Theo Todman's Web Page - Notes Pages

Personal Identity

Explanation

(Text as at 11/02/2021 11:29:46)

*** THIS IS NOT THE LATEST VERSION OF THIS NOTE ***

Plug Note¹

• I describe my project² as one of “inference to the best explanation”, so I need to give an account of what an explanation is.
• I have certain prejudices as to what an explanation is – a bias towards modern scientific as against Aristotelian forms of explanation, whereby an explanation has to fill in the details of mechanism, hopefully with quantification, rather than be vaguely gesturing.
• I need to define and defend this position, but as it’s methodological and somewhat peripheral – without causing too much of a diversion from my main concerns. I can’t get into a full-blown study of the philosophy of science.
• For a Page of Links³ to this Note, Click here.
• Works on this topic that I’ve actually read⁴, include the following:-
  • General:
    1. "Harman (Gilbert) - The Inference to the Best Explanation", 1965, Internal PDF Link
    2. "Hempel (Carl) - Theories and Theoretical Explanation", 1966
    3. "Hornsby (Jennifer) - Mind, Causation and Explanation - Introduction: Personal and Subpersonal Levels", 1997, No Abstract
• A further reading list might start with:-
  • General:
    1. "Carruthers (Peter) - Knowledge By Best Explanation", 1995, No Abstract
    2. "Earman (John), Ed. - Inference, Explanation and Other Philosophical Frustrations", 1993
    3. "Haslanger (Sally) - Persistence, Change, and Explanation", 1989, Internal PDF Link
    4. "Kment (Boris) - Counterfactuals and Explanation", 2006, Internal PDF Link
    5. "Lipton (Peter) - Inference to the Best Explanation", 2004
    6. "Nozick (Robert) - Philosophical Explanations", 1981
    7. "Ruben (David-Hillel) - Explaining Explanation", 1992
    8. "Ruben (David-Hillel) - Explanation"
• This is mostly a place-holder⁵.