Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Laws, causation, and explanation in the special sciences.

Jaegwon Kim1

  • 1Department of Philosophy, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA.

History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences
|August 11, 2006
PubMed
Summary

This paper examines arguments against the existence of scientific laws in special sciences like biology and psychology. It explores the implications for scientific explanation and causation in these fields.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Development and Characterization of a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Genotyping Panel for Duck Populations.

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI·2026
Same author

Selection signature analysis using whole genome resequencing data reveals candidate genes for white plumage color in Korean native ducks.

Animal bioscience·2025
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Philosophy of Science
  • Metaphysics of Science

Background:

  • Investigates the relationship between fundamental physics and special sciences (e.g., biology, psychology).
  • Addresses the philosophical debate on the existence of laws in specialized scientific domains.

Observation:

  • Presents and critically analyzes three key arguments challenging the presence of laws in special sciences.
  • Compares the nature of laws in physics with potential laws in biology and psychology.

Findings:

  • The paper scrutinizes arguments that deny the existence of distinct laws in special sciences.
  • Examines the philosophical underpinnings of scientific laws and their applicability across disciplines.

Implications:

  • Discusses the consequences of these arguments for scientific explanation in the special sciences.
  • Explores the impact on understanding causation within biology, psychology, and other specialized fields.

Related Experiment Videos