Philosopher • Philosophy • philosophy of science • Photon • physicist • Plausibility • posterior probability • Prediction • premise • premises • Presumption (canon law) • Presupposition • Principle • Prior probability • Probability • psychotherapy • Quantity • quantum domain • quantum mechanics • Radioactive decay • randomness • Ray (optics) • Reality • reason • Received view • recursiveness • Relevance • Requirement • result • Richard Jeffrey • Science • scientific theory • Scientist • second law of thermodynamics • Special relativity • Statistical regularity • Subatomic particle • Subset • Suggestion • theoretical physics • theory • Theory of relativity • Thought • Time • Unobservable • Writing • X-Ray
• ISBN-10: 0-691-22148-0 / 0691221480
• ISBN-13: 978-0-691-22148-9 / 9780691221489