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Related Experiment Video

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Assessing the Coherence of Parents' Short Narratives Regarding their Child Using the Five-Minute Speech Sample Procedure

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Essentially narrative explanations.

¹Department of Philosophy, University of California-Santa Cruz, 1156 High St, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA.

Studies in History and Philosophy of Science

|June 7, 2017

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Narrative explanations are uniquely suited for specific questions, overcoming issues of logical formlessness and evaluative intractability. This study clarifies their structure and evaluation, demonstrating their philosophical validity.

Keywords:

Beatty Danto Explanation Megill Narrative Narrative sentences

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Area of Science:

Philosophy of Science
Epistemology
Scientific Explanation

Background:

Philosophical critiques of narrative explanations highlight challenges like logical formlessness and evaluative intractability.
These critiques question the inferential basis and assessment criteria for narrative-based accounts.

Purpose of the Study:

To argue for the unique suitability of narrative explanations in addressing certain types of explanatory questions.
To explicate the nature of narrative explanations and establish a framework for their evaluation.
To demonstrate why common philosophical objections to narrative explanations are unfounded.

Main Methods:

Conceptual analysis of narrative explanation.
Identification and refutation of philosophical objections (logical formlessness, evaluative intractability).
Explication of criteria for narrative form, plausibility, and evaluation.

Main Results:

Narrative explanations possess a distinct form and structure that supports their explanatory power.
The study provides a basis for assessing the plausibility and evaluative dimensions of narrative explanations.
Philosophical concerns regarding logical formlessness and evaluative intractability are addressed and resolved.

Conclusions:

Narrative explanations are philosophically sound and essential for certain explanatory contexts.
Understanding the structure and evaluation of narrative explanations enhances scientific understanding.
This work provides a robust framework for the philosophical assessment of narrative explanations.