Understanding how science explains the world / Kevin McCain.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

McCain, Kevin, 1980- author.

Series:

Understanding life series

Understanding life

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Science--Philosophy.

Science.

Explanation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xx, 122 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Place of Publication:

Cambridge ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 2022.

Summary:

All people desire to know. We want to not only know what has happened, but also why it happened, how it happened, whether it will happen again, whether it can be made to happen or not happen, and so on. In short, what we want are explanations. Asking and answering explanatory questions lies at the very heart of scientific practice. The primary aim of this book is to help readers understand how science explains the world. This book explores the nature and contours of scientific explanation, how such explanations are evaluated, as well as how they lead to knowledge and understanding. As well as providing an introduction to scientific explanation, it also tackles misconceptions and misunderstandings, while remaining accessible to a general audience with little or no prior philosophical training.

Contents:

Why explanation matters in science

The general nature of explanation

Specific kinds of explanations

Explanation and prediction

Evaluating explanations

Explanatory quality and felt understanding

False theories, but accurate explanations?

From explanation to knowledge

Concluding remarks : explaining the world.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 16 Jun 2022).

Other Format:

Print version:

ISBN:

9781108997027 (ebook)

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.