The Context of Explanation

The Context of Explanation PDF Author: M. Bunzl
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401117357
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 182

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Book Description
In this book Martin Bunzl considers the prospects for a general and comprehensive account of explanation, given the variety of interests that prompt explanations in science. Bunzl argues that any successful account of explanation must deal with two very different contexts - one static and one dynamic. Traditionally, theories of explanation have been built for the former of these two contexts. That is to say, they are designed to show how it is that a 'finished' body of scientific knowledge can be put to explanatory use. But finished sciences are few and far between. Real 'explanation' also occurs in a dynamical context in which questions are asked and answers are given as theories are in the process of being constructed. Here, Bunzl argues that attending to explanation produced under these dynamic circumstances undermines prominent features of the theory of explanation produced in the traditional static context.

The Context of Explanation

The Context of Explanation PDF Author: M. Bunzl
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 9401117357
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 182

Get Book Here

Book Description
In this book Martin Bunzl considers the prospects for a general and comprehensive account of explanation, given the variety of interests that prompt explanations in science. Bunzl argues that any successful account of explanation must deal with two very different contexts - one static and one dynamic. Traditionally, theories of explanation have been built for the former of these two contexts. That is to say, they are designed to show how it is that a 'finished' body of scientific knowledge can be put to explanatory use. But finished sciences are few and far between. Real 'explanation' also occurs in a dynamical context in which questions are asked and answers are given as theories are in the process of being constructed. Here, Bunzl argues that attending to explanation produced under these dynamic circumstances undermines prominent features of the theory of explanation produced in the traditional static context.

The Logic of Explanation in Psychoanalysis

The Logic of Explanation in Psychoanalysis PDF Author: Michael Sherwood
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 1483263592
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 287

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Book Description
The Logic of Explanation in Psychoanalysis is this is the first full-length study of a single case history written by a practicing psychiatrist from the standpoint of the philosophy of science. This book is a contribution to the growing dialogue between philosophers of science and psychiatrists. It ranges in scope from highly technical linguistic issues to problems concerning Freud's early theory of psychosexual development. The study's primary appeal will be, on the one hand, to those philosophers interested in logical problems in the behavioral sciences and, on the other, to those psychiatrists and psychoanalysts who are not content simply to worry about the very real difficulties of psychotherapy, but who also feel obliged to concern themselves with the scientific status of a psychodynamically oriented theory of human behavior. However, the importance and contemporary relevance of such an interdisciplinary approach will be apparent to a far wider audience. Therefore, an attempt has been made to present the material in a manner both appealing and comprehensible to readers who may lack the specialized knowledge required of either the philosopher or the psychiatrist. In so doing it is hoped that an even wider based dialogue can be established.

Everyday Metaphysical Explanation

Everyday Metaphysical Explanation PDF Author: Kristie Miller
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0198857306
Category : Explanation
Languages : en
Pages : 326

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Book Description
The philosophical notion of metaphysical explanation has been subject to an increased level of attention in the previous decade. Despite tantalising claims about how metaphysical explanations are part of everyday life, the everyday notion has not been explored. In Everyday Metaphysical Explanation, Kristie Miller and James Norton take up the task of developing an account of the everyday notion of metaphysical explanation: the notion that we all use in ordinary contexts when we ask for, and receive, explanations of a certain sort. Building on the striking results of their empirical investigation of folk judgements regarding what metaphysically explains what, together with evidence of our ordinary practices surrounding the notion, they build three unique accounts of the phenomenon.

The Art of Explanation

The Art of Explanation PDF Author: Lee LeFever
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1118417313
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description
Your guide to becoming an explanation specialist. You've done the hard work. Your product or service works beautifully - but something is missing. People just don't see the big idea - and it's keeping you from being successful. Your idea has an explanation problem. The Art of Explanation is for business people, educators and influencers who want to improve their explanation skills and start solving explanation problems. Author Lee LeFever is the founder of Common Craft, a company known around the world for making complex ideas easy to understand through short animated videos. He is your guide to helping audiences fall in love with your ideas, products or services through better explanations in any medium. You will learn to: Plan: Learn explanation basics, what causes them to fail and how to diagnose explanation problems. Package: Using simple elements, create an explanation strategy that builds confidence and motivates your audience. Present: Produce remarkable explanations with visuals and media. The Art of Explanation is your invitation to become an explanation specialist and see why explanation is now a fundamental skill for professionals.

Explanation in Social Science

Explanation in Social Science PDF Author: Robert Brown
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134553021
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
This is volume II of twenty-two of the Social Theory and Methodology series. Originally published in 1963, the present study has as its aim the discussion of certain questions of philosophical interest as they come to be imbedded in the work of social scientists. It is intended to be an essay which might be of interest to the practising scientist.

