Introduction

Jonah N. Schupbach, David H. Glass

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingChapter

Abstract

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of the book. This book explores the relationship between functional and mechanistic explanations. Steve Petersen thinks about conjunctive explanations through the lens of another philosophical account of explanation, the “patternist” (or unificationist) account. Even granting a monistic approach to this single account, Petersen defends the possibility of there being multiple, overlapping patterns in a given data set, which all appropriately correspond to distinct explanations of a single phenomenon on the given view. Leah Henderson argues against a recent trend in the literature, which allows for the possibility of logically consistent but competing hypotheses. Applying her “hierarchical view of theory comparison,” she argues that competing hypotheses that may appear to be consistent at one level always correspond at another level to mutually exclusive alternatives.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationConjunctive Explanations
Subtitle of host publicationThe Nature, Epistemology, and Psychology of Explanatory Multiplicity
Place of PublicationNew York
PublisherRoutledge
Pages1-6
Number of pages6
ISBN (Electronic)9781003184324
DOIs
Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - 12 May 2023

Publication series

NameRoutledge Studies in the Philosophy of Science

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Introduction'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this