Understanding How Science Explains the World

An accessible exploration of scientific explanation and how it leads to knowledge and understanding of the world.

Kevin McCain (Author)

9781108995504, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 7 July 2022

140 pages
17.8 x 12.8 x 0.7 cm, 0.17 kg

'Understanding How Science Explains the World is a very impressive achievement. It draws on and develops some of the most important philosophical views on the nature of explanation, while carefully engaging throughout with important examples from the history of science (including quite recent history, which takes into account scientific attempts to explain and understand COVID-19). Highly recommended.' Stephen R. Grimm, Professor of Philosophy, Fordham University

All people desire to know. We want to not only know what has happened, but also why it happened, how it happened, whether it will happen again, whether it can be made to happen or not happen, and so on. In short, what we want are explanations. Asking and answering explanatory questions lies at the very heart of scientific practice. The primary aim of this book is to help readers understand how science explains the world. This book explores the nature and contours of scientific explanation, how such explanations are evaluated, as well as how they lead to knowledge and understanding. As well as providing an introduction to scientific explanation, it also tackles misconceptions and misunderstandings, while remaining accessible to a general audience with little or no prior philosophical training.

1. Why Explanation Matters in Science
2. The General Nature of Explanation
3. Specific Kinds of Explanations
4. Explanation and Prediction
5. Evaluating Explanations
6. Explanatory Quality and Felt Understanding
7. False Theories, But Accurate Explanations?
8. From Explanation to Knowledge.

Subject Areas: Popular science [PDZ], History of science [PDX], Impact of science & technology on society [PDR], Philosophy of science [PDA], Cognition & cognitive psychology [JMR], Popular philosophy [HPX]