The Explanation of Crime

The Explanation of Crime PDF Author: Per-Olof H. Wikström
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139460218
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
Integration of disciplines, theories and research orientations has assumed a central role in criminological discourse yet it remains difficult to identify any concrete discoveries or significant breakthroughs for which integration has been responsible. Concentrating on three key concepts: context, mechanisms, and development, this volume aims to advance integrated scientific knowledge on crime causation by bringing together different scholarly approaches. Through an analysis of the roles of behavioural contexts and individual differences in crime causation, The Explanation of Crime seeks to provide a unified and focused approach to the integration of knowledge. Chapter topics range from individual genetics to family environments and from ecological behaviour settings to the macro-level context of communities and social systems. This is a comprehensive treatment of the problem of crime causation that will appeal to graduate students and researchers in criminology and be of great interest to policy-makers and practitioners in crime policy and prevention.

Explanation and Experience in Social Science

Explanation and Experience in Social Science PDF Author: Robert Brown
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351520954
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 310

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Book Description
According to their critics, social scientists rarely ask the right questions and cannot provide satisfactory answers even to the questions they ask themselves. Social scientists often discuss the nature of knowledge in their fields with a notable lack of clarity. Explanation and Experience in Social Science by Robert Brown dispels the confusion with cogency and wit; it is a systematic, sensible, and lucid analysis of the nature of the explanations put forward by social scientists.Explanation-making is first distinguished from "describing" and "reporting," and then classified into different types, based on different kinds of information used. The greater part of the book consists in discussion and examination of these types of explanation and their relationships, in which the usefulness and limitations of each are assessed. An extraordinary variety of examples from contemporary work in all the social sciences is used, including the fields of sociology, anthropology, psychology, history, demography, political science. and economics. The author makes it clear that good social explanation is possible and that it conforms to the requirements of all good scientific explanation.Explanation and Experience in Social Science is of interest to the practicing scientist--in fact--it is a must-have for any personal or public library with collections in the social sciences. Most studies in the philosophy of the sciences, natural and social, fall into two distinct groups: those written by philosophers for other philosophers and those produced by scientists for their fellow-scientists. The aim of this book is to discuss questions of philosophical interest as they come to be imbedded in the work of social scientists.

Theory and Explanation in Geography

Theory and Explanation in Geography PDF Author: Henry Wai-chung Yeung
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119845505
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 342

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Book Description
A thought-provoking resource detailing why causal theory is useful in geographical enquiry and how it can be developed through mechanism-based thinking. Includes a multitude of approaches and concepts in human geography today, covering important caveats, key considerations, and a synthetic approach Details contemporary geographical thought, covering theory in Marxism, poststructuralism and post-phenomenology/posthumanism, and feminism and postcolonialism Explores relationality and relational thought in contemporary human geography, plus moving towards a relational theory for the 2020s and beyond Discusses mechanism and process in causal explanation, covering causal theory and actors, neoliberalization, and the process-mechanism distinction of neoliberalism Essential reading for academics, geographers, and scholars seeking unique perspective on an important facet of the field

The Quantum of Explanation

The Quantum of Explanation PDF Author: Randall E. Auxier
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
ISBN: 1351792482
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 370

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Book Description
The Quantum of Explanation advances a bold new theory of how explanation ought to be understood in philosophical and cosmological inquiries. Using a complete interpretation of Alfred North Whitehead’s philosophical and mathematical writings and an interpretive structure that is essentially new, Auxier and Herstein argue that Whitehead has never been properly understood, nor has the depth and breadth of his contribution to the human search for knowledge been assimilated by his successors. This important book effectively applies Whitehead’s philosophy to problems in the interpretation of science, empirical knowledge, and nature. It develops a new account of philosophical naturalism that will contribute to the current naturalism debate in both Analytic and Continental philosophy. Auxier and Herstein also draw attention to some of the most important differences between the process theology tradition and Whitehead’s thought, arguing in favor of a Whiteheadian naturalism that is more or less independent of theological concerns. This book offers a clear and comprehensive introduction to Whitehead’s philosophy and is an essential resource for students and scholars interested in American philosophy, the philosophy of mathematics and physics, and issues associated with naturalism, explanation and radical empiricism.

Explanation, Quantity and Law

Explanation, Quantity and Law PDF Author: John Forge
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0429862040
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
Published in 1999, this work sets out to give an account of explanation which is adequate to the problems that arise when looking at physical science. It offers a theory of explanation with supporting analysis, and also an application to the task of giving an account of explanation in quantum mechanics.