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The ontic conception of scientific explanation
1Department of Philosophy, California State University Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840-2408, United States.
Studies in History and Philosophy of Science
|November 17, 2015
Summary
Wesley Salmon's ontic conception of explanation, a root of mechanistic explanation, is critically examined. The paper argues this fundamental construct is obscure or reduces to a non-ontic view, deeming the ontic conception a misconception.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Science
- Scientific Explanation
Background:
- Wesley Salmon's ontic conception of explanation is a foundational concept in the philosophy of science.
- It has significantly influenced contemporary research on mechanistic explanation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically examine the philosophical merits of Wesley Salmon's ontic conception of explanation.
- To argue that Salmon's core construct is either obscure or reducible to a non-ontic view.
Main Methods:
- Philosophical analysis of Wesley Salmon's ontic conception.
- Critique of the fundamental constructs within Salmon's theory of explanation.
Main Results:
- Salmon's ontic conception of explanation is found to be fundamentally obscure.
- Alternatively, the conception reduces to a non-ontic view of explanation.
Conclusions:
- The ontic conception of explanation, as formulated by Salmon, is a misconception.
- This critique challenges a foundational aspect of mechanistic explanation in the philosophy of science.
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