
Explanation and Understanding
Arnon Levy(Author)
Routledge (Publisher)
1st Edition
Published on 30. June 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
216 pages
978-1-138-70044-4 (ISBN)
Description
Science has multiple goals: to describe the world, as it is now; to predict the future and to make inferences about the past. Science also aims to understand the world - to explain why it is the way it is. But what does it take to explain a phenomenon? How does science generate understanding and what does that take?
In this thorough and clearly written introduction to scientific explanation, Arnon Levy explores the following problems and questions:
the background to the topic of scientific explanation, particularly the questions of what an explanation is, what makes a good explanation and why seek them in the first place
empiricism about explanation: Hempel's deductive-nomological model and its problems
unificationism about explanation: must good scientific explanations fit into an overall 'explanatory store'?
causation and explanation: Lewis's description-based model, Woodward's interventionist view and Strevens's criterion of selection theory
connections between explanation and understanding
models, idealization and explanation
non-causal explanation and explanation in non-scientific contexts
the nature of understanding.
Additional features, such as chapter summaries, suggestions for further reading and a glossary, make this an excellent resource for students of philosophy of science, metaphysics and epistemology.
In this thorough and clearly written introduction to scientific explanation, Arnon Levy explores the following problems and questions:
the background to the topic of scientific explanation, particularly the questions of what an explanation is, what makes a good explanation and why seek them in the first place
empiricism about explanation: Hempel's deductive-nomological model and its problems
unificationism about explanation: must good scientific explanations fit into an overall 'explanatory store'?
causation and explanation: Lewis's description-based model, Woodward's interventionist view and Strevens's criterion of selection theory
connections between explanation and understanding
models, idealization and explanation
non-causal explanation and explanation in non-scientific contexts
the nature of understanding.
Additional features, such as chapter summaries, suggestions for further reading and a glossary, make this an excellent resource for students of philosophy of science, metaphysics and epistemology.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate and Undergraduate
Illustrations
4 s/w Zeichnungen, 7 s/w Abbildungen, 3 s/w Photographien bzw. Rasterbilder
4 Line drawings, black and white; 3 Halftones, black and white; 7 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 12 mm
Weight
345 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-138-70044-4 (9781138700444)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
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Arnon Levy
Explanation and Understanding
Book
06/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
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Arnon Levy
Explanation and Understanding
E-Book
06/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€55.49
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Arnon Levy
Explanation and Understanding
E-Book
06/2025
1st Edition
Routledge
€55.49
Available for download
Person
Arnon Levy is Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. He holds a PhD in philosophy and an MA in biology, both from Harvard University. His work covers explanation and understanding in science, the nature of modeling and scientific representation, and the role of science in society.
Content
1. Introduction: what this book (and isn't) about 2. The history (and prehistory) of scientific explanation 3. The Move to Causal Accounts 4. Explanation and Difference-making 5. Production and Mechanistic Explanation 6. Models and Explanation 7. Beyond Causal Explanation 8. What is Understanding 9. Connecting understanding and explanation 10. Coda: the place of explanation. Glossary Index