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Collaborative explanation, explanatory roles, and scientific explaining in practice.

Alan C Love1

  • 1University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, Department of Philosophy, Minnesota Center for Philosophy of Science, 831 Heller Hall, 271 19th Ave S, Minneapolis, MN 55455-0310, United States.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
|July 22, 2015
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This commentary explores scientific explanation and understanding, examining collaborative explanation and functional considerations. It highlights synergies and tensions in current philosophical analyses of scientific practice.

Keywords:
ConstitutionExplanationFunctional analysisMechanismsScientific practice

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Area of Science:

  • Philosophy of Science
  • Scientific Explanation
  • Scientific Understanding

Background:

  • The philosophy of science literature on scientific explanation has fragmented across disciplines.
  • Increased focus on scientific practice challenges traditional criteria for explanation, often favoring pluralism.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine Fagan's concept of collaborative explanation and Woody's functional approach to scientific explanation.
  • To analyze the implications of these perspectives for understanding scientific practice and philosophical accounts of explanation.

Main Methods:

  • Critical analysis of Fagan's theory of collaborative explanation.
  • Examination of Woody's reorientation of scientific explanation around functional considerations.
  • Juxtaposition of Fagan's and Woody's arguments to identify synergies and tensions.

Main Results:

  • Fagan's collaborative explanation offers advantages but rests on questionable assumptions.
  • Woody's functional approach has broader implications for the methodology of scientific explanation.
  • Juxtaposing the two reveals critical issues in ongoing philosophical analyses.

Conclusions:

  • Philosophical accounts of scientific explanation must address fragmentation and the demands of scientific practice.
  • The interplay between collaborative and functional explanations highlights key challenges for contemporary philosophy of science.