Reasons why / Bradford Skow.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Skow, Bradford, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Curiosity.

Explanation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (208 pages)

Edition:

First Edition

Place of Publication:

Oxford : Oxford University Press, 2016.

Summary:

Reasons Why advances a new theory of explanation. The book argues that what philosophers are really after, or at least should be after, when they seek a theory of explanation, is a theory of answers to why-questions. This theory is defended against many examples designed to show that no simple theory like it could be true.

Contents:

Cover; Reasons Why; Copyright; Dedication; Contents; Acknowledgments; Epigraph; 1: A Few Opening Remarks; 2: From Explanations to Why-Questions; 2.1 Against Explanation; 2.2 More Red Herring; 3: Reasons Why Are Causes or Grounds; 3.1 FromWhy-Questions to ReasonsWhy; 3.2 A Simple(ish)Theory; 3.3 Partial and Complete Answers; 3.4 Preliminary Objections; 4: Levels of Reasons Why; 4.1 Equilibrium Explanations and a Puzzle; 4.2 Higher and Lower Levels of ReasonsWhy; 4.3 The History of a Mistake; 4.4 Return to Equilibrium Explanations; Appendix A: More on Manipulationism

Appendix B: A Fully General Theory of Reasons Why?Appendix C: Levels of Reasons and Grounding Necessitarianism; 5: Applications; 5.1 Distinctively Mathematical Explanations; 5.2 Third-Level Reasons; 5.3 Presupposition, Necessity, Coincidence; 5.4 A Few More Examples; 6: Teleology and Reasons for Action; 6.1 Teleology; 6.2 Reasons for Action; Appendix D: "Reason why . . . " is Ambiguous; 7: Conclusion; References; Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-19-882247-2

0-19-183116-6

0-19-108886-2