Depth: an account of scientific explanation

Abstract

* List of Figures* and Table** * Preface * Part I. The Causal Approach to Explanation *1. Approaches to Explanation *1.1 Causal Explanation and Explanatory Relevance *1.2 Preliminaries *1.3 Accounts of the Explanatory Relation *1.4 The Causal Element in Explanation *1.5 The Pursuit of Explanation *2. Causal and Explanatory Relevance *2.1 The Minimal Causal Account of Event Explanation *2.2 The Problem of Relevance *2.3 The Probabilistic Solution *2.4 The Counterfactual Solution *2.5 The Manipulationist Solution * Part II. The Kairetic Account of Explanation *3. The Kairetic Account of Difference-Making *3.1 Overview of the Kairetic Account *3.2 Causal Models *3.3 States of Affairs *3.4 The Eliminative Procedure *3.5 Abstraction and Optimizing *3.6 Cohesion *3.7 The Optimizing Procedure *3.8 Rival Accounts of Difference-Making Reconsidered *4. The Kairetic Account of Explanation *4.1 Standalone Explanation *4.2 Difference-Making and Transitivity in Compound Explanations *4.3 Comparing Standalone Explanations *4.4 Laplacean Blindness *5. Extending the Kairetic Account *5.1 Quantifying Explanatory Relevance *5.2 Trading Off Accuracy for Generality *5.3 The Explanatory Framework *5.4 Black Boxes, Functional Properties, and Multiple Realizability *5.5 Aggregative Explanation *5.6 Contrastive Explanation *5.7 Beyond Causal Explanation *6. Event Explanation and Causal Claims *6.1 Background Conditions versus Causes *6.2 Preemption *6.3 Nonevents as Difference-Makers *6.4 Nonevents as Explananda *6.5 Transitivity *6.6 Three Kinds of Causation * Part III. Explanation of Laws and Regularities *7. Regularity Explanation *7.1 Approaches to Regularity Explanation *7.2 Explaining Laws with Mechanisms *7.3 Basing Generalizations *7.4 Property Laws *7.5 Other Laws *7.6 The Metaphysics of High and Low *8. Abstraction in Regularity Explanation *8.1 Problems of Abstraction in Regularity Explanation *8.2 Explaining Boyle's Law *8.3 A Theory of Idealization *8.4 Mathematically Driven Explanation * Part IV. Probabilistic Explanation *9. Approaches to Probabilistic Explanation *9.1 Explanatory Questions *9.2 Varieties of Probabilistic Explanation: Examples *9.3 Varieties of Probabilistic Explanation: Commentary *9.4 Accounts of Probabilistic Explanation *9.5 Elitism versus Egalitarianism *9.6 Probability and Determinism *9.7 Formal Elements of the Kairetic Approach *10. Kairetic Explanation of Frequencies *10.1 Probabilistic Explanation in Deterministic Systems *10.2 Explanation with Complex Probability *10.3 Explanation with Quasiprobability *10.4 Elitism versus Egalitarianism the Kairetic Way *10.5 Regularity Explanation and Probabilistic Metaphysics *11. Kairetic Explanation of Single Outcomes *11.1 Single Outcome Explanation *11.2 Robustness *11.3 Nonexplanatory Probability-Raisers *11.4 Nonexplanatory Critical Events *11.5 Elitism and Egalitarianism Revisited * Part V. Valediction *12. Looking Outward *12.1 Biology: Probabilistic Explanation *12.2 Psychology: Content and Explanation *12.3 Economics: Abstraction *12.4 Explanatory Autonomy *13. Looking Inward * Notes * References * Index ** Figures *2.1 The counterfactual and manipulationist tests for difference-making contrasted *3.1 A compound causal model for a window's breaking *4.1 A compound standalone explanation *4.2 Intensification: inserting an intermediate setup *4.3 The structure of a hybrid causal model *6.1 A single event as both a backup cause and an actual cause *7.1 A bridge diagram for interlevel explanation *9.1 Examples of probabilistic causal models *10.1 An evolution function for a simple wheel of fortune *10.2 A probability density function over initial conditions *10.3 The frequency produced by a microconstant evolution function is equal to the strike ratio, provided that the initial-condition density is macroperiodic *10.4 A nonmacroperiodic initial-condition density over a microconstant evolution function may produce a frequency that differs from the strike ratio *10.5 An evolution function with imperfect microconstancy *11.1 A probabilistic model for a bombing death expanded to show all probabilistic outcomes *11.2 An alternative expanded probabilistic model for a bomb-related death *11.3 A typical microconstant explanation of a long-run frequency expanded to show the probabilistic derivation's route through the macroperiodicity of the actual initial-condition distribution *** Table *9.1 Positions in the elitism/egalitarianism debate